Reminiscing the Suffragettes
By Umema Babar
The activists who fight for women’s dignity and equality undoubtedly have a long journey ahead of them but the feminist history has a lot to inspire hope and vigor to continue down this path. Like their first victory in 1920s when after the First World War, the West had to acknowledge the role of women, thanks to the tireless Suffrage Movement, in keeping their countries functional when men were fighting and giving the women Right to Vote.
The Suffrage Movement gave the world many feminist giants. One such lady with a spine of steel was Susan B Anthony (1820-1906), an American women right activists who played the crucial role in Women’s Suffrage Movement. She began publishing a newspaper in NY called The Revolutions in 1868 that focused on women’s rights and also founded the first ever National women’s political organization in USA known as Women’s loyal National league to terminate women slavery. Such was her progressiveness that she did not shy away from playing an active role in pointing out other wrongs in her society, like slavery. She played the key role in organizing an Anti-Slavery convention in Rochester and continued her cause until her death.
Another shining star in the history of women activists was Alice Paul (1885-1977), an American suffragist. She played a major role in the 1910s campaign for the Nineteenth Amendments to the US Constitution to stop gender discrimination in the right to Vote. She spent half a century as a leader of National Woman’s Party which worked for constitutional equality for women.
One of the foremost women right Activists of 19th century, Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902) was an American suffragist and abolitionist. Unlike many she seemed to be concerned about women’s parental and custody rights, property rights, the economic health of the family, employment and income rights. She also campaigned against the enslavement of women in the name of religion.
Such figures, be it of the past or those from the present, ring Einstein’s words like a bell toll; “And the World will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.” We must endeavor like these ladies to not become the reason of world’s exploitation but be strong together to fight for each other’s rights and dignity.
