One hundred years ago, American women still had the right to vote guaranteed by the Constitution.Women from across the country, from a wide variety of backgrounds and ideologies, have worked in combination to promote the unusual cause of giving all women an equivalent voice in American democracy.
What would suffragettes think of how women fare in political procedure? Above all, what would they think of the new truth that if all women have the right to vote, many are silenced or afraid to speak out because of our militarized political discourse? ?
At some levels, suffragettes would be pleased to witness the enormous strength of women as elected females, candidates, network leaders, and voters.Yes, there are even fewer women in Congress, governors, and other corridors of strength.But now it’s not unusual, to see women run and win elected positions.Everyone knows it’s only a matter of time, not much, before we have a woman in the presidency.
Even more dramatic has been the advancement of women in economic strength and education. Women now earn the majority of bachelor’s, master’s, business, law and medical degrees, and outnumber men on school campuses. Women hold the majority of professional and managerial positions in American companies. In 2019, for the first time, women made up the majority of America’s college workforce. More and more women are starting their own businesses. In 2018, there were 12.3 million women-owned businesses (40% of all businesses), employing 8% of the overall personal sector workforce.
The suffragettes of a hundred years ago would be extremely happy with this progress.
Still, I bet they would also be alarmed by the tactics used against some women (and men) in what is known as the cancellation culture. This vicious form of public disgrace is more complete and lasting than what could be accomplished a hundred years ago, thanks to our ubiquitous generation ensuring that other people are simply censored through their local community, but that they can involve the world as a whole. and live forever. in the garbage-filled but timeless liquidation form that is today’s internet.
Consider this list of fashionable feminists who have dared to question the preference for erasing the concept of woman as a distinct sex. These women argue that this trend of allowing other people to self-define their gender would undermine protections that have long been fought for by women, such as female-only domestic violence shelters and female track teams, that are necessary. either for the protection of women and to give them the opportunity. to compete and win. Not only are these women facing fierce debate, anything that deserves to be expected and greeted, but they are being “denied” through the tension of social media. The social media crowd has effectively intimidated planned venues for loose and open discussion, such as the New York Public Library, to prevent such women from hosting an occasion and speaking on their premises.
The suffragettes might have had other perspectives on their arguments, but they would certainly have the idea that these women deserved to be heard without facing such threats. Women are even targeted just because they are related to other people with political perspectives: Actress Jodie Comer was canceled just for dating a man suspected of supporting President Trump.
Today’s election women are subject to sermons and pressures that do not apply to men.Today, women are expected to vote in a way because of their gender.In 2016, many prominent figures, from Madeleine Albright to Barbara Streisand, argued that women were forced to vote for the female candidate who deserve to be unwavering about sex.Obviously, this wasn’t meant to happen when the female candidate is Republican.But everything from the hours of sunlight communicate exhibitions to women’s magazines echoes the narrative that women who do not adopt progressive orthodoxy are pseudo-women who hate themselves, as well as racist and fanatical.
This stereotype of women is not what suffragettes fought for. Men are not taught about the desire to vote one way or another just because of their identity as a man. The suffrage motion sought to give women equivalent rights not only to vote, but also to shape their own criticisms and freely make their criticisms explicit. It is a right that we will have to continue fighting for today.
Carrie L. Lukas is the president of Independent Women’s Forum. Lukas is the co-author of Liberty Is No War on Women, and the author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to