A Primer on Women's Rights
Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign broke new ground for women hoping to crash the ultimate glass ceiling - securing the office of the President of the United States. While Clinton's campaign showed that a woman could run for President (and be taken seriously), the race also highlighted the continued struggles within a women's movement that began over 200 years ago with the work and activism of proto-feminist Mary Wollstonecraft. From Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Woman published in 1792, to the passage of the 19th Amendment, to the January 20, 2007 announcement of Clinton's bid for the Presidency - there exists a deep historical struggle for women trying to voice their concerns for equality and be considered more than "second-class citizens."
Background Posts on Women's Rights
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The First Wave was essential: get the vote. The Second Wave was instrumental: get the choice. The Third Wave starts with a question: is feminism dead?
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When it comes to the women's rights movement there are several major players that serve various purposes and agendas. These include, but are not limited to: the Feminist Majority, National Organization for Women, Business and Professional Women Foundation, National Congress of Black Women, Women's Information Network, Women's Vote, Women's Voices, Third Wave Foundation, NARAL, EMILY's list, and Women's Media Center.
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No matter what form it takes, however, one thing is clear: the post-feminist movement is in many respects a formalized backlash against feminism. The unfortunate thing is that the concept of post-feminism is appealing to women who don't realize its damaging effect. To many, the rise of feminism signals a world "in which feminism has been transcended, occluded, overcome," but to others it is still clear that there's work to do.
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Did you know that one out of every five pregnancies worldwide end in abortion? Or that as of 2005, women were making 77 cents to a man's dollar?
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The women's rights movement has a plethora of issues to discuss and deal with, but here are a few of the top controversies currently taking center stage in the movement.
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Before the landmark decision of Roe v. Wade in 1973, which legalized the ability for a woman to choose to have a safe, legal abortion, women had very few choices when it came to handling unplanned pregnancies.
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Expressions of feminism through visualization. From celebrities to George Carlin to Staceyann Chin - there are multiple ways people can take part in the women's rights movement - watch a few.
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From "The Feminine Mystique" to Ms. Magazine to Blogher - these are the resources you should be reading to stay in touch with the women's rights movement.
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The following is a collection of quotes from real women - some famous, some not-so famous - but all of whom are making a difference in the womens rights movement. Could you summarize the women's rights movement in just one statement?
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Welcome to the Women's Rights blog. It is one of many issue based blogs here at Change.org. I'm glad you've decided to stop by and take part in a conversation that, yes, is still relevant despite the fact that the 19th Amendment was passed over eighty years ago.
Defining The Third Wave
Is Feminism Dead? An Overview of Post-Feminism
The Right to Privacy: Roe v. Wade
Happy Birthday, Title IX
Women's Rights Editor
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Alex DiBranco
- New York, NY
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Alex DiBranco is a Change.org Editor
Writers
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Jen Nedeau
- New York, NY
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Jen Nedeau is a social media consultant, progressive activist, feminist speaker and writer. She currently lives in New York City, where she works full-time as the Director of Digital Strategy at Air America Media. In August 2008, Nedeau was selected to be the Editor of the WomensRights.Change.Org where she facilitates daily discussion about the feminist movement. Additionally, Nedeau volunteers as the Chief Technology Officer for New Leaders Council, a non-profit that offers exclusive training for young leaders. You can follow her on Twitter @HumanFolly or learn more here: www.jennedeau.com.
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Brandann Hill-Mann
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Brandann R. Hill-Mann is an extremely proggy-liberal, formerly single mommy, Native American, feminist, invisibly disabled, U.S. Navy Veteran currently living in South Korea on Uncle Sam's dime. She has a super human tolerance for caffeine and chocolate and believes she should use those powers for good. She is not a concise person, and sometimes lets her Progressive ideals and being an Aries make her think she's better than you. She blogs at random babble... and FWD/Forward. If you have something interesting to say email her. Lawyers in Italy looking to hold lottery winnings in her bank account may wait longer for reply.
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Roxann MtJoy
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Roxy MtJoy is a Case Manager at a domestic violence shelter. Additionally, she is producing and directing a documentary on women's colleges in the United States, herself a proud graduate of Randolph-Macon Woman's College. Women's rights are something she is very passionate about. That, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Roxy lives happily with her husband and her cat in Los Angeles.
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Sarah Menkedick
- Salesville, Mexico
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Sarah is a freelance writer currently based in Oaxaca, Mexico. She's spent the last five years teaching and traveling on four continents, so her political affiliations and beliefs are on a much more global than national scale. Her feminism has emerged through travel, seeing the jarring political, economic and social disparities between men and women around the world. She is fighting a constant battle to navigate that gray zone between cultural relativism and universal values when trying to define how much she can criticize and interfere with local cultures. She believes compassion and empathy for people from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and dialogue created with espect to these backgrounds, is essential to create positive change around the world.
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Julie Neumann
- Austin, TX
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Julie is a web editor and freelance writer with a master's degree in journalism. A recovering bulimic and anorexic, she is especially interested in the relationship between body image, pop culture and the media.
