Women's Rights

The US Supreme Court historically restricted women's rights by applying the so-called "reasonableness" standard, allowing federal, state and local governments to enact discriminatory laws that the Court deemed constitutional because they served a "legitimate" government interest.

Historically, this doctrine has been used to deny women the right of reproductive choice, workplace protection, redress for discriminatory treatment and other important liberties.

It is difficult to answer this question, because there have been women's rights movements in a number of countries. But let me discuss the Women's Rights movement in the US. Some people say that Abigail Adams, wife of Founding Father (and later President) John Adams, began the conversation in 1776, when she asked her husband in a letter to "remember the ladies" with regard to rights for married women (at that time, not only couldn't women vote, but under the common law, married women were considered the property of their husband). Unfortunately, her request was ignored.

The first official gathering of women who advocated for equality under the law was held in 1848 in Seneca Falls, NY. By most accounts, it was a small but passionate group (perhaps 125 people-- mostly women, but a few men), who wanted the right to vote as well as equal legal rights. Some scholars believe that 1848 event was the start of the women's movement. It certainly started what became a long battle for suffrage (the right to vote), as well as for more rights for married women, and better access to education for girls. Women in the US did not get the right to vote till 1920, although in a few individual states, the ability to vote in local elections, plus some other rights, were given as early as the 1870s and 1880s. Property rights, better access to education, and other issues of discrimination were not really addressed till the second wave of the women's movement, which began in the 1960s.

Key issues included these: *Control of pregnancy (including the right to legal abortion where appropriate) *Equal pay *Equal opportunities (including the right to maternity leave) *Emphasis on real equality rather than 'formal equality' (on paper) *Domestic violence *Rape Please note that the fact that an issue is listed does NOT mean that it has been 'solved'. Very general issues like 'stereotyping women' and the 'objectification of women' have been omitted in favour of more concrete issues.

Abigail Adams sent an impassioned letter demanding full right for women in the new constitution. She was a little before most people in this matter.

Helen Keller did support woman rights. and also donated to a bunch of charities in her time!!

Mary Wollstonecraft is considered the grandmother of women's rights for her advocacy of gender equality in the 18th century. However, the character of Justine Moritz in Mary Shelley's novel "Frankenstein" is a representation of the injustices women faced during that time.

becuase many of the women wanted the right to vote they also wanted the right to own land.

She probably would have supported them.

There have been dozens of cases that specifically affected women's rights, from gender discrimination to reproductive rights to suffrage cases back in the 1870's..

Women wanted to have the same rights as everyone else did. This included the right to vote and, earlier, the right to own property.

Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton proposed efforts by women to gain for themselves a greater proportion of social, civil and moral rights at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848

Susan B. Anthony.

This is all about women getting equal treatment. Back then, women couldn't even vote. Well, thanks to a variety of women's organizations, things have certainly changed.

There is a link below.

Women had several issues. Some wanted a constitutional amendment requiring equal rights for women. Others wanted Job and Education equality. Others wanted a Supreme Court ruling on abortion.

The New Frontier. :)

Lucille Ball did indeed play a part in women's rights. In 1962, after buying out her ex-husband for Desilu Studios, Lucille became the first woman owner of a major studio.

formation of the Republincan party

There were actually two women's rights movements. One, called First Wave Feminism, began in 1848, when a group of women gathered for a conference at Seneca Falls NY; they wanted to work towards greater legal rights for women as well as gaining the vote (women's suffrage). The next women's rights movement, called Second Wave Feminism, began around 1963, with the publication of Betty Friedan's book "The Feminine Mystique" and continued with the founding of the National Organization for Women in 1966.

the main start of a womans independence started in the 19th century because of the "womens suffrage act"

Women's rights movements is the movement women fought for their right.

**Pretty much. Here is a little history to go along with it:

During a good part of the 19th century women didn't have many of the rights they take for granted today. For example, women couldn't vote, own property, or keep their own earnings from a job. Part of this was due to what was called the "cult of domesticity." This idea encouraged women to be the keepers of the home and to take care of the family. Women were considered more refined and delicate than men, and were expected to be the moral conscience of the family. It was their responsibility to tame their "savage" and "brutish" husbands.

However, as women became more visible through their participation in the various reform movements of the time, women started to speak out against these restrictive roles. Lucretia Mott, became involved in women's rights when her all-female delegation was denied recognition at the London antislavery convention of 1840. Along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who refused to allow the word "obey" in her marriage vows, Mott organized the Seneca Falls convention to discuss, as she put it "the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of women". For this convention, they drafted a document titled the Declaration of Sentiments. It began, "All men and women are created equal," and called for many reforms, including the ability to speak out in public, to own property, and to be treated as equals. They also came up with a game plan for how they wanted to make these changes happen.

Other important figures in the women's rights movement included Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell who was the first woman to graduate from a medical college, and Lucy Stone, who kept her maiden name when she married.

Despite their hard work and the great strides these women made toward equality in the 1800s, women were unable to vote until the passing of the 19th amendment in 1920. In fact, it could be argued that women still do not have political or economic equality today as evidenced by women's current under-representation in politics and their lower earnings as compared to men.

she was not allowed to go to an abolitionist convention because she was a women

They were actually called suffragettes, because they were fighting for women's suffrage, or the right to vote. However, because they were women, they were given the pejorative -ette ending.

There is really no difference except for the people involved and how they achieved their goals.

abolitionism