The Suffrage Movement began in the 1890’s and essentially lasted for seventy-two long hard years. Historically, women have been owned, controlled, restricted, opposed, quieted, and had no rights over their property, money or bodies.

Jewish lend says that in Eden God created a woman, Lilith equally with Adam. She was his equal partner. A man and woman to rule over the Garden. Adam protested to God that he didn’t want an equal partner. He asked for a new one and in response God created Eve from his rib not as his equal but to be subservient. Consistently, through history, women have not been equal. but have been regulated to the home, to have babies, to cook, make food and to be the pretty trophy.

In the 1800’s, the Nineteenth Amendment was proposed to give American women the vote. Tennessee was the state holding passage back from a yes vote. But opposition came also from men, and other women who were afraid of losing the special protection they enjoyed as the “weaker sex”.

Thousands of women marched, picketed and protested to gain the right to vote-the Nineteenth Amendment. A young woman Inez Milholland Boissevian died while campaigning and became a martyr to the movement. Her death triggered embarrassing protests for President Wilson and mass arrests ensued. The Media took up the cause of the hundreds of women who had been arrested and were suffering in very horrible prison conditions. They refused to eat and again the media brought it to the public’s attention. The result was the signing of the Nineteenth Amendment.
Their suffering, work, sacrifice got the American woman the right to vote. Thank you to all of them..

The 1970’s arrived and we women who called ourselves feminists began to once again march and protest for more rights. The right to stay home and raise a child or children, the right to earn equal pay for equal work, the right of child care for our children while we worked, and to be protected from Domestic Violence. We had success and I worked hard with thousand of other women for these improvements to our lives.

It is now 2012, and the political rhetoric has gotten louder and the gap between parties has widened. Political games ensue but what I see is a new war. We are now engaged in a War Against Women. There are many who wish to take away our hard gained rights. Many women and men are taking up the battle of women’s rights and are working to save what we have accomplished.

It is never wise to take our rights for granted. They will take them away. So I encourage people to take, speak up, find out what is really happening and to remember the words of Helen Reddy,   “I am Woman, hear me roar”. !!!href=”https://idealisticrebel.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/fighting-womens-rights1.jpg”>