The expectations imposed on women during the 18th and 19th centuries often relegated them to servitude to their husbands rather than recognizing them as life partners (Purvis, 2019). These women were obligated to fulfill tasks assigned by their husbands, making their lives challenging with numerous responsibilities. Current circumstances compel women to resist and initiate a movement known as women’s suffrage, demonstrating their readiness to confront challenges and secure equal rights. Women face considerable restrictions in obtaining fundamental rights such as education, employment, legal rights, and custody of infants, prompting them to mobilize a movement for women’s suffrage.

The women’s suffrage movement led to economic and political reforms, including the right to vote in elections, particularly in the United States (Lange, 2021). In 1840, pioneers Cady and Mott conducted a women’s rights session in the United States, strengthening the suffrage movement with the support of dedicated women. Their collective efforts aimed to secure equal rights for women, fostering an environment where women could actively participate in conventions to combat the injustices of slavery.

Description of Historical Movement

In the 18th century, Ancient Greece and Republican Rome excluded women’s voting rights, a trend that persisted in the United Kingdom and Europe until 1832 (Kitch, 2017). Despite the difficulties in accessing women’s rights in the 19th century, women persevered in Great Britain and the United States. By the early 20th century, countries such as New Zealand, Australia, Finland, and the United States granted women the right to vote in national elections.

Following World War I, a surge in female electoral laws occurred, particularly in Europe, with 28 countries ensuring women’s equal voting rights (Lemay et al., 2019). Noteworthy nations include Canada, Germany, Austria, Poland, the United States, Hungary, Britain, Burma, Ecuador, South Africa, Brazil, Uruguay, Thailand, Turkey, Cuba, and the Philippines. These countries granted women the right to vote at various levels, from municipal to national elections.

Historical Movement and Personal Impacts

Post-World War II saw women from France, Italy, Romania, Yugoslavia, and China negotiating for their rights through the women’s suffrage movement (Bredbenner, 2018). In 1949, Indian women gained their rights, followed by Pakistani women in 1956. Today, over 100 countries grant women equal voting rights, with Switzerland allowing women to cast ballots at the federal level. While the United States recognizes women’s voting rights, women from the United States and the United Kingdom continue to play influential roles in advancing women’s rights at all levels.

Suffrage and the Great Depression

The inaugural women’s rights convention in New York in 1848 marked a pivotal moment in the suffrage movement’s history, garnering momentum through social gatherings and newspaper advertisements (Germain et al., 2019). The convention emphasized equality for women and men in all aspects of life, including trade, business, commerce, and professions. It addressed issues such as equal land distribution laws for all social classes, promoting the security and protection of women’s rights.

Potential Impact on the Future

The 19th Amendment, focusing on women’s rights, empowered women to participate in political movements, significantly increasing voter turnout (Kroeger, 2017). The women’s suffrage campaign aimed to broaden the narrative and potential of women’s rights, demanding fair and just treatment in politics at various levels. The movement sought to establish unity among women worldwide, fostering political liberty globally. Serving as a breakthrough, the women’s suffrage movement has brought about transformative changes in women’s lives by securing voting rights at all election levels, eliminating gender discrimination in most states.

References

Bredbenner, C. L. (2018). A Nationality of Her Own: Women, Marriage, and the Law of Citizenship. In Google Books. Univ of California Press. https://books.google.com/books

Germain, M.-L., Robertson, P., & Minnis, S. (2019). Protests, Rallies, Marches, and Social Movements as Organizational Change Agents. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 21(2), 150–174. https://doi.org/10.1177/1523422319827903

HIS FPX 1150 Assessment 4 Living History

Kitch, C. (2017). “A living archive of modern protest”: Memory-making in the Women’s March. Popular Communication, 16(2), 119–127. https://doi.org/10.1080/15405702.2017.1388383

Kroeger, B. (2017). The Suffragents: How Women Used Men to Get the Vote. In Google Books. SUNY Press. https://books.google.com/books

Lange, A. K. (2021). Picturing Political Power: Images in the Women’s Suffrage Movement. In Google Books. University of Chicago Press. https://books.google.com/books

Lemay, K. C., Goodier, S., Jones, M., & Tetrault, L. (2019). Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence. In Google Books. Princeton University Press. https://books.google.com/books

Purvis, J. (2019). Did militancy help or hinder the granting of women’s suffrage in Britain?. Women’s History Review, 28(7), 1200–1234. https://doi.org/10.1080/09612025.2019.1654638