Women’s Rights in the 21st Century

The women of the world are taking a stand and are claiming their socio-political rights like right to work, education, property, etc. They have started to challenge the patriarchal system of society by raising their voices loudly in public and private spaces. Women are gradually taking control of their lives and they have started to lead meaningful and purposeful life.

As a result of the movement, the shackles of suppression have been broken for women and they are now making their presence felt on various fronts of the society. A lot of NGOs and self-help groups are also getting established to empower women by providing them the necessary resources to live a dignified life.

There is still a long way to go to ensure that all the women in this world lead a life that they deserve to live. The first step towards this goal is to eliminate the male superiority mindset that has been prevalent in most of the societies. The second step is to provide them with equal opportunities for education and employment without any sense of discrimination. Lastly, there is a need to establish an egalitarian society in which all the women are able to participate in politics and other decision-making processes.

The global movements to end gender discrimination and promote the rights of women began in the late 19th century. This was when most of the countries started passing laws that would explicitly grant them the right to vote and participate in political decisions. However, this did not mean that the situation of the women improved immediately as they still faced many challenges in all other aspects of their lives.

Initially, reforms focused on dismantling the intricate system of protectionist sex-based legal distinctions and integrating women into formerly male-dominated domains, such as blue-collar jobs and the professions. Later, feminism focused on the idea that gender is irrelevant to the distribution of rights and burdens in public institutions and that women should be treated just as men are. The first concrete accomplishment was a New York state law granting women property rights in 1860.

In the twentieth century, progress on women’s rights accelerated rapidly. Women fought to obtain the right to vote and to become professionals. Non-consensual sex was made illegal and marital rape became unthinkable. Eventually, the United Nations Fourth World Conference in Beijing adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which called for embedding gender equality and women’s rights into all aspects of the society.

In 2018, the issues related to women rights mainly fall under three categories: economic independence, or the right to work and own property; bodily autonomy, or the right to control one’s own sexuality and reproductive choices; and political participation, or the right to vote and run for office. These changes, which were once considered outlandish, have become so commonplace that those who lived through them can hardly remember life as it was before. The young people who are growing up now take them for granted. This is why it is so important for all of us to continue to push forward the cause of women rights.