• Women and Men Empowerment for Gender Equality Words: 2364
  • Gender Equality: Do Women Have Equal Rights? Words: 1146
  • Contemporary Gender Equality Challenge Words: 1582
  • Gender Equality Cannot Be a Universal Concept Words: 2217
  • Addressing the Issue of Gender Equality Words: 1471
  • “Women’s Assessments of Gender Equality Critique” by Kurzman Words: 574
  • Gender Equality in Britain in the 20th Century Words: 1680
  • Gender Equality as Smart Economics’ Policy Agenda Words: 3229
  • Woman and Gender Equality in Canada Words: 314
  • Gender Inequality in Social Inequality Words: 1490

Gender Equality and Women’s Rights

The issue of gender equality in society has gained popularity in the precedent century with the rise of the feminist movement and women’s struggle for rights equal to those of men. The reason for the shift towards recognizing women’s rights in societal interactions is the changing ratio of males and females in the overall population on the globe with the growing number of women (Rothkopf, 2016).

Legal recognition of women’s rights, guaranteeing safety, and equality in employment and social issues are the most significant landmarks in the women’s struggle for gender equality. 2014 has become a historic year for women, as it was the year of the 20 th anniversary of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development that first proclaimed the need for improving the lives of women. What is more, the participants “examined issues including access to decent reproductive health services, sexual health advice, and support and the elimination [of] harmful practices, such as female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage” (Ford, 2014, par. 2). Together with that, in 2015, it turned 20 years since the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women during which the participating states stressed the necessity of removing obstacles that kept women from equal participation in public and private life.

The topic of gender equality affects both men and women. Speaking of menfolk, what is mainly impacted by the shift towards gender equality is the masculine ego as historically these were men who ruled the world (Rothkopf, 2016). As of women, the role of sex equality cannot be underestimated as they gain the right to equal involvement in public life, payment for work, and social protection.

Moreover, the issue of gender equality is a representation of social stratification, namely gender stratification. Even though women’s struggle for equal rights has brought positive shifts in social interactions between men and women, gender stratification still exists. In everyday life, it may be seen nearly everywhere as women are almost always occupying lower and less paid working positions than men, for example, such as nurses, secretaries, receptionists, etc. That is why gender stratification leads to class stratification as women occupying lower positions have less income if compared to men. Except for income, females have less access to wealth, power, and occupational prestige than males that are all dimensions of social equality and criteria for class stratification (Macionis, 2012). That means that even though there were more positive shifts in achieving gender equality, women and men are still unequal.

In the end, I should say that I have chosen the topic of gender equality because I do believe that all people are and should be equal in their rights and access to social benefits such as education, social protection, healthcare, and equal remuneration for work. Moreover, anyone regardless of gender should have the right to choosing the way of spending the life and the person with whom to build a family. Before the study, I never realized that there are women somewhere out there who suffer from forced weddings or live with the consequences of female genital mutilation being the form of governmental family planning. Bearing in mind everything said above, I am strongly inclined to believe that the issue of women’s rights and equal social protection should gain further development on national and international levels so that it is guaranteed that women all over the globe have decent living conditions.

Ford, L. (2014). Why 2014 is a key year for women’s rights and gender equality . Web.

Macionis, J. J. (2012). Sociology (14th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education.

Rothkopf, D. (2016). The end of an era… for white males. Foreign Policy, 216 (1), 68-69.

Cite this paper

  • Chicago (N-B)
  • Chicago (A-D)

StudyCorgi. (2020, November 29). Gender Equality and Women’s Rights. https://studycorgi.com/gender-equality-and-womens-rights/

"Gender Equality and Women’s Rights." StudyCorgi , 29 Nov. 2020, studycorgi.com/gender-equality-and-womens-rights/.

StudyCorgi . (2020) 'Gender Equality and Women’s Rights'. 29 November.

1. StudyCorgi . "Gender Equality and Women’s Rights." November 29, 2020. https://studycorgi.com/gender-equality-and-womens-rights/.

Bibliography

StudyCorgi . "Gender Equality and Women’s Rights." November 29, 2020. https://studycorgi.com/gender-equality-and-womens-rights/.

StudyCorgi . 2020. "Gender Equality and Women’s Rights." November 29, 2020. https://studycorgi.com/gender-equality-and-womens-rights/.

This paper, “Gender Equality and Women’s Rights”, was written and voluntary submitted to our free essay database by a straight-A student. Please ensure you properly reference the paper if you're using it to write your assignment.

Before publication, the StudyCorgi editorial team proofread and checked the paper to make sure it meets the highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, fact accuracy, copyright issues, and inclusive language. Last updated: November 29, 2020 .

If you are the author of this paper and no longer wish to have it published on StudyCorgi, request the removal . Please use the “ Donate your paper ” form to submit an essay.

Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Women's Rights — Equal Rights for Women: The Ongoing Struggle for Gender Equality

test_template

Equal Rights for Women: The Ongoing Struggle for Gender Equality

  • Categories: Women's Rights

About this sample

close

Words: 613 |

Published: Mar 6, 2024

Words: 613 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Image of Dr. Oliver Johnson

Cite this Essay

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below:

Let us write you an essay from scratch

  • 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
  • Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

author

Prof. Kifaru

Verified writer

  • Expert in: Social Issues

writer

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

3 pages / 1213 words

4 pages / 1717 words

3 pages / 1232 words

1 pages / 652 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Women's Rights

At the center of this tragic tale is Lady Macbeth, a complex and intriguing character who grapples with her own inner conflicts throughout the play. Lady Macbeth’s internal struggles are a driving force behind many of the [...]

Actors and athletes play a crucial role in society, entertaining and inspiring millions of people around the world. While their professions may seem worlds apart, both actors and athletes share common characteristics that make [...]

In the roiling socio-cultural landscape of the 1960s, amidst the clamor for civil rights and the burgeoning feminist movement, a song emerged that would resonate across decades. "You Don't Own Me," performed by Lesley Gore in [...]

Sandra Cisneros' essay "Only Daughter" delves into the complexities of being the only daughter in a family of six sons, exploring themes of gender roles, cultural expectations, and the pursuit of identity. In this essay, we will [...]

Feminism is the advocacy of equality between men and women socially, politically, and economically. In Dai Sijie’s novel, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, the narrator and his friend, Luo, are set on civilizing a young [...]

