Beyond Suffrage: The Continued Struggle for Women’s Rights

Imagine a country whose founding documents promise equality, where independence and justice are said to be the cornerstones of society.

This country prides itself on its achievements on the global stage and sells itself as a prime example of progress, diversity, and freedom.

Yet, beneath the mask of liberty lies a harsh reality — the reality that women’s rights are routinely changed and removed, and equality remains an elusive dream.

This country is The United States of America.

On August 18, 1920, after 70 years of fighting, women in the US finally won the right to vote with the 19th Amendment.

The Women’s Suffrage Movement declared that women, “like men, deserve all the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.”

Until this point in history, women couldn’t legally vote. In fact, if a woman preferred one candidate over another, she had to convince her husband to vote for that candidate.

For reference, the Declaration of Independence says,

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”