The History Of Feminism

For many hundreds of years women have endeavored towards gaining equality with men. They have been repressed and opportunities have been taken from them due to the fact that they are women. Feminism is defined as the theory of political, economic, and social equality of the sexes (www.merriam-webster.com). It is the feminist movement that has been trying to give rights to women who have been impoverished of their equality and immunities that man has been depriving them of. Feminism is allowing women to be many things they weren’t able to be before. Whilst looking into the complexities of feminism through politics, the workforce, and education from the 70s to present day, it is apparent that middle class white women are fighting to define and

Sandra Day O’Connor was the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court by Ronald Reagan in 1981, carrying out her appointment until her retirement in 2006. Followed by the first female vice president, Geraldine Ferraro, nominated by the Democratic Party was in office from 1993-1996. By the year 2000 there were 60 women in the House of Representatives and 14 in the senate. In 2007, Nancy Pelosi was elected the first ever woman elected as speaker of the House of Representatives. Also the appearance of women candidates for governor or mayor had become so prevalent that it was no longer unparalleled (Collins 449). Granting all this, it is common for a woman to run for governor but not many are actually elected, there are currently only 6 out of 50 U.S governors are women. But increasingly women are winning mayoral elections. 18.4% of all US cities with more than 30,000 residents have a woman as mayor. In 1970 women only won 2% of mayoral elections, today they win over 15%. Regardless of these consummations, women still remain the minority in holding political positions. As of 2015 80.7% of the House of Representatives and 80% of the Senate remain men. Likewise, few women have ever held a US cabinet position