Historically, men and women’s roles in the society were never dictated nor were their lives ever noticeably disconnected until the 18th and 19th centuries with the emergence of social stratification and industrial [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

  • Instructions Followed To The Letter
  • Deadlines Met At Every Stage
  • Unique And Plagiarism Free

women's rights and gender equality essay

Human Rights Careers

5 Powerful Essays Advocating for Gender Equality

Gender equality – which becomes reality when all genders are treated fairly and allowed equal opportunities –  is a complicated human rights issue for every country in the world. Recent statistics are sobering. According to the World Economic Forum, it will take 108 years to achieve gender parity . The biggest gaps are found in political empowerment and economics. Also, there are currently just six countries that give women and men equal legal work rights. Generally, women are only given ¾ of the rights given to men. To learn more about how gender equality is measured, how it affects both women and men, and what can be done, here are five essays making a fair point.

Take a free course on Gender Equality offered by top universities!

“Countries With Less Gender Equity Have More Women In STEM — Huh?” – Adam Mastroianni and Dakota McCoy

This essay from two Harvard PhD candidates (Mastroianni in psychology and McCoy in biology) takes a closer look at a recent study that showed that in countries with lower gender equity, more women are in STEM. The study’s researchers suggested that this is because women are actually especially interested in STEM fields, and because they are given more choice in Western countries, they go with different careers. Mastroianni and McCoy disagree.

They argue the research actually shows that cultural attitudes and discrimination are impacting women’s interests, and that bias and discrimination is present even in countries with better gender equality. The problem may lie in the Gender Gap Index (GGI), which tracks factors like wage disparity and government representation. To learn why there’s more women in STEM from countries with less gender equality, a more nuanced and complex approach is needed.

“Men’s health is better, too, in countries with more gender equality” – Liz Plank

When it comes to discussions about gender equality, it isn’t uncommon for someone in the room to say, “What about the men?” Achieving gender equality has been difficult because of the underlying belief that giving women more rights and freedom somehow takes rights away from men. The reality, however, is that gender equality is good for everyone. In Liz Plank’s essay, which is an adaption from her book For the Love of Men: A Vision for Mindful Masculinity, she explores how in Iceland, the #1 ranked country for gender equality, men live longer. Plank lays out the research for why this is, revealing that men who hold “traditional” ideas about masculinity are more likely to die by suicide and suffer worse health. Anxiety about being the only financial provider plays a big role in this, so in countries where women are allowed education and equal earning power, men don’t shoulder the burden alone.

Liz Plank is an author and award-winning journalist with Vox, where she works as a senior producer and political correspondent. In 2015, Forbes named her one of their “30 Under 30” in the Media category. She’s focused on feminist issues throughout her career.

“China’s #MeToo Moment” –  Jiayang Fan

Some of the most visible examples of gender inequality and discrimination comes from “Me Too” stories. Women are coming forward in huge numbers relating how they’ve been harassed and abused by men who have power over them. Most of the time, established systems protect these men from accountability. In this article from Jiayang Fan, a New Yorker staff writer, we get a look at what’s happening in China.

The essay opens with a story from a PhD student inspired by the United States’ Me Too movement to open up about her experience with an academic adviser. Her story led to more accusations against the adviser, and he was eventually dismissed. This is a rare victory, because as Fan says, China employs a more rigid system of patriarchy and hierarchy. There aren’t clear definitions or laws surrounding sexual harassment. Activists are charting unfamiliar territory, which this essay explores.

“Men built this system. No wonder gender equality remains as far off as ever.” – Ellie Mae O’Hagan

Freelance journalist Ellie Mae O’Hagan (whose book The New Normal is scheduled for a May 2020 release) is discouraged that gender equality is so many years away. She argues that it’s because the global system of power at its core is broken.  Even when women are in power, which is proportionally rare on a global scale, they deal with a system built by the patriarchy. O’Hagan’s essay lays out ideas for how to fix what’s fundamentally flawed, so gender equality can become a reality.

Ideas include investing in welfare; reducing gender-based violence (which is mostly men committing violence against women); and strengthening trade unions and improving work conditions. With a system that’s not designed to put women down, the world can finally achieve gender equality.

“Invisibility of Race in Gender Pay Gap Discussions” – Bonnie Chu

The gender pay gap has been a pressing issue for many years in the United States, but most discussions miss the factor of race. In this concise essay, Senior Contributor Bonnie Chu examines the reality, writing that within the gender pay gap, there’s other gaps when it comes to black, Native American, and Latina women. Asian-American women, on the other hand, are paid 85 cents for every dollar. This data is extremely important and should be present in discussions about the gender pay gap. It reminds us that when it comes to gender equality, there’s other factors at play, like racism.

Bonnie Chu is a gender equality advocate and a Forbes 30 Under 30 social entrepreneur. She’s the founder and CEO of Lensational, which empowers women through photography, and the Managing Director of The Social Investment Consultancy.

You may also like

women's rights and gender equality essay

10 Initiatives to Support Children’s Rights

women's rights and gender equality essay

10 Initiatives to Stop Human Trafficking

women's rights and gender equality essay

10 Initiatives to Advance Gender Equality

women's rights and gender equality essay

13 Ways Inequality Affects Society

women's rights and gender equality essay

15 Inspiring Quotes for Transgender Day of Visibility

women's rights and gender equality essay

Freedom of Expression 101: Definition, Examples, Limitations

women's rights and gender equality essay

15 Trusted Charities Addressing Child Poverty

women's rights and gender equality essay

12 Trusted Charities Advancing Women’s Rights

women's rights and gender equality essay

13 Facts about Child Labor

women's rights and gender equality essay

Environmental Racism 101: Definition, Examples, Ways to Take Action

women's rights and gender equality essay

11 Examples of Systemic Injustices in the US

women's rights and gender equality essay

Women’s Rights 101: History, Examples, Activists

About the author, emmaline soken-huberty.

Emmaline Soken-Huberty is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon. She started to become interested in human rights while attending college, eventually getting a concentration in human rights and humanitarianism. LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, and climate change are of special concern to her. In her spare time, she can be found reading or enjoying Oregon’s natural beauty with her husband and dog.

A global story

This piece is part of 19A: The Brookings Gender Equality Series . In this essay series, Brookings scholars, public officials, and other subject-area experts examine the current state of gender equality 100 years after the 19th Amendment was adopted to the U.S. Constitution and propose recommendations to cull the prevalence of gender-based discrimination in the United States and around the world.

The year 2020 will stand out in the history books. It will always be remembered as the year the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the globe and brought death, illness, isolation, and economic hardship. It will also be noted as the year when the death of George Floyd and the words “I can’t breathe” ignited in the United States and many other parts of the world a period of reckoning with racism, inequality, and the unresolved burdens of history.

