Let Her Shine

Historically, women have had few legal rights. Unable to vote or gain access to higher education, they were generally considered the property of men. So when Mary Smith’s first suffrage petition was presented in 1832, it was “laughed out of the House of Commons”. 

The court’s later dismissal of 1521 signatures in 1866 spawned a generation of suffrage societies that organised rallies, marches, hunger strikes and militant campaigns. Many women were subject to state endorsed violence, suffering arrests, imprisonment, injuries and even sexual abuse at the hands of the police. 

On 6 February 1918, women were finally granted equal rights to vote, paving the way for progress in education, work and violence against women. In the 101 years since, we have seen a massive shift in attitudes towards women’s rights and society transformed.

However, the long struggle for universal gender equality continues to this day. Women's rights around the world are significant indicators of global well-being and essential for a peaceful and sustainable society, yet many still face barriers and prejudice, with some are still being denied basic human rights. 

Globally, women in the labour market earn 24 per cent less than men; wives can still be legally prevented from working by their husbands in 18 countries, and a whopping 49 countries still lack basic laws protecting women from domestic violence.

In response to widespread sexism, a wave of movements such as #MeToo and #TimesUp have taken on a life of their own. The spotlight on these issues have helped to incriminate powerful men and even change the laws around sexual abuse.

With Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day coming up, we continue on with the long march towards universal equality. Remember our rich history of great creative and intellectual achievements by women that have been ignored, under-recognised or erased in the past. Let us honour those that gave their lives to fight inequality.

Let us listen to the voices of women, and celebrate their stories. 

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Keywords we love: women, female, sheros, feminism, female evolution, female gaze, girl power, female literature, me too, times up, believe survivors, believe women, why didn't I report it, no moore, never moore, suffragettes, women's rights, female authors, gender equality, women's reality, sexual abuse, violence against women, everyday sexism, to the girls, eff your beauty standards, fem2