# data[].attributes.body
In short, women’s rights are human rights. They are the rights that allow those who identify as women access to do what they want with their bodies, be treated equally in workplaces and educational environments, and overall have a safe and fair lifestyle. However, these rights have always been a controversial topic with many issues revolving around them. And although we have come a long way in making progress, this idea of controversy ultimately leaves a large amount that still needs to be done. The history, information on different types of rights, as well as resources will be provided below and in future posts.

# data[].attributes.body
The first major push for gender equality was in 1848, at the Seneca Falls Convention. The goal of this convention was "to discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of women.” With this sparking a national women’s rights movement, the convention and the people involved are still widely taught and known today. From then on, strong female leaders acted and worked for equal treatment. With a deep history of dedication and empowerment, the movement for women’s rights still stands strong. A detailed timeline of historical events is provided below.
Worthen, Meredith. “The Women's Rights Movement and the Women of Seneca Falls.” Biography.com, A&amp;E Networks Television, 18 June 2019, www.biography.com/news/seneca-falls-convention-leaders.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Women's history is full of trailblazers in the fight for equality in the United States. From Abigail Adams imploring her husband to "remember the ladies" when envisioning a government for the American colonies, to suffragists like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton fighting for women's right to vote, to the rise of feminism and Hillary Clinton becoming the first female nominee for president by a major political party, American women have long fought for equal footing throughout the nation's history.

And while some glass ceilings have been shattered (see: Title IX), others remain. But progress continues to be made. As Clinton said while accepting her nomination, "When there are no ceilings, the sky's the limit."

Below is a timeline of notable events in U.S. women's history.

Abigail Adams, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth

March 31, 1776: In a letter to her husband, Founding Father John Adams, future first lady Abigail Adams makes a plea to him and the Continental Congress to "remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands. Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation."

July 19-20, 1848: In the first women's rights convention organized by women, the Seneca Falls Convention is held in New York, with 300 attendees, including organizers Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. Sixty-eight women and 32 men (including Frederick Douglass) sign the Declaration of Sentiments, which sparked decades of activism, eventually leading to the passage of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote.
READ MORE: Why the 19th Amendment Did Not Guarantee All Women the Right to Vote
January 23, 1849: Elizabeth Blackwell becomes the first woman to graduate from medical school and become a doctor in the United States. Born in Bristol, England, she graduated from Geneva College in New York with the highest grades in her entire class.

May 29, 1851: A formerly enslaved worker turned abolitionist and women's rights activist, Sojourner Truth delivers her famous "Ain't I a Woman?" speech at the Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio. "And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man-when I could get it-and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne 13 children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman?"

Contemporaneous reports of Truth's speech did not include this slogan, and quoted Truth in standard English. In later years, this slogan was further distorted to "Ain't I a Woman?", reflecting the false belief that as a formerly enslaved woman, Truth would have had a Southern accent. Truth was, in fact, a New Yorker.
READ MORE: Early Women's Rights Activists Wanted Much More than Suffrage
Suffrage Movement, 19th Amendment

May 15, 1869: Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton found the National Woman Suffrage Association, which coordinated the national suffrage movement. In 1890, the group teamed with the American Woman Suffrage Association to form the National American Woman Suffrage Association.

October 16, 1916: Margaret Sanger opens the first birth control clinic in the United States. Located in Brownsville, Brooklyn, her clinic was deemed illegal under the "Comstock Laws" forbidding birth control, and the clinic was raided on October 26, 1916. When she had to close two additional times due to legal threats, she closed the clinic and eventually founded the American Birth Control League in 1921-the precursor to today's Planned Parenthood.

April 2, 1917: Jeannette Rankin of Montana, a longtime activist with the National Woman Suffrage Association, is sworn in as the first woman elected to Congress as a member of the House of Representatives.

Aug. 18, 1920: Ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is completed, declaring "the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex." It is nicknamed "The Susan B. Anthony Amendment" in honor of her work on behalf of women's suffrage.

February 16, 1945: The Alaska Equal Rights Act is signed into law. The act is the first state or territorial anti-discrimination law enacted in the United States in the 20th century. Elizabeth Peratrovich, a Tlingit woman who was Grand President of the Alaska Native Sisterhood, spearheaded the effort to end discrimination against Alaska Natives and other non-white residents.

Rosa Parks, Civil Rights, Equal Pay

May 9, 1960: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves the first commercially produced birth control pill in the world, allowing women to control when and if they have children. Margaret Sanger initially commissioned " the pill " with funding from heiress Katherine McCormick.