The history books will also record that 2020 marked 100 years since the ratification of the 19th Amendment in America, intended to guarantee a vote for all women, not denied or abridged on the basis of sex.

This is an important milestone and the continuing movement for gender equality owes much to the history of suffrage and the brave women (and men) who fought for a fairer world. Yet just celebrating what was achieved is not enough when we have so much more to do. Instead, this anniversary should be a galvanizing moment when we better inform ourselves about the past and emerge more determined to achieve a future of gender equality.

Australia’s role in the suffrage movement

In looking back, one thing that should strike us is how international the movement for suffrage was though the era was so much less globalized than our own.

For example, how many Americans know that 25 years before the passing of the 19th Amendment in America, my home of South Australia was one of the first polities in the world to give men and women the same rights to participate in their democracies? South Australia led Australia and became a global leader in legislating universal suffrage and candidate eligibility over 125 years ago.

This extraordinary achievement was not an easy one. There were three unsuccessful attempts to gain equal voting rights for women in South Australia, in the face of relentless opposition. But South Australia’s suffragists—including the Women’s Suffrage League and the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, as well as remarkable women like Catherine Helen Spence, Mary Lee, and Elizabeth Webb Nicholls—did not get dispirited but instead continued to campaign, persuade, and cajole. They gathered a petition of 11,600 signatures, stuck it together page by page so that it measured around 400 feet in length, and presented it to Parliament.

The Constitutional Amendment (Adult Suffrage) Bill was finally introduced on July 4, 1894, leading to heated debate both within the houses of Parliament, and outside in society and the media. Demonstrating that some things in Parliament never change, campaigner Mary Lee observed as the bill proceeded to committee stage “that those who had the least to say took the longest time to say it.” 1

The Bill finally passed on December 18, 1894, by 31 votes to 14 in front of a large crowd of women.

In 1897, Catherine Helen Spence became the first woman to stand as a political candidate in South Australia.

South Australia’s victory led the way for the rest of the colonies, in the process of coming together to create a federated Australia, to fight for voting rights for women across the entire nation. Women’s suffrage was in effect made a precondition to federation in 1901, with South Australia insisting on retaining the progress that had already been made. 2 South Australian Muriel Matters, and Vida Goldstein—a woman from the Australian state of Victoria—are just two of the many who fought to ensure that when Australia became a nation, the right of women to vote and stand for Parliament was included.

Australia’s remarkable progressiveness was either envied, or feared, by the rest of the world. Sociologists and journalists traveled to Australia to see if the worst fears of the critics of suffrage would be realised.

In 1902, Vida Goldstein was invited to meet President Theodore Roosevelt—the first Australian to ever meet a U.S. president in the White House. With more political rights than any American woman, Goldstein was a fascinating visitor. In fact, President Roosevelt told Goldstein: “I’ve got my eye on you down in Australia.” 3

Goldstein embarked on many other journeys around the world in the name of suffrage, and ran five times for Parliament, emphasising “the necessity of women putting women into Parliament to secure the reforms they required.” 4

Muriel Matters went on to join the suffrage movement in the United Kingdom. In 1908 she became the first woman to speak in the British House of Commons in London—not by invitation, but by chaining herself to the grille that obscured women’s views of proceedings in the Houses of Parliament. After effectively cutting her off the grille, she was dragged out of the gallery by force, still shouting and advocating for votes for women. The U.K. finally adopted women’s suffrage in 1928.

These Australian women, and the many more who tirelessly fought for women’s rights, are still extraordinary by today’s standards, but were all the more remarkable for leading the rest of the world.

A shared history of exclusion

Of course, no history of women’s suffrage is complete without acknowledging those who were excluded. These early movements for gender equality were overwhelmingly the remit of privileged white women. Racially discriminatory exclusivity during the early days of suffrage is a legacy Australia shares with the United States.

South Australian Aboriginal women were given the right to vote under the colonial laws of 1894, but they were often not informed of this right or supported to enroll—and sometimes were actively discouraged from participating.

They were later further discriminated against by direct legal bar by the 1902 Commonwealth Franchise Act, whereby Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were excluded from voting in federal elections—a right not given until 1962.

Any celebration of women’s suffrage must acknowledge such past injustices front and center. Australia is not alone in the world in grappling with a history of discrimination and exclusion.

The best historical celebrations do not present a triumphalist version of the past or convey a sense that the fight for equality is finished. By reflecting on our full history, these celebrations allow us to come together, find new energy, and be inspired to take the cause forward in a more inclusive way.

The way forward

In the century or more since winning women’s franchise around the world, we have made great strides toward gender equality for women in parliamentary politics. Targets and quotas are working. In Australia, we already have evidence that affirmative action targets change the diversity of governments. Since the Australian Labor Party (ALP) passed its first affirmative action resolution in 1994, the party has seen the number of women in its national parliamentary team skyrocket from around 14% to 50% in recent years.

Instead of trying to “fix” women—whether by training or otherwise—the ALP worked on fixing the structures that prevent women getting preselected, elected, and having fair opportunities to be leaders.

There is also clear evidence of the benefits of having more women in leadership roles. A recent report from Westminster Foundation for Democracy and the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership (GIWL) at King’s College London, shows that where women are able to exercise political leadership, it benefits not just women and girls, but the whole of society.

But even though we know how to get more women into parliament and the positive difference they make, progress toward equality is far too slow. The World Economic Forum tells us that if we keep progressing as we are, the global political empowerment gender gap—measuring the presence of women across Parliament, ministries, and heads of states across the world— will only close in another 95 years . This is simply too long to wait and, unfortunately, not all barriers are diminishing. The level of abuse and threatening language leveled at high-profile women in the public domain and on social media is a more recent but now ubiquitous problem, which is both alarming and unacceptable.

Across the world, we must dismantle the continuing legal and social barriers that prevent women fully participating in economic, political, and community life.

Education continues to be one such barrier in many nations. Nearly two-thirds of the world’s illiterate adults are women. With COVID-19-related school closures happening in developing countries, there is a real risk that progress on girls’ education is lost. When Ebola hit, the evidence shows that the most marginalized girls never made it back to school and rates of child marriage, teen pregnancy. and child labor soared. The Global Partnership for Education, which I chair, is currently hard at work trying to ensure that this history does not repeat.

Ensuring educational equality is a necessary but not sufficient condition for gender equality. In order to change the landscape to remove the barriers that prevent women coming through for leadership—and having their leadership fairly evaluated rather than through the prism of gender—we need a radical shift in structures and away from stereotypes. Good intentions will not be enough to achieve the profound wave of change required. We need hard-headed empirical research about what works. In my life and writings post-politics and through my work at the GIWL, sharing and generating this evidence is front and center of the work I do now.

