Last week I wrote about labor unions. In that article I mentioned that gender and race and economics are intertwined. The reason this is the case is that disenfranchised groups are seen as less than human and often given little to no say in the lives they lead, which then exacerbates economic disparity. Of course it does! That’s how the dominating group wins. That is the point of racism, sexism and elitism. However, it ignores the legacy that is left for the dominant group. For example, the insane expectations men must maintain in order to be thought of as manly. From appearance, to work ethic, speech, body carriage, and so on.
Once in a while, a group has enough of accepting the status quo and they stand up and fight for their rights. The fight for women’s rights began with the right to vote. Yet, as with race, equality has not truly been achieved. Women are still a demographic who are not represented in areas of government and labor to the extent that proves they’re over half the population. Rape culture exists (entitlement to women’s bodies as sexual objects; street harassment is viewed as a compliment or just a minor social infraction). Women’s health lags behind (most women don’t understand how their bodies really work–the real details–ask someone on the street like Jimmy Kimmel does and you’ll be floored by the shit people say). More women than men are depressed. More women than men are likely to be killed by a partner. I could cite statistics all day long.
The right to vote won women a voice in the government, but the changes that needed to be made at home are still lagging behind. We may have the right to vote, but partners and society pressure us to give up our voice for acceptance in the herd.
Learn more about the movement on PBS…
Wisconsin Hometown Stories: Oshkosh | WPT Video
