Analysis Of The Feminine My Unique

Throughout history there are many recurring themes that truly prove the saying that history repeats itself. One that continues to be seen is the intentional oppression of a specific group of people. Whether it be based on race, religion, economic status or sex, we have a way of singling out specific people and creatively finding a way to take away these basic rights that everyone should be protected by and entitled to. Eventually someone will see the error of our ways and through a lot of hard work it can be resolved. However, for women 's rights, this is not the case. Since the beginning of mankind, it seems as though women have always been told that they are of lesser value than a man. This continued on for generations, and up until the mid …show more content…
Up until the 1960’s women were taught that their main purpose in life was to be a housewife and please their husband. Women were not given the opportunity to have careers of their own or to pursue any of their dreams. However in 1963, women began to see things differently, and began to realize that they could be more than a housewife. Betty Friedan played a huge role in this by publishing her highly influential book “The Feminine Mystique.” This book described the dissatisfaction felt by women nationwide, due to the role society told them to fulfill. This was really the first time anyone had spoken up about this topic, and it empowered a lot of women to ask for more in life, to demand to be given an opportunity to be more than just a housewife. This book truly started the fire that got this particular movement going. Soon after the book became a bestseller, President John F. Kennedy established the President 's Commission on the Status of Women and appointed Eleanor Roosevelt as chairwoman. The report that was made discussed discrimination against women in the workplace and made recommendations for improvement, including fair hiring practices, paid maternity leave, and affordable child care. Later that year, Congress passed the Equal Pay Act, which made it illegal for employers to pay a woman less than a man for the same job. Many employers continued to find ways around this for decades. …show more content…
One of the most relevant issues currently has to do with school dress codes. Girls in school are currently being taught that they should be ashamed of their bodies and cover them up. Many schools across America have been telling girls that if they show too much skin it can be distracting for boys and they will not be able to learn. Ironically though, when a girl violates dress code, she is often sent home to change which is directly affecting her education. School systems today have taken the approach to teach girls that if they dress immodestly this could be seen as a form of consent to guys. They are not teaching guys not to rape, they are teaching girls that if they are, it is somehow their fault, which is only perpetuating rape culture. Due to this, many girls have felt dehumanized in a sense and objectified. However, many teenage girls throughout America, have taken a stand. For example, Alexi Halket recently took a stand at her school. Halket was sent out of class by a male teacher for having a shirt on that “looked too much like a sports bra.” She was sent to the principal 's office where they discussed her outfit for over an hour while she missed class. Her discussion with her principal ended in disagreement, but she was not about to go down without a fight. That night, Alex took to her facebook and created a page called ‘Crop Top Day.’ The object of this page was to get as many students as possible from her