Women’s Liberation

Alida Iglesias

Professor Nancy Wack

English 102

23 January 2016

Women’s Liberation

Since the creation of mankind, women have been seen as weak and not worthy to be at the same level as men. Although there have been powerful women throughout history, this did not change things and it has taken a lot of hard work and sacrifice on women’s behalf to earn many entitlements men naturally have just for being born men. For years, the feminist movements fought the battle to have the right to vote, among other civil rights. On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment went into effect and guaranteed women the right to vote. Crystal Eastman became a symbol of the feminist movement of the United States when she produced an essay titled “Now We Can Begin” which detailed several aspects that would continue to benefit women. Eastman emphasized that a “woman does not live by bread alone. What she needs first of all is a free soul” (Eastman).

Crystal Eastman viewed women’s right to vote as the first battle won in a continuing fight for women’s rights and against the role of women only being seen as merely mothers and wives. Eastman was aware of the inequality that women faced in society. Her essay focused on points of view for a change and which pointed out the aspects of a woman’s economic independence. This part had already been paved as women were already out of the kitchens and working many hours in factories or other trades to financially help support the household. Unfortunately, women would come home tired from work and would continue to work in the house by cleaning, feeding and caring for children. They were being paid less than men, but were expected to work the same. Another aspect that Eastman proposed was gender equality at the home. She offered a solution to this problem by suggesting to raise “feminist sons” into sharing the responsibilities of house work and family life.

A third objective that was vital for women’s liberation was a “voluntary motherhood”, which presented women the freedom to be in control of their own body and to decide if they wanted to or not have children and how many, because “how can women be free to choose their occupation, at all times cherishing their economic independence, unless they stop having children?” (Eastman). Although birth control was not sociably acceptable, it began to make this possible for women that wanted to avoid pregnancies. Eastman’s last point to consider was a “motherhood endowment”, which would provide economic support to those women who were homemakers and were raising the children. Although these women were not working outside the home, they were working by caring for all the needs of the family members.

These four aspects were fundamental in pushing more opportunities for Crystal Eastman and all women who were living in the 1920s. Eastman expressed that “most women will agree that August 23, the day when the Tennessee legislature finally enacted the Federal suffrage amendment, is a day to begin with, not a day to end with”. The struggle for women’s right to vote was not to be stopped because it was finally approved, the next step was to bring women into positions that were generally held only by men. With the suffrage movement, it was now possible for women to get involved in political matters, go to school and become professionals or decide to be in control or her own decisions.

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