Celebrating the Emancipation of Women

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If you are wondering where the term woman came from, let me help you with that. It came from an Old English word wifmann which means the wife-half of man. Today, we're almost always called the better half yet centuries before, women were considered inferior in so many ways.

The Ancient code of Manu was wondering whether females should be kept in slavery and kept subjects unto their husbands. The Romans were no different. Under their law, a husband has the right to execute his wife, and a father his daughter should they be found guilty of adultery.

As if the publication of the infamous Magna Carta would make a difference yet centuries after it has been circulated, a woman still could not legally accuse any man of murder. Even the enlightened Jean Jacques Rousseau foretold the freedom of men but he never went beyond that vision to include the other half of humanity. According to him, women are there as a means to please men. He also believed that the female species was incapable of judging for themselves (ouch); and since this is so, they must abide by the judgment done by their husbands or fathers.

Before the Revolution, American women were forbidden to speak in public. Imagine living in an environment where you are imprisoned or fined for opening your mouth. It was not until the Mothers of Revolution that, somehow, coerced the Fathers to see past their skirts and gentleness.

Abigail Adams, wife to John Adams (then sitting in the Continental Congress), reminded her spouse to remember the ladies and for him to be more big-hearted and sympathetic than the forefathers had been. She added that if attention is not given then women would be pushed to revolt. 'Such bravery! 'Such dedication to the welfare of her own kind! Abigail Adams had her foot in the door and women were ready to enjoy equality.

There were moments in history when men were no less than half-brutes yet strong women such as Theodora and Cleopatra showed iron will. Authoring stories, back in the day, was confined to the pens of men. Creative minds such as the Brontë sisters (Charlotte, Emily and Anne) all had pen names to veil their true gender. Known as Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell (notice how they kept their initials), these women proved later on that women have what it takes to conquer the world just as much as men.

Women have been empowered to a great degree, many thanks to the fearless ones who struggled against the unseen shackles. There are still many places all over the world where women have no choice but to nod their head when a man says his final word. Only time can tell how long they will still suffer but there are more heroines now who are fighting for them so the future looks pretty bright.

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Posted from my blog: https://blog.paxeer.com/celebrating-the-emancipation-of-women/

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