How Feminism has Altered the Perception of Women

The perception of women has been altered over time as a result of feminism in the Western World. The development of the perception of women can be traced throughout time to present day. There have been many influential feminists who have contributed to the rights that women have in the present. Within this post, the treatment of women over various time periods and the feminists thinkers who helped create change in that time will be discussed.

In the 1700’s almost the entire western world was culturally misogynistic. Teaching women to read and write was seen as unnecessary since they were rarely invited to salons, and many professions were exclusively for males. Females were mostly confined to being homemakers and caretakers for children. Chastity was important in adding to the value of a woman, it made her worth more to a marriage. A woman’s entire existence and upbringing was dedicated to becoming a perfect wife. A married woman was essentially her husband’s property; anything she had was his and if she disobeyed his orders she could legally be beaten. The rules for women in this time period were extensive and restrictive. It was during this oppressive time that Mary Wollstonecraft wrote her novel, ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Women’, that challenged many of the issues stated above. She opposed the laws of marriage that, “make an absurd unit of a man and his wife” (Wollstonecraft). She was one of the first people to call for women in government and for women to be allowed to vote. She was extremely passionate about women’s education. She believed it would be beneficial for everyone, not just women, if women were allowed further education.  She addressed this at length in her novel saying, “how many women thus waste life away the prey of discontent, who might have practiced as physicians, regulated a farm, managed a shop, and stood erect, supported by their own industry, instead of hanging their heads surcharged with the dew of sensibility” (Wollstonecraft). Wollstonecraft envisioned a world in which men and women had equal opportunities and rights. Her ideas are some that triggered a shift in the perception of women greatly. Although her ideas were not widely accepted in her time, they began a long period of questioning the treatment of women and erasing misogynistic mindsets.

Mary Wollstonecraft

In the 1800’s the previously discussed restrictions still existed in much of the Western World. However, during this time the focus shifted to suffrage. Many suffragettes both radical and non violent emerged to fight for women’s right to vote. There are many notable suffragettes, both male and female, from this time period. One of the more prominent suffragettes was Harriot Stanton Blatch. She was born into the movement and rallied the support of working women in America after seeing the success of this in Europe. This group of suffragettes was called the ‘Equality League of Self-Supporting Women’ who had a following of 20,000 people. This group held outdoor meetings, parades, and sent working women to testify to the legislature (NWHM, web). Besides this group, there were many more radical and peaceful groups in Europe and North America fighting for the cause. After years of intense political strategizing, organizing rallies and demonstrations, lobbying, fundraisers, propaganda, and thousands of written pieces on the topic, women were granted the right to vote in the early 1900’s in both Britain (1918), and America (1920). This movement had a huge impact on the perception of women. After years of the suffragette movement, women began to be viewed as intelligent, politically capable, and independent thinkers. However, along with the positive shift the more radical suffragettes were seen as irrational, crazy even. This, in turn, hurt the feminist cause and the image of women in some cases. In the late 1800’s to early 1900’s the perception of women was extremely mixed as a result of suffrage. This is a distinct change from the definite negative perception of the 1700’s.

In the 1900’s more women worked, however they held lower paying service jobs, as opposed to a career stemming from higher education. In the 1920’s and 30’s  women enjoyed a certain freedom they never had before. They were able to get their own job, support themselves, and enjoy independence. However the image of the housewife became extremely prominent in the 1940’s and 50’s. Women were expected to remain in the home, their job was to care for her husband, kids, and keep the household clean and running smoothly. Often women gave up their work and pursuit of higher education in order to be the perfect housewife, this often lead to dissatisfaction in life as Betty Friedan found. Friedan wrote the novel ‘The Feminine Mystique’ about the suburban housewife image, and the dissatisfaction felt by the women who fit that image. She argued that a lack of fulfillment was the reason for mental health issues in housewives, and after collecting data and writing her book, Friedan became an outspoken advocate for women’s rights. She co founded an organization for equality called the ‘National Organization for Women’ as well as helping to start the ‘NARAL Pro-Choice America’ organization. This organization fought for the right to abortion for women, and the phrase pro choice is still used to describe those on the side of legalizing abortion. Among her other accomplishments, Friedan organized the national Women’s Strike for Equality,  in New York City alone it gained the support of 50,000 men and women. This strike rekindled the feminist movement in the United States. Her writing, and her activism had an incredible impact on the way women were perceived by others and themselves. They no longer saw themselves as helplessly confined to a mediocre life within the house. Women began to believe they could accomplish and become more. It has taken time however the housewife image has slowly began to disappear. While being a housewife is a personal choice, it is no longer expected.The perception of women has been altered over time as a result of feminism in the Western World. The development of the perception of women can be traced throughout time to present day. There have been many influential feminists who have contributed to the rights that women have in the present. Within this post, the treatment of women over various time periods and the feminists thinkers who helped create change in that time will be discussed.

The present day image of women in the Western World is still marred by stereotypes and negative perceptions. In the past female sexuality was non-existent, chastity was of utmost importance. However now, women are extremely sexualized by the media and others. But, at the same time if a woman decides to fit that image, they are seen as a ‘slut’. There is no winning. A woman is expected to fit a completely unrealistic image of perfection. The way women are perceived is still distorted, which is one of the many reasons society still needs feminism. Beauty standards are not just unrealistic for women, the image of perfection that men are expected to reach are also unrealistic. Beyond gender perception, there are many other reasons why today’s society still needs feminism. Women in the Western world still statistically make less money than men for the same work. Women are taught how to avoid rape, instead of teaching people not to objectify or rape. Words associated with the female gender are still used as insults. However, feminism isn’t just about women in the west, it’s about women all over the earth. It’s about girls who are severely abused in third world countries. It’s about child brides, and women being killed or mutilated for disobedience. It’s about education being withheld from girls, the pursuit of a career being an unattainable goal for them. Feminism is also for men though, feminism does not seek to make women better than men, it seeks to create equal opportunity for each gender. Feminism is still a movement and an idea that is needed in today’s world. One of the most influential feminists in the present is Emma Watson, who has started the he for she movement. With the presence of social media, this movement has attracted a lot of positive attention. This campaign has begun to reshape the image of feminism, and the people who support it. Feminism is not to be confused with misandry, it is about equality for all. Hopefully through the efforts of this campaign and many others, feminist can have a positive connotation, and the issues that feminists seek to fix, will be fixed. Feminism has completely redefined the image of what a woman is. A statement in the Huffington Post best describes what the goal for the perception of women is, “Feminists don't believe women should look or behave a certain way, it means they want women have to have the freedom to look and behave however they want -- unapologetically. It is not about telling women what they need” (Cavanagh, web). This is the future goal of feminism, to allow people to be whatever they want to be without judgement. The perception of women has dramatically changed as a result of feminism, and hopefully it will continue to do so until women and men everywhere are seen as equal and are able to live life as they please.

Below is a link to a short version of Emma Watson's Un Speech on Women's Rights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DbxSGu-SDg

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