Evolution of Women’s Rights

Throughout history, women were never seen as equal to men. Men and women never had the same rights. Women were always seen as the more fragile sex and therefore, were seen as playing the role of mothers and wives and were not allowed to work outside of the house. Compared the 1800s, gender equality has certainly improved. Many people have fought for not only women’s rights but gender equality, which has brought forward the idea of feminism. “Feminism is based on the acknowledgement that ‘virtually across time and place, men and women are unequal in the power they have, either in society or over their own lives, and the corollary belief that men and women should be equal’.

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Dating back to the ancient times, in Athens, Greece around 500-300 BC, women were always responsible for taking care of children and the house while the men went out to work and were the source of income for the family. Women always had to depend on men to go outside which sadly, still occurs in some places around the world today.

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Men dominated the household while many women had no say. As time went on, things did not change in the middle ages. Around the 400-1400s AD, women were still in charge of household chores however, the role of the nun and tradeswoman was introduced. Women’s opportunity for independence grew in countries like England, France, Germany, and other countries in Western Europe, as they were allowed to be artisans and merchants.

From the time of the Renaissance to the 1800s, women’s individual rights were starting to be looked at and revaluated. For instance, men did not have as much control over their wives or women in general than before. Jobs for women increased as they were allowed to work as “innkeepers, midwives, printers, servants, teachers, and textile workers.”

In total, there were around three to four waves of women’s movements that brought big change for women. Women’s movements during the early 19th century was known as the first wave of feminism. Many women’s activist groups were formed such as the National Council of Women of Canada, where many women brought awareness to gender inequality. After WW1, the first wave allowed women to gain the right to vote in Canada and also allowed women to start joining political campaigns like the League of Nations. The second wave of feminism occurred during the mid 1900s. In the second wave, education and employment rights, birth control and ending violence against women were brought awareness to. As women began working, they earned less than what men earned. Pay gaps are still present in today’s time, but not as huge as they were before. During the second wave, women fought for birth control and abortion, which were both illegal. Eventually, in 1969, birth control was taken out of the criminal code and in 1988, abortion was no longer considered a violation against the law in the Charter and was considered legal by the Supreme Court of Canada. From the late 1900s to present time is known to be the third and even fourth wave of feminism. Many women came together in groups to take down the idea of gender inequality regarding race, sexuality and ability. For example, a group called DAWN Canada (Canadian Disabled Women’s Network Canada) which was founded in 1985 brought awareness towards women with disabilities. Women’s issues started gaining awareness in the 1970s when it came into force throughout many UN conferences. In 1979, the UN adopted a treaty called the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) which addresses women’s human rights. Women’s rights have evolved throughout time but gender inequality still exists today.

There are not many sections of the UDHR or OHRC that cover the issue specifically but there are sections that relate to it. In the UDHR there are three sections that relate to women’s rights. The first section is article 1 which states “all humans are born free and equal.” This covers the issue because it states that everyone is equal with one another because we are humans. Both men and women are considered humans and therefore should be equal and free. Similarly, article 2 states “everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms stated in the UDHR no matter what race, colour, sex, language…” this covers the issue because it states that no matter if one is male or female, everyone is entitled to the same rights and freedoms. Article 16 is the only article that has the word “woman” in it, and it states, “men and women have the right to marry only with the free and full consent.” Both sexes have the same marriage rights and are not to be forced into marriage without consent. In our own OHRC, biological sex is one of the 15 grounds of discrimination. Men and women are supposed to be treated equally, free from discrimination. The code states that its unlawful for discrimination to occur because of sec which also includes pregnancy and breastfeeding. For example, it is illegal for an employer to ask the interviewer if they are pregnant or wanting to start a family.

Issues regarding women’s right are still present today and there are a few recommendations as to what can be done to fix it. One thing that can be done is making a better policy. All states must make policies within their constitutions on gender equality and women’s rights, not just in western countries but throughout Asia and the Middle East as well. States should educate the younger generation and promote gender equality through schools and communities. People should be educated to not discriminate not just on gender but other grounds of discrimination such as age, ethnicity and class. Big organizations and groups must try and make long-term change to ensure gender equality.

I am very passionate about women’s rights because it is not fair that women have been treated so poorly just for being women. I find it unfair that men and women are treated differently and that men have an advantage in everything simply because they are men. Women have just as much potential to do things that men can do. We are all humans and it is stated that all humans have the same rights. issues regarding women’s rights are important to me because women’s rights are basic rights and there is no need for women to be denied their rights because of their sex.