Women all over the world have long fought for equal rights. For centuries, they have been treated with less dignity in politics, work life and even in their own homes. Some of their struggles have been peaceful, while others had to resort to violent means to meet their objectives. The 1920s proved to be a volatile decade for women's rights. From the United States to Great Britain to other parts of the world, women made many official legal gains and set the wheels in motion for future victories.
United States
Perhaps the most significant right that American women gained in the 1920s was the freedom to vote. The 19th Amendment, ratified on August 18, 1920, granted women's suffrage after a decades-long battle. It was a historic achievement, one that many Americans, including President Woodrow Wilson, felt was long overdue. A few years later, another equality movement was started by women: the congressional introduction of the Equal Rights Amendment. Under this law, women were to be granted federal protections for equality in all aspects of life. Though the bill was introduced in joint congressional sessions, it has not been ratified by the government, but it did help the equality debate continue. In addition to political victories, women also made gains in education. By the end of the decade, they accounted for almost 40 percent of college degrees awarded in the United States, which was double what they earned at the turn of the century.
United Kingdom
Like the United States, the United Kingdom gave women the right to vote during the politically volatile 1920s. The first victory actually occurred in 1918 with the Parliament's passage of the Representation of the People Act. Under this law, women over the age of 30 could vote, but only if they could provide proof of property ownership. In 1928, this law was expanded to include women over 21, regardless of their property ownership status.
Other Countries
The 1920s saw gains in women's rights in parts of western Europe and Asia. In 1920, the first women students were accepted into China's Peking University. From then on, other institutions followed suit, marking a turning point in Chinese education. During this decade, Sweden and Belgium also granted women equal rights to vote. In 1928, at the Summer Olympic Games in Amsterdam, Netherlands, women competed in track and field events for the first time in history.
Tags: United States, equal rights, granted women, have been, property ownership
