Women's equal rights and their historical development

Women's Equality:

The nineteenth amendment to the United States Constitution that was enacted on August 26, 1920 granted women the right to vote. The amendment basically states that citizens of the United States have the right to vote, which shall not be edited or denied by the country or any State on the basis of gender. As a result of the enactment of this amendment, August 26 was designated by the U.S. Congress as "Women's Equality Day," which honors the ongoing contributions and efforts of women towards equality. Women's equality day has become an important date in the United States as workplaces, organizations, libraries, and public institutions or facilities participate in programs and activities that honor women's equality initiatives. The right to vote as granted in the constitution has enabled women to have the opportunity to try gain equal rights in the society and the U.S. military.

Women's Rights:

The quest for women to obtain acceptance, equal rights, and recognition in society has been a long struggle and process. This is primarily because women's rights in America have been an issue of debate since the inception of the country (Betchel & Arundel, n.d.). Consequently, the Women's Rights Movement is an organization whose history stretches beyond the history of the United States. Since the beginning of the 19th Century, activists became increasingly interested in the issue of women given that several leaders had succeeded and failed in attempts to address this issue. The interests by these activists contributed to the expansion of the meaning of the woman problem into the high-minded democratic ideals that are reflected in the constitution and Declaration of Independence. These ideals provided the framework and foundation for the inclusion of women at an equal level with men in the constitution.

During the inception of the United States, women were not regarded as equal to men by the majority of the upper class and influential men. This eventually resulted in the exclusion of women's rights from the U.S. Constitution and the emergence of the idea of female suffrage. Women did not have the right to vote and many citizens of the United States assumed that it was natural to exclude women from positions in government offices. As the nation entered a period of reflection of the times and status of women in the early 19th Century, the ideas and beliefs regarding women's rights started to change.

These initiatives culminated in the enactment of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which granted women the right to vote and ultimately resulted in the creation of Women's Equality Day, which is commemorated on August 26. The enactment of this amendment was part of promoting the democratic ideals envisioned in the Declaration of Independence. Furthermore, the initiative was also brought by initiatives that led to the creation of Declaration of Sentiments in which all men and women are considered as equal since they were created equal.

The Right to Vote and Women's Rights:

The right to vote as granted in the United States Constitution through the 19th Amendment is one of the major gains by women in the fight for equality with men. This right has provided opportunities for women to try gain equal rights in the society and the U.S. military. The right to vote replaced the perception that equality involved giving women the freedom to assemble and protest about the female status and position in the society. Before, this amendment, women were not allowed to be assertive or opinionated but were expected to show concern and interest in cooking, fashion, knitting, and volunteer activities (Fuentes, 2001). They were allowed to engage in political activities as long as such activities were carried out behind the scenes. While not all women fit into this pattern, most of them did since the society exacted a high price from deviants.

The right to vote changed these ideas as women were allowed to be opinionated, assertive, and openly participate in political activities. This provided a platform for women to become interested and participated in societal issues and activities that were traditionally dominated by men. As women became opinionated and assertive, they used the right to vote as a platform for advocating for equality with men. For instance, women used this right to reveal their career ambitions and involvement in the workplace rather than staying at home. Moreover, they used the right to vote to campaign for more legislation that would promote equality with men as they sought to be treated with equality.

As women have used the right to vote as a measure to gain equal opportunity in the society, this right has also helped in the fight for their inclusion in the U.S. military. Since the adoption of this amendment, the number of women in the U.S. military has increased tremendously. For instance, the number of women in the nation's military increased from 1.2% in 1972 to 13% by 1990 (Fuentes, 2001). This increase was mainly fueled by the increased admission of women to West Point and other military academies. Since the 1980s, women's in the military have been given various assignments that have increased substantially.

Most of the changes in the inclusion and role of women in the U.S. military took place after the Second World War. President Truman signed into law legislation that granted women a permanent place in various departments in the military. The enactment of The Women's Armed Services Integration Act in 1948 made the U.S. military to become one of the first employers to guarantee women equal pay in all jobs they were authorized to hold. While there were still some restrictions on women in military after the enactment of the act, some of these restrictions were lifted in 1967.

Women used the right to vote to seek for the removal of these restrictions that enabled them to be promoted to higher ranks in the military. More equality advancements of women in the military took place between 1970 and 1976 as women were allowed to remain in service after having children, had more job opportunities, and increased access to best college education in the United States.

One of the landmark gains in women's attempt to gain equal rights in the military was the enactment of The Equal Pay Act by President John F. Kennedy ("Fifty Years After The Equal Pay Act," 2013). This legislation was enacted to guarantee equal pay for men and women for equal work for the same employer. The act was the first initiative in a range of federal and state laws that had considerable impact on women's job opportunities and earnings over the next 50 years. Actually, The Equal Pay Act of 1963 provided the foundation for women's increased involvement in paid labor force beyond unprecedented levels.