Women's Rights Evolution

Patrick Perkins

Evolving Society

Essay #1

Human Rights

10-09-11

Evolving Society

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary the word evolution is defined as “(1): a process of continuous change from a lower, simpler, or worse to a higher, more complex, or better state.” I believe, this definition, in particular, can be correlated directly with the evolution of attitudes towards women’s rights from antiquity to the nineteenth century. This can be illustrated by historical texts which provide us with an in depth look at how this evolution has unfolded. That being said, a thorough concentration on factors such as social status, rights and responsibilities, and limits and opportunities for women in the texts will provide for a better understanding as to how the attitude towards women’s rights has evolved. Moving forward we will discuss in chronological order how these factors have affected women’s rights through the centuries by using the following texts: The Laws, The Arhashastra, The Bible, the Koran, The Declaration of the Rights of Woman, and A Vindication of the Rights of Women.

The first text to be examined is The Laws, recorded in 200 B.C.E.. The Laws is a text that documents the laws of the caste system. It displays an era in which the attitude towards women’s rights was very strict. Women had no say in how things were run. The women of this era faced these limitations according to social status and strict responsibilities to men. It is recognized that “only a servant woman can be the wife of a servant.” (Manu, p.83) As a result, relations outside their own caste were frowned upon. However, it is imperative to understand that not only according to social status but in general women “should not do anything independently, even in (her own) house.” (Manu, p.84) Note that “her own” is in parentheses. This indicates that women didn’t really have possessions. All belong...