GIWL work, undertaken in partnership with IPSOS Mori, demonstrates that the public knows more needs to be done. For example, this global polling shows the community thinks it is harder for women to get ahead. Specifically, they say men are less likely than women to need intelligence and hard work to get ahead in their careers.

Other research demonstrates that the myth of the “ideal worker,” one who works excessive hours, is damaging for women’s careers. We also know from research that even in families where each adult works full time, domestic and caring labor is disproportionately done by women. 5

In order to change the landscape to remove the barriers that prevent women coming through for leadership—and having their leadership fairly evaluated rather than through the prism of gender—we need a radical shift in structures and away from stereotypes.

Other more subtle barriers, like unconscious bias and cultural stereotypes, continue to hold women back. We need to start implementing policies that prevent people from being marginalized and stop interpreting overconfidence or charisma as indicative of leadership potential. The evidence shows that it is possible for organizations to adjust their definitions and methods of identifying merit so they can spot, measure, understand, and support different leadership styles.

Taking the lessons learned from our shared history and the lives of the extraordinary women across the world, we know evidence needs to be combined with activism to truly move forward toward a fairer world. We are in a battle for both hearts and minds.

Why this year matters

We are also at an inflection point. Will 2020 will be remembered as the year that a global recession disproportionately destroyed women’s jobs, while women who form the majority of the workforce in health care and social services were at risk of contracting the coronavirus? Will it be remembered as a time of escalating domestic violence and corporations cutting back on their investments in diversity programs?

Or is there a more positive vision of the future that we can seize through concerted advocacy and action? A future where societies re-evaluate which work truly matters and determine to better reward carers. A time when men and women forced into lockdowns re-negotiated how they approach the division of domestic labor. Will the pandemic be viewed as the crisis that, through forcing new ways of virtual working, ultimately led to more balance between employment and family life, and career advancement based on merit and outcomes, not presentism and the old boys’ network?

This history is not yet written. We still have an opportunity to make it happen. Surely the women who led the way 100 years ago can inspire us to seize this moment and create that better, more gender equal future.

  • December 7,1894: Welcome home meeting for Catherine Helen Spence at the Café de Paris. [ Register , Dec, 19, 1894 ]
  • Clare Wright, You Daughters of Freedom: The Australians Who Won the Vote and Inspired the World , (Text Publishing, 2018).
  • Janette M. Bomford, That Dangerous and Persuasive Woman, (Melbourne University Press, 1993)
  • Cordelia Fine, Delusions of Gender: The Real Science Behind Sex Differences, (Icon Books, 2010)

This piece is part of 19A: The Brookings Gender Equality Series.  Learn more about the series and read published work »

About the Author

Julia gillard, distinguished fellow – global economy and development, center for universal education.

Gillard is a distinguished fellow with the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution. She is the Inaugural Chair of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London. Gillard also serves as Chair of the Global Partnership for Education, which is dedicated to expanding access to quality education worldwide and is patron of CAMFED, the Campaign for Female Education.

Read full bio

MORE FROM JULIA GILLARD

women's rights and gender equality essay

Advancing women’s leadership around the world

More from the 19a series.

women's rights and gender equality essay

The gender revolution is stalling—What would reinvigorate it?

What’s necessary to reinvigorate the gender revolution and create progress in the areas where the movement toward equality has slowed or stalled—employment, desegregation of fields of study and jobs, and the gender pay gap?

women's rights and gender equality essay

The fate of women’s rights in Afghanistan

John R. Allen and Vanda Felbab-Brown write that as peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban commence, uncertainty hangs over the fate of Afghan women and their rights.

  • Media Relations
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

What does gender equality look like today?

Date: Wednesday, 6 October 2021

Progress towards gender equality is looking bleak. But it doesn’t need to.

A new global analysis of progress on gender equality and women’s rights shows women and girls remain disproportionately affected by the socioeconomic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, struggling with disproportionately high job and livelihood losses, education disruptions and increased burdens of unpaid care work. Women’s health services, poorly funded even before the pandemic, faced major disruptions, undermining women’s sexual and reproductive health. And despite women’s central role in responding to COVID-19, including as front-line health workers, they are still largely bypassed for leadership positions they deserve.

UN Women’s latest report, together with UN DESA, Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2021 presents the latest data on gender equality across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The report highlights the progress made since 2015 but also the continued alarm over the COVID-19 pandemic, its immediate effect on women’s well-being and the threat it poses to future generations.

We’re breaking down some of the findings from the report, and calling for the action needed to accelerate progress.

The pandemic is making matters worse

One and a half years since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, the toll on the poorest and most vulnerable people remains devastating and disproportionate. The combined impact of conflict, extreme weather events and COVID-19 has deprived women and girls of even basic needs such as food security. Without urgent action to stem rising poverty, hunger and inequality, especially in countries affected by conflict and other acute forms of crisis, millions will continue to suffer.

A global goal by global goal reality check:

Goal 1. Poverty

Globally, 1 in 5 girls under 15 are growing up in extreme poverty.

In 2021, extreme poverty is on the rise and progress towards its elimination has reversed. An estimated 435 million women and girls globally are living in extreme poverty.

And yet we can change this .

Over 150 million women and girls could emerge from poverty by 2030 if governments implement a comprehensive strategy to improve access to education and family planning, achieve equal wages and extend social transfers.

Goal 2. Zero hunger

Small-scale farmer households headed by women earn on average 30% less than those headed by men.

The global gender gap in food security has risen dramatically during the pandemic, with more women and girls going hungry. Women’s food insecurity levels were 10 per cent higher than men’s in 2020, compared with 6 per cent higher in 2019.

This trend can be reversed , including by supporting women small-scale producers, who typically earn far less than men, through increased funding, training and land rights reforms.

Goal 3. Good health and well-being

In the first year of the pandemic, there were an estimated additional 1.4 million additional unintended pregnancies in lower- and middle-income countries.

Disruptions in essential health services due to COVID-19 are taking a tragic toll on women and girls. In the first year of the pandemic, there were an estimated 1.4 million additional unintended pregnancies in lower and middle-income countries.

We need to do better .

Response to the pandemic must include prioritizing sexual and reproductive health services, ensuring they continue to operate safely now and after the pandemic is long over. In addition, more support is needed to ensure life-saving personal protection equipment, tests, oxygen and especially vaccines are available in rich and poor countries alike as well as to vulnerable population within countries.

Goal 4. Quality education

Half of all refugee girls enrolled in secondary school before the pandemic will not return to school.

