Once upon a time, my youngest sister dated a misogynistic imbecile who declared the following statements: “the suffragettes weren’t real,” “feminists made up the wage gap to try to get more money for themselves,” and “women have always had the right to vote.” These sweeping lies came out of the mouth of a naïve 16-year-old male from the state of Texas. To say my sister was furious is quite the understatement. While this conversation wasn’t the “final straw” that brought their relationship to a dramatic ending, it was certainly a component to a very necessary break-up. It’s astonishing that people continue to think this way in today’s day and age, and that racist, sexist, and homophobic injustices prevail. Let’s journey through a brief history of overcoming gender inequality before exploring lingering prejudices. I’ll conclude by proposing an easy solution for our deeply hurting society. Lucky for you, this opportunity is rapidly approaching!
On July 19, 1848, the legends Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott led a rally of approximately 90 women (and, I’ll acknowledge, a few men) in Seneca Falls, New York. Women from across America discussed severe inequalities between the sexes. These gender disparities included but were not limited to the right to vote, the right to own property, and the right to an education. This monumental moment in history would later go down in the books as the glorious Seneca Fall Convention, which initiated the first wave of women’s rights activism.
Let’s momentarily set gender-bias aside. All Americans have a set of rights and responsibilities. In this case, rights are legal, social, or ethical freedoms and entitlements, while responsibilities can be defined as obligations due to the corresponding party. The following information to be presented is an outline of several protected rights and responsibilities found in this nation’s Constitution:
Rights:
· Freedom of self-expression
· Freedom of religion
· Freedom to pursue “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”
· Right to trial by jury
· Right to vote in elections
· Right to apply for employment
· Right to run for elected office
Responsibilities:
· Support and defend the Constitution
· Stay informed on issues around you
· Participate in the democratic process
· Respect the rights, opinions, and beliefs of others
· Pay your taxes on time with honesty
· Serve on jury when called
· Defend the country if the need should arise
According to the information above, the right to vote in elections sits on the list of protected rights for all Americans; why was this right not initially granted to everyone from the get-go? I don’t know the answer to this question, but I do know how we eventually re-wrote history. In the summer of 1919, the Nineteenth Amendment – which granted women the deserved right to vote – received Senate approval. It took an entire year for the required three-fourths majority of state legislators to ratify the amendment. While Caucasian women finally gained this Constitutional right in 1920, not all of our sisters could join us at the polls: Asian American females couldn’t vote until 1952; Native Americans weren’t permitted to cast a ballot until 1957; African American women couldn’t officially voice their political opinion until 1965. (Therefore, America truly cannot celebrate 100 years of female suffrage for all women.) These unfortunate statistics are part of America’s history, yet they prove that some progress has indeed been made. Don’t get comfortable; there’s a lot more work to be done.
As the fight for shrinkage of the wage gap remains, women are still paid far less for doing the exact same job as men. The wage gap in 2018 according to Pew Research was approximately $0.85 to the $1 that men were earning. According to PayScale, women only earned $0.79 of what men earned just last year in 2019, indicating a widening of the gap. Now things are going in the wrong direction, calling for more attention to this issue (among many others).
It’s quite obvious that several issues of women’s inequality prevail: an unfair wage gap, higher pandemic unemployment, disproportionate divorce rights, short maternity leaves, cuts to reproductive contraception, imbalanced representation in various fields, and an unfortunately on-going history of wrestling for justice. In order to overcome the long list of remaining battles yet to be won, this country must first establish common ground. Whether this cornerstone is kindness, understanding, compassion, sympathy, or even a combination of such blissful adjectives, open-mindedness must occur. We should no longer walk in with our fists clenched and our minds made up. Open yourself to be surprised by joy as you continue to advocate for change. What’s one way you can start? By voting.
2020 has been big, and things got way more complicated for women through Notorious RBG’s passing last month (may she rest in power). Regardless of what we’re feeling in the realm of politics, we have a duty to cast our ballot next week. Congrats to the 25 million of you who have already done so! Women before us couldn’t vote, but we can and we should. There are more females than males in the United States; therefore, we play a critical role. Don’t just color in circles like you did on the ACT; read up on candidates and their stances. Educate yourself, talk with friends and family, and make a decision. Unite your voice with others and effect change in harmony with one another. “Someone struggled for your right to vote. Use it.” – Susan B. Anthony