The social role of women

If asked what is the social role of women? The most logical answer would be that of a mother, a nurturer. Someone else may say barefoot and pregnant but it all panned out to be the same thing, inferiority. Throughout the centuries, women such as Mary Wollstonecraft fought to change this gender stereotype. It is socially thought that women are inferior to men, which is still the case in many countries. A Vindication on the Rights of Women was written back in the 1700’s, where women were to be submissive to their husbands. Disobedience was not tolerated.

The cooking, cleaning, and rearing of children was the main objective. Wollstonecraft pointed out in her writings her displeasure of the government, and how women were not allowed to participate in the political issues but were expected to abide by its laws. Women were poorly educated, but expected to educate their children. Therefore, children received poor educations [ (Wollstonecraft) ]. Even in this time; many women felt the woes of their confinement and wanted to be more socially accepted. Women played major roles in shaping this country. During theCivil War, women such as Sarah Emma Edmonds acted as nurses, Union and Confederate soldiers, and even spies [ (Wilson) ].

After the Civil War, it brought about significant change for women’s rights. Wollstonecraft wanted equal opportunity in the political policy as well as in the government. She wrote a letter to M. Talleyrand Perigord, Late Bishop of Autun, she states, “ I plead for my sex not for myself, in calling upon you now to weigh what I have advanced respecting the rights of woman and nationaleducation”. (Wollstonecraft) ] Wollstonecraft demanded Perigord do an investigation on the Constitution, and when it is revised that women be included in the revised version. As we look at today’s social standards, we as women have come a long way. We now own businesses; we are in congress, and even running for President.

I do believe that a woman would be able to run this country just as well as men. We are the backbones of our men without us they would not have gone as far as we have. We still have some obstacles to hurdle over. Now that we have broken out of the homes and into the workplace, we must now battle to be equally paid and acknowledged as that of men. Women are overlooked but we are paving our own way toequality. One day we will be looked at as an opponent and not a subordinate. Bibliography Wilson, Barbara A.

Women were There. 3 December 2010 < http://userpages. aug. com/captbarb/femvets2. html>. Wollstonecraft, Mary. A Vindication on the Rights of Women.

New York, NY: Penguin Classics, 2004.