A year and a half into the pandemic, schools remain partially or fully closed in 42 per cent of the world’s countries and territories. School closures spell lost opportunities for girls and an increased risk of violence, exploitation and early marriage .

Governments can do more to protect girls education .

Measures focused specifically on supporting girls returning to school are urgently needed, including measures focused on girls from marginalized communities who are most at risk.

Goal 5. Gender equality

Women are restricted from working in certain jobs or industries in almost 50% of countries.

The pandemic has tested and even reversed progress in expanding women’s rights and opportunities. Reports of violence against women and girls, a “shadow” pandemic to COVID-19, are increasing in many parts of the world. COVID-19 is also intensifying women’s workload at home, forcing many to leave the labour force altogether.

Building forward differently and better will hinge on placing women and girls at the centre of all aspects of response and recovery, including through gender-responsive laws, policies and budgeting.

Goal 6. Clean water and sanitation

Only 26% of countries are actively working on gender mainstreaming in water management.

In 2018, nearly 2.3 billion people lived in water-stressed countries. Without safe drinking water, adequate sanitation and menstrual hygiene facilities, women and girls find it harder to lead safe, productive and healthy lives.

Change is possible .

Involve those most impacted in water management processes, including women. Women’s voices are often missing in water management processes. 

Goal 7. Affordable and clean energy

Only about 1 in 10 senior managers in the rapidly growing renewable energy industry is a woman.

Increased demand for clean energy and low-carbon solutions is driving an unprecedented transformation of the energy sector. But women are being left out. Women hold only 32 per cent of renewable energy jobs.

We can do better .

Expose girls early on to STEM education, provide training and support to women entering the energy field, close the pay gap and increase women’s leadership in the energy sector.

Goal 8. Decent work and economic growth

In 2020 employed women fell by 54 million. Women out of the labour force rose by 45 million.

The number of employed women declined by 54 million in 2020 and 45 million women left the labour market altogether. Women have suffered steeper job losses than men, along with increased unpaid care burdens at home.

We must do more to support women in the workforce .

Guarantee decent work for all, introduce labour laws/reforms, removing legal barriers for married women entering the workforce, support access to affordable/quality childcare.

Goal 9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Just 4% of clinical studies on COVID-19 treatments considered sex and/or gender in their research

The COVID-19 crisis has spurred striking achievements in medical research and innovation. Women’s contribution has been profound. But still only a little over a third of graduates in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics field are female.

We can take action today.

 Quotas mandating that a proportion of research grants are awarded to women-led teams or teams that include women is one concrete way to support women researchers. 

Goal 10. Reduced inequalities

While in transit to their new destination, 53% of migrant women report experiencing or witnessing violence, compared to 19% of men.

Limited progress for women is being eroded by the pandemic. Women facing multiple forms of discrimination, including women and girls with disabilities, migrant women, women discriminated against because of their race/ethnicity are especially affected.

Commit to end racism and discrimination in all its forms, invest in inclusive, universal, gender responsive social protection systems that support all women. 

Goal 11. Sustainable cities and communities

Slum residents are at an elevated risk of COVID-19 infection and fatality rates. In many countries, women are overrepresented in urban slums.

Globally, more than 1 billion people live in informal settlements and slums. Women and girls, often overrepresented in these densely populated areas, suffer from lack of access to basic water and sanitation, health care and transportation.

The needs of urban poor women must be prioritized .

Increase the provision of durable and adequate housing and equitable access to land; included women in urban planning and development processes.

Goal 12. Sustainable consumption and production; Goal 13. Climate action; Goal 14. Life below water; and Goal 15. Life on land

Women are finding solutions for our ailing planet, but are not given the platforms they deserve. Only 29% of featured speakers at international ocean science conferences are women.

Women activists, scientists and researchers are working hard to solve the climate crisis but often without the same platforms as men to share their knowledge and skills. Only 29 per cent of featured speakers at international ocean science conferences are women.

 And yet we can change this .

Ensure women activists, scientists and researchers have equal voice, representation and access to forums where these issues are being discussed and debated. 

Goal 16. Peace, justice and strong institutions

Women's unequal decision-making power undermines development at every level. Women only chair 18% of government committees on foreign affairs, defence and human rights.

The lack of women in decision-making limits the reach and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other emergency recovery efforts. In conflict-affected countries, 18.9 per cent of parliamentary seats are held by women, much lower than the global average of 25.6 per cent.

This is unacceptable .

It's time for women to have an equal share of power and decision-making at all levels.

Goal 17. Global partnerships for the goals

Women are not being sufficiently prioritized in country commitments to achieving the SDGs, including on Climate Action. Only 64 out of 190 of nationally determined contributions to climate goals referred to women.

There are just 9 years left to achieve the Global Goals by 2030, and gender equality cuts across all 17 of them. With COVID-19 slowing progress on women's rights, the time to act is now.

Looking ahead

As it stands today, only one indicator under the global goal for gender equality (SDG5) is ‘close to target’: proportion of seats held by women in local government. In other areas critical to women’s empowerment, equality in time spent on unpaid care and domestic work and decision making regarding sexual and reproductive health the world is far from target. Without a bold commitment to accelerate progress, the global community will fail to achieve gender equality. Building forward differently and better will require placing women and girls at the centre of all aspects of response and recovery, including through gender-responsive laws, policies and budgeting.