July 2, 1964: President Lyndon B. Johnson, signs the Civil Rights Act into law; Title VII bans employment discrimination based on race, religion, national origin or sex.

June 30, 1966: Betty Friedan, author of 1963's The Feminine Mystique, helps found the National Organization for Women (NOW), using, as the organization now states, "grassroots activism to promote feminist ideals, lead societal change, eliminate discrimination, and achieve and protect the equal rights of all women and girls in all aspects of social, political, and economic life."
READ MORE: Six Unsung Heroines of the Civil Rights Movement
Title IX, Battle of the Sexes

Jan. 22, 1973: In its landmark 7-2 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court declares that the Constitution protects a woman's legal right to an abortion. In June 2022, the Supreme Court overturned the ruling.

Sandra Day O'Connor, Sally Ride

July 7, 1981: Sandra Day O'Connor is sworn in by President Ronald Reagan as the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. She retires in 2006, after serving for 24 years.

June 18 1983: Flying on the Space Shuttle Challenger, Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space.

March 12, 1993: Nominated by President Bill Clinton, Janet Reno is sworn in as the first female attorney general of the United States.

Sept. 13, 1994: Clinton signs the Violence Against Women Act as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, providing funding for programs that help victims of domestic violence, rape, sexual assault, stalking and other gender-related violence.

Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris

The daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, Harris served as California's first Black female attorney general and won election to the U.S. Senate in 2016. She made her own unsuccessful presidential bid before being selected by former vice president Joe Biden as his running mate.
READ MORE: 7 Women Leaders That Were Elected to Highest Office
Sources

Timeline of Legal History of Women in the United States, National Women's History Alliance

Seneca Falls Convention, Library of Congress

Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I A Woman?" Sojourner Truth Memorial

Woman Suffrage, National Geographic Society

Suffragists Unite: National American Woman Suffrage Association, National Women's History Museum

A record number of women will be serving in the new Congress. PEWResearch.org.

A List of Firsts for Women In This Year's Midterm Elections. NPR.org.

Fact Check

We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From a plea to a founding father, to the suffragists to Title IX, to the first female political figures, women have blazed a steady trail towards equality in the United States. Explore famous firsts and figures in women's history with this timeline.

# data[].attributes.body
Reproductive rights are, in general, the ability to have healthy control over your own body. This not only includes women, but also transgender individuals and those who identify as nonbinary. These rights cover everything that has to do with sexual and reproductive health, which includes “an individual's right to plan a family, terminate a pregnancy, use contraceptives, learn about sex education in public schools, and gain access to reproductive health services” (FindLaw). In our country, the right that a woman has over her body is a controversial issue that is currently being discussed. The opinions that people have about these
rights often are related to religion, political preferences, and personal experience.
“What Are Reproductive Rights?” Findlaw, family.findlaw.com/reproductive-rights/what-are-reproductive-rights-.html.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Planned Parenthood Federation of America is a nonprofit organization that provides sexual health care in the United States and globally.

# data[].attributes.body
When it comes to the rights of women in a work setting, there is a lot to discuss. Equal pay, exclusion and sex-related obstacles, and discrimination revolving around pregnancy and parenting are all still major issues in our country. According to Pew Research Center, “about four-in-ten working women (42%) in the United States say they have faced discrimination on the job because of their gender.” This number is significantly high and shows that work towards equality in career environments still needs to be done.
“Fact Tank - News in Numbers.” Pew Research Center, www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/.

# data[].attributes.body
Gender equality and women’s rights affect everyone, not just women. In general, dismantling the stereotypical ideas and gender roles that have been set in place by a patriarchal society is beneficial towards creating a safer and more accepting country. “Feminism” is seen as a negative term to some, but there is much more to the movement, which can be shown with more education and action. The direct effects of reproductive rights and workplace sexism will be discussed further in future projects.

# data[].attributes.body
The greatest way to get involved is to become educated. Knowing issues and how they affect you is beneficial to fighting for anything. Other great ways to get involved include voting for political leaders you believe can do the most for women’s rights, volunteering, and spreading the word- whether it be through social media, conversations, protests, etc.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
This #WomensDay, we’re innovating for change

# data[].attributes.body
The greatest way to become educated is through research. In future projects, resources specifically for reproductive health and workplace rights will be included. Below are some websites and blogposts that provide useful information on gender equality and rights.
https://girlsinc.org/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Everyday Feminism - Intersectional feminism for your daily life

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Everyday Feminism is an educational platform for personal and social liberation. Our mission is to help people dismantle everyday violence, discrimination, and marginalization through applied intersectional feminism