Cartoon by: Yanai De Leon
Published by: Aprilyn Sado
Date Published: March 3, 2025
Time Published: 12:22 PM
“Women are always right,” this has been said to be true for many reasons. However, is this also the reason why we women have been taken off of our own rights? After years of women fighting for our rights, we are once again being taken and deprived of it. It's as if the progress we made is being systematically undone. Women are once again being stripped of their autonomy, dignity, and basic human rights.
Historically, women have battled for equality, from the suffragettes to the feminist movement. Given, Abigail Adams, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Frances Gage, Clara Barton, and Carrie Chapman Catt, among others. [1] These struggles led to significant advancements, including the right to vote, equal pay, and reproductive freedom. This ignited hope and joy amongst women. However, that happiness didn't last long as our rights remain precarious, subject to the whims of politicians and judges, making each and every woman walk on eggshells, waiting for the time when they will once again need to fight life and death for their rights.
In Afghanistan, women are experiencing extreme mistreatment. The Taliban's came together with the aim of making Afghanistan an Islamic state. Their takeover in Afghanistan starkly illustrates the brutal suppression of women's rights. Education, employment, and basic dignity are being denied to women. Girls are barred from attending school, women are forbidden from working, and those who resist face brutal punishment. [2] This is because they enforced their version of Islamic Sharia law, which if you have seen, you would've thought to be a “list to women oppression”. It’s truly disheartening how some countries are still treating women in deep oppression
There are still a lot of countries where abortion rights are under siege, and now that Donald Trump is in the presidential position, abortion has been made illegal in the United States of America. Women's bodies are being politicized, and their right to choose is dwindling. The recent overturning of Roe V. Wade, a lawsuit that famously led to the Supreme Court making a ruling on abortion rights, [3] has emboldened conservative lawmakers to push for even more restrictive legislation, effectively stripping women of their reproductive autonomy. Men such as Trump shouldn't be allowed to control what women want to do with their bodies especially if it’s for the best.
Even though we have rightfully won over and fought for progress, discrimination against women persists. Women are still being belittled in leadership positions, including the presidency. Given countries like the USA. In the 2025 elections, one of the candidates, Kamala Harris, despite being qualified, her skills and capabilities have been overlooked and some people chose to turn a blind eye because of how they “aren't feeling the idea of having a woman as a president.” [4] The glass ceiling remains firmly in place, even after the women courageously fought for their rights.
It's time for people, especially men to acknowledge these injustices and act. We must reclaim our rights and demand equality. It's long overdue; We owe it to ourselves, our daughters, and future generations to fight for a world where women are treated with dignity and respect. We must demand for change. We must support organizations that advocate for women's rights, lobby our elected officials, and engage in peaceful protest. Only through collective action and collaborative work can we create a world where women's rights are respected, protected, and promoted.
REFERENCES:
[1] National Archives. (2017, January 23). Woman Suffrage and the 19th Amendment. National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/woman-suffrage
[2] Amnesty International. (2022, July 27). Women in Afghanistan: the Back Story. Amnesty UK; Amnesty International. https://www.amnesty.org.uk/womens-rights-afghanistan-history
[3] Temme, L. (2023, March 17). Roe v. Wade Case Summary: What You Need to Know. Findlaw. https://supreme.findlaw.com/.../roe-v--wade-case-summary...
[4] WEISSERT, W., & MILLER, Z. (2024, October 11). Harris supporters confront whether male voters are reluctant to vote for a woman. AP News. https://apnews.com/.../harris-male-voters-sexism-trump...
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