  • ‘One Woman’ – The UN Women song
  • UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous
  • Kirsi Madi, Deputy Executive Director for Resource Management, Sustainability and Partnerships
  • Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, Deputy Executive Director for Normative Support, UN System Coordination and Programme Results
  • Guiding documents
  • Report wrongdoing
  • Programme implementation
  • Career opportunities
  • Application and recruitment process
  • Meet our people
  • Internship programme
  • Procurement principles
  • Gender-responsive procurement
  • Doing business with UN Women
  • How to become a UN Women vendor
  • Contract templates and general conditions of contract
  • Vendor protest procedure
  • Facts and Figures
  • Global norms and standards
  • Women’s movements
  • Parliaments and local governance
  • Constitutions and legal reform
  • Preguntas frecuentes
  • Global Norms and Standards
  • Macroeconomic policies and social protection
  • Sustainable Development and Climate Change
  • Rural women
  • Employment and migration
  • Facts and figures
  • Creating safe public spaces
  • Spotlight Initiative
  • Essential services
  • Focusing on prevention
  • Research and data
  • Other areas of work
  • UNiTE campaign
  • Conflict prevention and resolution
  • Building and sustaining peace
  • Young women in peace and security
  • Rule of law: Justice and security
  • Women, peace, and security in the work of the UN Security Council
  • Preventing violent extremism and countering terrorism
  • Planning and monitoring
  • Humanitarian coordination
  • Crisis response and recovery
  • Disaster risk reduction
  • Inclusive National Planning
  • Public Sector Reform
  • Tracking Investments
  • Strengthening young women's leadership
  • Economic empowerment and skills development for young women
  • Action on ending violence against young women and girls
  • Engaging boys and young men in gender equality
  • Leadership and Participation
  • National Planning
  • Violence against Women
  • Access to Justice
  • Regional and country offices
  • Regional and Country Offices
  • Liaison offices
  • 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
  • UN Women Global Innovation Coalition for Change
  • Commission on the Status of Women
  • Economic and Social Council
  • General Assembly
  • Security Council
  • High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development
  • Human Rights Council
  • Climate change and the environment
  • Other Intergovernmental Processes
  • World Conferences on Women
  • Global Coordination
  • Regional and country coordination
  • Promoting UN accountability
  • Gender Mainstreaming
  • Coordination resources
  • System-wide strategy
  • Focal Point for Women and Gender Focal Points
  • Entity-specific implementation plans on gender parity
  • Laws and policies
  • Strategies and tools
  • Reports and monitoring
  • Training Centre services
  • Publications
  • Government partners
  • National mechanisms
  • Civil Society Advisory Groups
  • Benefits of partnering with UN Women
  • Business and philanthropic partners
  • Goodwill Ambassadors
  • National Committees
  • UN Women Media Compact
  • UN Women Alumni Association
  • Editorial series
  • Media contacts
  • Annual report
  • Progress of the world’s women
  • SDG monitoring report
  • World survey on the role of women in development
  • Reprint permissions
  • Secretariat
  • 2023 sessions and other meetings
  • 2022 sessions and other meetings
  • 2021 sessions and other meetings
  • 2020 sessions and other meetings
  • 2019 sessions and other meetings
  • 2018 sessions and other meetings
  • 2017 sessions and other meetings
  • 2016 sessions and other meetings
  • 2015 sessions and other meetings
  • Compendiums of decisions
  • Reports of sessions
  • Key Documents
  • Brief history
  • CSW snapshot
  • Preparations
  • Official Documents
  • Official Meetings
  • Side Events
  • Session Outcomes
  • CSW65 (2021)
  • CSW64 / Beijing+25 (2020)
  • CSW63 (2019)
  • CSW62 (2018)
  • CSW61 (2017)
  • Member States
  • Eligibility
  • Registration
  • Opportunities for NGOs to address the Commission
  • Communications procedure
  • Grant making
  • Accompaniment and growth
  • Results and impact
  • Knowledge and learning
  • Social innovation
  • UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women
  • About Generation Equality
  • Generation Equality Forum
  • Action packs

138 Women’s Rights Essay Topics & Research Questions

🔝 top-10 women’s rights essay topics, 🏆 best topics related to women’s rights.

  • ✍️ Argumentative Essay Topics about Women’s Rights

⭐ Simple & Easy Essay Topics on Women’s Issues

🔥 hottest research topics about women’s rights, 📌 most interesting research topics on women’s issues, 🦋 inspiring women’s rights title ideas, 👍 good women’s rights research paper topics, ❓ research questions about women’s rights, 🔍 how to develop women’s rights research questions, ✍️ how to write a women’s rights essay.

