A Brief Introduction: the call for gender equality Aristole has argued that the public world was the place where men could reveal the excellences of their character and develop their personal virtues. Women should be excluded from participation in civic life (women live in a domestic world and were expected to serve the higher purposes of the male-centred political realm. The need and efficacy of contributions by women in realms formerly reserved or privileged for men was highlighted in the 2 world wars. After World War 1, Emmeline Pankhurst was Britain’s leading campaigner for women’s suffrage.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/pankhurst_emmeline.shtml


Rise of Feminism
Emmeline Pankhurst:
- A supporter of the women’s suffrage movement (her husband too, both got married in 1879).
- Author of the Married Women’s Property Acts of 1870 and 1882. - 1889: Founded the Women’s Franchise League
- 1903: Founded the Women’s Social and Political Union (most famous for its militancy in 1905).
- Her tactics for drawing attention to the movement caused her to be imprisoned several times. For example, she experienced force-feeding after going on hunger strikes.
- Died in 1928, after women were granted equal voting rights with men at the age of 21.

Today: Some famous women leaders
>> Benazir Bhutto, PM of Pakistan
>> Corazon Aquino, President of Philippines
>> Margaret Thatcher, First Female PM of Britain
>> Madeleine Albright, First Female US Secretary of State
>> Condoleezza Rice, US Secretary of State