Women in the 20th Century – A Short Overview AP World History

Big Changes for Women Overall, the 20th century brought major changes for women around the world. By the end of the 20th century, most countries granted women suffrage. Women still can’t vote in Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Kuwait Additional voting qualifications for women in Lebanon By the end of the 20th century, most countries granted women the same economic and property rights as men. Exceptions are found in some Middle Eastern Countries (lack legal rights to own land) Most land is still officially owned by men Remember, poor women have always worked By the end of the 20th century, the literacy rates for women had increased dramatically from the 19th century. In Europe and North America more women than men pursue secondary education. In poorer nations, few families can afford to educate girls – they choose to educate their sons

Examples of the Roles of women During and After world wars

Role of WWI During the war, many women in Europe went to work in factories to support the war effort (and to provide much-needed labor). In European colonies (Africa/India) men were drafted into the European armies leaving women to fill the economic and social roles that men had prior to the war. After the war, western countries that had not granted women suffrage, began to do so. WWI is a “total war” and women and children suffer in huge numbers

World War II Nazis and other fascist regimes stress the role of women is to produce more children. In Europe, US, and Canada – Men go to war and women go back to work in factories. (Yes, there are women units; however, their numbers are small) Rape of Nanking (1937-1938) – significant in the brutality against women (20,000 women raped {role of rape in history}; 250,000-300,000 killed) Comfort Women (in Japanese occupied areas – China, Korea, Philippines) Women entered the workforce in huge numbers and a majority stayed in the workforce after the war

Process Note any trends you see in the role of women in world wars. Note any details or examples you think you need to find to fill in. Do you have any questions?

Role of women during/after selected revolutions

Russian Revolution (Oct. 1917) and Women After the March Revolution, the provisional government of Russia did set up full voting rights for women; however, women still had few social rights. The tenets of communism do not differentiate between men and women – all work to the best of his/her ability and all gets what they need. "To effect her complete emancipation and make her equal of the man it is necessary for house work to be socialized and for women to participate in common productive labor. Then women will occupy the same position as men“ Lenin Women served as soldiers during the Russian Revolution (and later WWII). After the Revolution, women had equal opportunities to go to university and to work in all fields of employment. The state provided medical care, education, and day-care for all women (and men). “Feminism” was discouraged as communism would allow all people of all classes to have equal rights (in theory).

Soviet Union and Women Under the Soviet Union, women enjoyed the same legal, social, and economic rights as men. Efforts were made to ensure these same standards in land “secured” by the Soviet Union. In Central Asia (Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tadzhikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) Soviet policies challenged traditional Islamic law relating to women. Soviets banned polygamy, bride-price, and raised the minimum age for marriage to 16. Women were also educated in the law and were trained to take political posts; however, as in the Soviet Union, rural areas were slow or unwilling to accept equal roles for men and women, so most fundamental change for the sexes occurred in urban areas (minority of the population lived).

China (Chinese Communism) and Women Prior to the Communist Revolution(s) women had very limited legal and social roles. Foot-binding had been a common practice (outlawed, but still practiced). The 1911 Revolution overthrew the emperor, but under the republic women still were denied basic equality rights. In 1919 the May Fourth Movement did bring women out to protest for equality; however, little changed until the 1930s when women were granted the same property and marriage rights as men. In 1949 the Communist Revolution brought Mao to power. In the 1950s laws were formalized recognizing the equality of women in marriage, voting, and inheritance rights (end of primogeniture) . With the redistribution of land in the 1950s, both male and female peasants were given land.

China and Women The education of women greatly expanded. Prior to 1949, only 10% of women in China were considered literate. Throughout the 1950s millions of women began to attend schools and universities. Women suffered just as much as men during the Cultural Revolution. The role of women in China is limited primarily as it relates to rural traditions and family preference for male children. There are currently 37 million more men in China than women (infanticide).

Iranian Revolution “Persian” women have had a long history of education – in the early 20th century many women were journalists and educators. Shah (King) Pahlavi began to “westernize” Iran in the 1950s-1960s and outlawed the hijab in public and promoted women’s education Conservative Muslim clerics resisted the secular and western policies and led an Islamic Revolution in 1979 (with the support of many women who were not opposed to traditional Islamic traditions such as dress and alcohol). Afterward, traditional Islamic dress was mandated, marriage and inheritance laws were changed and strict gender segregation was strictly enforced. Women can still (with male permission) attend school and work in a variety of careers (all with segregated sections). Currently more women are in medical school than men (problem in the future?); In the home, most women wear “western” style clothing and do “western” things – TV, music, etc.

Process Note any trends you see in the role of women in revolutions. Note any details or examples you think you need to find to fill in. Do you have any questions?

Women and Nationalism

Turkey In 1919, the Ottoman Empire crumbles. In 1923, Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) becomes the first “President” of Turkey and leads “western-style” changes throughout the Muslim country. Ataturk instituted laws that called for the equality of women in all aspects of society. Efforts have been made to keep “Turkey” secular (limit influence of Islam). This has led to laws against head scarves for women in public. In the later 20th century further laws were abolished that limited roles of women (permission from husband to work), etc. Women gained the right to vote in Turkey in 1929 (first elections in 1930). Just as in other countries, law and practice are different. Social and religious attitudes do restrict the lives of women to certain norms – fewer in universities and certain professions than in others; arranged marriages are still common

Side Note on Islam Remember of all the world religions and belief systems, Islam (as written in the Qur'an) actually has more protections and rights for women than any other (doesn’t necessarily mean a whole lot since most religious texts clearly condone subjugation of women, but…). Muhammad outlawed infanticide, legalized women-initiated divorce, set out clear property rights for women, and declared that women as well as men should be literate. Many Muslim women enjoy great many rights in many countries, including Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. In addition women have been heads of state in “Islamic” countries such as Pakistan, Senegal, Turkey, Kosovo, Indonesia, and Bangladesh. There was even a female vice president of Iran at one time. Most of the ways women are treated in some societies are not based upon the teachings of Islam, they are based upon cultural traditions that existed long before Islam emerged.

Independence and Nationalistic Movements In India, Gandhi encouraged women to participate in the independence movement; Indira Gandhi (no relation) served as the leader of India; cultural issues in some parts of India limit role of women In 1929 women led “unrest” movements in Nigeria and other women were active in other African independence movements; however, their involvement did not translate into great change for women in African countries. Most Africans live in rural areas where tradition remains firm about gender issues; men left the countryside to move to cities – leaving women and children behind to care for themselves; polygamy is still a common practice in most African countries (either legal or not) and AIDS has caused huge death tolls for women; in most countries literacy rates are below 50% for men and even lower for women; democracy is still a challenge in most African nations, but current leaders of Mozambique and Liberia are women

Vietnam Many women supported the nationalistic movement defined by Ho Chi Min. As in other Communist-inspired nations, legal treatment of men and women are guaranteed by law. Legally women have rights to education, inheritance, and suffrage. Culturally women are not always treated with the same level of equality.

Process Note any trends you see in the role of women in nationalistic movements. Note any details or examples you think you need to find to fill in. Do you have any questions?

20th Century What a brief summary of some major trends in women in the 20th century. Note any details or examples you think you need to find to fill in. Do you have any questions?