  • “Women’s Rights Are Human Rights” by Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton’s speech about women’s rights effectively convinces her audience that women rights are an indispensable part of human rights through the use of logical argument, repetition, historical facts, and emotional stories.
  • Jane Cunningham Croly: Fighting for Women Rights The problem of women inequality with men had been considered in the society and Jane Cunningham Croly was one of those who wanted to contribute to the movement, and her journalistic activity was that measure.
  • Foot Binding in China in Terms of Women’s Rights The practice of foot binding in China can be traced back to the Sung Dynasty that prevailed between 960-1280 AD, supposedly as an imitation of an imperial concubine who was required to perform a dance […]
  • Women’s Rights and the Advancement of Democracy The degree of citizen involvement in the political process, including the participation of various social groups in political parties and decision-making bodies, determines the quality of democracy in addition to the structure of current political […]
  • Women’s Rights and Gender Inequality in Saudi Arabia Indeed, it is crucial to understand the importance of women’s rights, see the connections between the past, the present, the local, and the global, and realize how political and media discourse represents the social issue […]
  • Saudi Arabian Women’s Right to Drive: Pros and Cons The objective of this paper is to present the arguments from both sides of the discussion on the issue of whether women should be able to drive legally in Saudi Arabia.
  • Utilitarian Permissive Concept for Women’s Right to Choose Abortion Utilitarians believe that the right to choose abortion should be protected under the law as a matter of justice since a woman should have the right to make decisions concerning her own body and health.
  • Women’s Rights: Democratic Perceptions Therefore, it is proper to claim that women would not be able to exercise their rights and freedoms as frequently without the efforts of Democrats.
  • Abortion and Women’s Right to Control Their Bodies However, the decision to ban abortions can be viewed as illegal, unethical, and contradicting the values of the 21st century. In such a way, the prohibition of abortion is a serious health concern leading to […]
  • The Women’s Rights Movement and Indigenous People In this article, the author addresses the differences between the Euro-American and Native American societies and the role of women in them.
  • The Texas Abortion Law: A Signal of War on Women’s Rights and Bodies The purpose of this paper is to examine the structure and implications of the Texas Abortion Law in order to demonstrate its flaws.
  • Women’s Rights and Reform Impulses The reform impulses altered women’s place in society, making them equal to men in the ability to speak publicly, pursue their liberty, and attain their goals.
  • The Evolution of Women’s Rights Through American History From the property-owning women of the late 18th century to the proponents of the women’s liberation in the 1960s, women always succeeded in using the influential political theories of their time to eventually make feminist […]
  • Invisible Southern Black Women Leaders in the Civil Rights Movement Based on 36 personal interviews and multiple published and archived sources, the author demonstrates that black women in the South have played a prominent role in the struggle for their rights.
  • Injustices Women Faced in Quest for Equal Rights The source Alice Paul depicts the numerous contributions that she and her fellow suffragists made to the new rights of women.
  • Catharine Beecher and Women’s Rights Catharine Beecher’s “An Appeal to American Women” is a discussion kind of piece that considers the power of women in office and how the issue should be approached.
  • The Aftermath of the Progression of Women’s Rights Period At the end of the 1800s and the beginning of 1900s, women’s organizations and women struggled for social reforms, to gain the right to vote, and for diverse political and economic equality.
  • Lucy Parsons as a Women’s Rights Advocate and Her Beliefs She was a believer in anarchism and thought that it was the means to liberty and freedom. She wanted the constitution to be amended to say that men and women are equal in all aspects.
  • Women in Islam: Some Rights, No Equality Notwithstanding the principles of equality of men and women in Islamic tradition, women’s low status should be attributed not to the ideals set in the Quran but to the cultural norms of the patriarchal society.
  • Primary Source on Women’s Voting Rights The combination of statements that degrade the image of suffragettes and suffrage and quotes of leaders’ opinions is a way for the editor to influence the audience.
  • Syrian Conflict and Women Rights: Way to Equality or Another Discrimination The main reason for a low percentage of women in the workforce is Syrian social norms, which stereotypically reflect the role of women in homes serving their husbands and in the private sector.
  • Movement for Women’s Rights in Great Britain and the United States This essay analytically explores some of the conditions which helped bring about movement for women’s right in Great Britain and United States before the close of the last century. In addition, the most significant demand […]
  • Shirin Ebadi’s Perspective on Women’s Human Rights Activism and Islam It is worth noting that Shirin Ebadi’s self-identity as an Iranian woman and a Muslim empowers her experience and perspective in women’s rights activism.
  • Women in the Struggle for Civil Rights In other instants, women in the struggle for civil rights can also file a case in a court of law demanding the lawmakers to enact some policies of which they feel when passed will protect […]
  • The Success of Women’s Rights Movement They sought the equal treatment of women and men by law and fought for voting rights. The women’s rights movement was successful because they were united, had a strong ideological foundation, and organized campaigns on […]
  • Refugee Women and Their Human Rights According to the researches have been made by UNHCR, 1998, found that 80% of the refugees immigrating to the United States and other countries of second asylum are women or children.
  • Women’s Rights Movement in the 19th Century In this paper, the peculiarities of women’s suffrage, its political and social background, and further reactions will be discussed to clarify the worth and impact of the chosen event.
  • Women Rights: New Data and Movements For example, whereas the women’s health rights movement is a global affair, the fact that events related to the movement are mainly held in the US means that other countries do not feel the impact […]
  • Planned Parenthood and Women’s Rights It took decades for the government to acknowledge the necessity of the services offered in these clinics and even longer for the public to accept a woman’s right to reproductive health care, the establishment of […]
  • Understanding Women’s Right in Islamic World The role of women in the Islamic society during and soon after the death of Prophet Mohammed was similar to that of men.
  • Arab Spring’s Impact on Women’s Rights and Security The aim of the research is to define the effects that the Arab Spring has had on the perception of women in the Arab society.
  • Women’s Rights Since Pre-History to 1600 A.D In this regard, most women from the medieval times could determine their social and political destiny, but the responsibility to others mainly rested on the men.
  • Women’s Fight for Equal Human Rights According to the readings assigned, the term feminist could be used to refer to people who fought for the rights of women.
  • Women in New France: Rights, Freedoms and Responsibilities However, the development of New France was quite distinct due to peculiarities of the gender roles in the North America and France.
  • Women’s Family and Social Responsibilities and Rights The uniqueness of Addams and Sanger’s approach to discussing the rights of females is in the fact that these authors discuss any social responsibilities of women as the key to improving their roles in the […]
  • Women’s Rights in the Great Depression Period The pursuit of the workplace equality and the protection of women from unfair treatment by the employers were quite unsuccessful and slow due to the major division in the opinions.
  • Women’s Roles and Rights in the 18-19th Century America We can only do the simplest work; we cannot have a good job because that is the men’s domain, and they have the necessary training to do it.
  • Debate Over Women’s Rights At times, the problem is that there is bias and discrimination about the strength of the woman and no chance has ever been given to them to prove if the allegation is wrong.
  • The Women of the Veil: Gaining Rights and Freedoms The author chides the activities of the Western colonies in Afghanistan in restoring the rights of the women of the veil.

️✍️ Argumentative Essay Topics about Women’s Rights

Picking the right topic for your essay is sometimes a tricky task. This list of top 5 women’s rights argumentative essay topics will surely inspire you:

  • Feminism has changed marriage laws in the US . The feminist movement has dramatically impacted all areas of people’s lives. One of its first effects was giving women more rights in marriage. Analyze how wives’ lives have improved since the beginning of feminism.
  • The lack of prison nurseries: an underrated problem . Prison nurseries are not common in the US, which causes many issues for mothers behind bars. You can write about the benefits of creating more nurseries in prisons to give equal rights to women with babies.
  • Toxic femininity is a cause for concern . Toxic femininity derives from patriarchal norms of how women should act. It encourages women to care for everyone around them at the expense of their mental health. Do you think it’s worth just as much attention as the trend of bashing toxic masculinity?
  • Changing beauty standards as one of the best perks of feminism . Nowadays, women are under less pressure to follow the current beauty standards. The most recent trends of going natural make women’s lives much more manageable. Discuss the effect of feminism on this positive development.
  • Women’s rights and children’s toys: Barbie shaping modern feminism . Barbie has evolved a lot since the first doll was made. Today, girls around the world can get any Barbie they can think of—plus-size, African American, with disabilities, and many more. How does it influence the girls’ self-esteem and feminist outlook?
  • Women’s Rights in the 21st Century: Education and Politics The lack of equity in the specified areas affect women’s lives on range of levels, depriving them of the opportunities that they are supposed to be entitled to and posing a tangible threat to the […]
  • The Role of African American Women in the Civil Right Movement The role of women in the Civil Rights Movement started to change in the 1960s. Women in the Civil Rights Movement: Trailblazers and Torchbearers.
  • Hip-Hop Music and the Role of Women in It: Fight for Women’s Rights in Society While looking at the various roles of women in hip hop and rap, it is also important to note that the way women are presented has various effects on society.
  • Gender Studies: Women’s Rights in Saudi Arabia This paper will review the a issue of women’s rights in Saudi Arabia from the perspective of four different groups including the modern Saudi women, traditional Saudi women, Government officials, and international women’s rights organizations.
  • African-American Women and the Civil Rights Movement The key factors that left the Black women unrecognized or led to recognition of just a few of them as leaders are class, race and gender biases.
  • Women’s Rights – Contribution of E. Cady Stanton and S.B. Anthony The first significant and most important move was made by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, on the other hand, was born in a Quaker family and her father was also quite a successful […]
  • Women’s Role in Contemporary Korea The effort of women to work in professional and high positions in different sectors, the government decided to boost their effort and maintain their morale.
  • Non Governmental Organization of Women’s Learning Partnership for Rights Development and Peace In most cases the rights of women which are mainly suppressed include the right to own property, the right to work or hold a public office, the right of receiving education, the right to vote […]
  • The Development of Women’s Rights However, she cannot agree to such distribution of the roles, and she calls upon all people to look again at the situation, connected to women’s rights, and provide all women with a chance to participate […]
  • Women’s Suffrage Discussion The entrenchment of equal rights of women and men and more noticeably the right of every American woman to vote came into being after the enactment of the nineteenth amendment.
  • Disclosing the Aspects of Female Authorship as Presented in Woolf’s Professions for Women and Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Right of Woman In their works called A Vindication of the Right of Woman and Professions of Women respectively, they express their vigorous desire to liberate women from the professional taboos to enter female authorship imposed by the […]
  • Power of Women’s Rights How the Anti-Slavery Movement Challenge Established Notions of Manhood and Womanhood Kathryn Kish Sklar’s general idea in the book is to enlighten people on the role of women in the society during the 19th century, […]
  • Women’s Rights in the Muslim World Ahmed first focuses on the gender pattern in the Middle East prior to the emergence of the Islam in order to gain ground to describe the Islamic doctrine on women that were practiced in the […]
  • Afghan Women and Violation of Their Rights It is for this reason that the Taliban have been the party mostly blamed for the mistreatment of women in the country. The U.S.has the necessary resources to ensure that this is achieved therefore guaranteeing […]

