Introduction
70's Feminism
Women's Organisations
Education
Employment
Media
Future
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Throughout history,
women have always aimed for a recognized place in society. Guided by their
own field of knowledge and expertise, women like
Marie Curie
in science,
Mary Wollstonecraft
in literary writing,
Simone de Beauvois
in philosophical existentialist debate, and
Marie Stopes
, in medicine, to name a few, have brought about an awareness of the role
of women in any walks of life. The Marxist orientated Feminist movement of
the 60' and 70's, unfashionable as it may be today in some quarters, have
nonetheless forced the issue of women's rights to come into people's awareness.
These front runners have helped redefine and consolidate the nature of women's
place in society. Today the spread of global
women's organizations
and the impact of women's contributions to society shows that progress has
been made, or has it?
Because
this subject crosses many disciplines and studies, my enquiry will be only
on a broad basis. It will consider whether progress in furthering the role
of women in society has been of some benefit to the individual woman. Theories
of progress may be enshrined in new laws but are only valid if they are experienced
in the life of people, and more precisely in the life of women. Having been
part of a movement in one form or another, during my thirty years or so in
England, I have come to the question if any claim of progress is related
to the need of the individual woman. It is true to say that not all women
have the same need. The need of the woman who stay at home, raising children
will differ widely from the high flyer minded careerist. Nonetheless, in
the extensive field of equal opportunities, (employment, to name one), it
would be good to know that access is given to both on equal measure according
to the true value of respective abilities. It also would be good to know
that the woman at home is recognised as a valued member of society just as
much as the one who deals on the stock market.
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