Blogger: SkullantacySmith

Introduction

Contrary to the present day, women didn't always have the rights they are now afforded. The right to vote had to be fought for, sometimes to extreme measures to get those in power to listen. Arranged marriages were a normal thing within western society, especially among the higher classes. However, the world is still fighting for the rights of women, no matter how far we have come to something closer to equality. No matter how hopeless it seems, here are some of the evolutions to women's rights that have occurred over the centuries.

The Suffragette movement

In the early twentieth century, between 1903 and 1914, the Suffragette movement occurred. The name of their movement came from the word 'suffrage', meaning the right to vote in parliamentary and general elections. Using radical protest tactics, they campaigned for women's right to vote in the United Kingdom. Their motto, "Deeds not words," contributed to their extreme methods of protest. In fact, over 1,300 women went to prison whilst fighting for their cause.

Emmeline Pankhurst was one of the most well-known founders and contributors to this movement. Alongside her were her three daughters and a group of other women sharing in the same want for change. Beginning in Manchester in 1903, they were first named the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU). Three years later, they would move their headquarters to London where they would begin a highly public—and controversial—struggle for votes.

Some of the milder ways they attempted to gain attention to their cause was by petitioning Downing Street, heckling MPs and chained themselves to government buildings in the city. The more extreme ways included damaging London landmarks and bombing and burning buildings.

In 1914, the First World War began—otherwise known as the "war to end all wars." The Suffragette movement had to pause their efforts in gaining their vote, instead turning their attention to the war effort at home. Though the WSPU didn't win women the right to vote, they eased the way for women to take on a more prominent role in helping the war effort. Their role was recognised in 1918 when a limited number of women over the age of 30 were granted the right to vote.

This was not a problem in only the UK. Other areas of the world also saw a struggle for women's voting. New Zealand would be the pioneer, granting women the right to vote on a national level in 1893, swiftly followed by Australia (1902), Finland (1906) and Norway (1913). However, many countries today still do not allow women the right to vote.

Women's Mental Health

In many countries (Britain and Australia being two of the well-known ones), women's mental health was often stigmatised and lead to being institutionalised in an asylum. This especially occurred within the nineteenth century with such reasons cited as 'hysteria', 'unruliness' and for perceived non-conformity to societal norms.

These reasons became a problem within the idealised role of women within society; to be a doting and loving wife, mother and keeper of the home. Due to women being seen as more dependent, emotional and gentle by nature, it made them more susceptible to illness and disease, including mental illness. One of those mentioned was 'hysteria', a condition where women showed signs of exaggerated or inappropriate behaviour. The medical reasons were described in vague terms, often seen as a result of a 'womb problem' among other reasons.

Acts that could get you locked in an asylum included:

· Speaking out against their husbands,

· Women who refused to conform to societal expectations and norms,

· Women's reproductive health,

· Death of a husband,

· Marital discord,

· Vague 'female diseases' linked with reproductive health,

· Complaining, also known as 'imaginary female trouble',

· Women who wanted to educate themselves or read, also known as 'over action of the mind'.

Over time, more research and funding into mental health has proven these untrue, though there is still a lot that is unknown about the mind and mental health—new discoveries are made every day. Many of the hospitals and asylums have been refocussed to other efforts, demolished or left abandoned depending on the country. Mental health reforms still occur today, though women are treated fairer than they once were once upon a time.

Conclusion

Women's rights have been an uphill battle. In many countries, they still are, and many activists are still fighting for the right to an education among other things. Though the improvements today seem few, women were given a chance to be more equal in the world thanks to those who came before us today.