As a Woman, Am I Truly Equal?
Since the beginning of the fight for equality, many women are still found to be seen at a lower stance than men. In the 21st century, it would seem as if women should be held to an equal standard as men, but it’s the complete opposite. Women are seen as weaker, unintelligent, and so many more terrible things. Women have been in an ongoing battle to gain equal rights to men. Men have always been “stronger” and “superior” to women. One key event of the fight for women’s rights was the ratification of the nineteenth amendment. This amendment gave the right to vote to women around the nation. Before then, women were not allowed to participate in anything government wise. They were “less intelligent” than men, so they were not allowed to participate in anything having to do with the government or voting. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the women that took it upon herself to fight for equal rights. She made many speeches and wrote many papers about why women should be equal and why they have just as much to offer as any man. She spoke out against this during the Seneca Falls Convention, where she made the argument that women deserve equal rights to men and it is unfair for them to be constantly belittled.
When fighting for these rights, women are faced with many stereotypes. First, women are seen as less intelligent, but they have the potential to be just as smart as men. While men were continuing their studies within education, women were sometimes sent to be a housewife to their children. They were seen as stupid when it came to many things, but they were still the ones that were teaching the sons and daughters of the townsmen. That was a few years ago, but an example in today’s world is how women are not as invited into STEM related fields.
Men don’t believe that women are able to understand science and math related concepts. Women are excluded in participation within STEM activities. Leading into the idea that women are seen as less intelligent, it affects the amount they’re allowed to participate in government ideas. The higher powers in the United States are led by men. Women are the least likely to gain a position of power especially in a government sense. We rarely see women in position, leading to bad decisions mainly against women. One of the biggest fights, as of right now, is the conflict of prochoice and prolife. Men are typically drawn to prolife, which could be devastating for women. There are cases when women would need an abortion, even when they do not want it. By applying heavy laws against it, it is harder for women to get the help they need. In cases of rape women are continuing to carry a child that is not even theirs, a constant reminder of the horrific event that took place before the pregnancy. There are even young girls that are raped and impregnated by their family members and don’t have a way to terminate the pregnancy. Not only is the girl looked down upon, her health is extremely endangered by this experience. Men are also the ones that decide on taxes and laws. Feminine products are seen as a “luxury.” There are congressmen to this day that believe that women can “hold in” their menstrual cycle and think they are overreacting when it comes to this. Because of their theories, women are charged a Pink Tax,
where tampons and ladies hygiene products are taxed as a luxury item. If there were more women in a high government position, women’s basic body rights would be protected. But when women are put in a position of power, men feel belittled. Men believe that feminism is trying to make men small when in reality, feminism is the equality of the sexes. Women don’t want to take men’s positions, they want an equal opportunity to gain these positions. Women want a say in what they want and need, without fearing that a man would take it away from them. When men feel threatened especially in a working stance, they will do whatever it takes to take out the competition. There are so many highly intelligent women, but are pushed down to a standard of stupidity primarily because they are women. Still, women are seen as homemakers, and housewives. When you think “woman,” the image engraved in your mind is a mother, a babysitter, or maybe a teacher. When you think “man,” you may think about the president, a judge, a police officer. Because we have these stereotypes, women are not thought of as powerful. They are seen in smaller, weaker positions, while men are seen in powerful, stronger positions. Women don’t want to make men look small, they just want to be able to be thought of as strong and powerful. They want to be seen as high up as any man could be. They never want to be seen as better than men or more than men. They want to be seen as equal, not better.
In conclusion, women do not want to be above men, they want equality and will do whatever it takes to achieve this. This has been an ongoing fight since the beginning. It’s the 21st century and it’s time to make a change in what we do and how we seen women.