Women in the Workforce

Hiring more women can bring positive changes since women often have a unique point of view, helping them create fresh ideas. Pursuing equality in the workforce is one of the top priorities of women’s rights movements. The US has almost reached a 50/50 gender ratio of working people. To improve the situation, it’s essential to engage young girls in STEM professions.

Reproductive Rights and HIV among Women

Women who tested positive for HIV are advised to speak with their doctor about issues regarding their reproductive health. However, women with HIV deserve equal treatment and no discrimination against their reproductive rights.

Vindication of the Rights of Woman

A Vindication of the Rights of Woman is one of the first examples of feminist writing. The author, Mary Wollstonecraft, was a British writer and feminist who fought for women’s rights to education. Her main message to the masses was that women are equal to men and deserve the same respectful treatment.

Women and Poverty

Women and children are the most unprotected group that suffers from poverty. Multiple aspects affect this situation. The most common reasons are gender discrimination, cultural factors, and lack of education. In many countries, women stay home to care for the sick and seniors, leaving their financial choices up to the men.

Gender Empowerment Measures

The Gender Empowerment Measure is a program developed by the UN. Its purpose is to check the level of gender equality in different countries. The two criteria are women’s political and economic engagement – for example, the ratio of women to men in managerial positions. “1” is the marker of perfect equality.

  • Did Flappers Have a Positive Effect on Women’s Rights in America in the 1920s?
  • Abigail Adams’ Inspiring Rebellion for Women’s Rights
  • The Power of the Internet and Women’s Rights in Guatemala
  • Pencils and Bullets Women’s Rights in Afghanistan
  • Women’s Rights in Supreme Court Decisions of the 1960’s and 1970’s
  • Women’s Rights: A Path into the Society to Achieve Social Liberation
  • The Taliban: Deprivers of Women’s Rights in Afghanistan
  • Henrik Ibsen’s Description of Women’s Rights as Depicted in His Play, A Doll’s House
  • Perceptions on The Islamic Practice of Veiling: Relevance to the Quest for Women’s Rights
  • The Effects of Christianity on Women’s Rights in China
  • Women’s Rights in the 1920’s and Examples in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby
  • Pornography and Feminist Fight for Women’s Rights
  • The Progression of Women’s Rights from the Early 20th Century
  • Islamic Head Scarf: Women’s Rights and Cultural Sensibilities
  • The Women’s Rights Movement in England: 18th Century and Beyond
  • Comparing Cultures: the Development of Women’s Rights in China and Saudi Arabia
  • Mary Wollstonecraft and the Early Women’s Rights Movement
  • The Progression of Women’s Rights in the Middle East
  • Elizabeth Stanton’s Impact on Women’s Rights Movement

The title of your paper is one of the most essential parts. It’s the first thing your reader sees, which is why picking a catchy title is vital.

Here’s a list of title ideas for your inspiration:

  • The role of feminism in fighting human trafficking. Human trafficking doesn’t get as much media coverage as other issues. People just silently go missing. However, women’s rights activists know how big this problem is. Do you think human trafficking would get much attention without feminists?
  • Dispensers with free women’s personal care products restore faith in humanity. Many activists believe access to women’s personal care items is a human right. In your essay, you can discuss how girls having free care products at public schools creates equal rights.
  • Challenges and victories of indigenous women in the US. Indigenous people in the US have been fighting for their rights for centuries. Women from this minority are struggling even more. Analyze how they have been winning some battles and losing others.
  • Learning to cook or playing with dolls: cultural norms and women’s rights in different countries. While some girls play with toys, others have to cook for their whole family. This shows the power of cultural pressure in some countries with traditional gender roles.
  • Feminism can do better: women’s rights in postpartum care and maternity leave. Feminists achieved excellent results giving women their rights. But hasn’t it gone too far? On the mission of achieving equality in the workforce, women have to leave their babies and go back to work, barely recovering physically after giving birth.
  • Women’s Rights in Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Women’s Rights and Their Importance to the Development of True Democracy
  • Women’s Rights Within A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
  • Every Woman Has Her Day: The Women’s Rights Movement in 19th Century
  • Evolution of Women’s Rights Since 19th Century
  • Integrating Equality – Globalization, Women’s Rights, Son Preference and Human Trafficking
  • Analysis of the View of Opinions of Authors Advocating for Women’s Rights
  • Abolition of Slavery is Conducive to Women’s Rights Movement
  • Women’s Rights Violations in Afghanistan
  • Feminism and Women’s Rights in Post Colonial Africa and France
  • Social Justice in America: Women’s Rights
  • Horace Walpole and Samuel Johnson, Champions of Women’s Rights
  • Muslims Women’s Rights to Practice Their Religion
  • Women’s Rights and Hills Like White Elephants
  • Rhetorical Analysis of Hillary Clinton’s Speech, Women’s Rights Are Human Rights
  • Euripides Support of Women’s Rights
  • Women’s Rights in Afghanistan 1996 to the Present
  • Women’s Rights & Their Impact on the Development of Iran
  • Women’s Rights Between 1750 and 1914
  • Exploring The Women’s Rights Movement With Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O´Conner
  • Progressive Era: The Era of Immigration, Race, and Women’s Rights
  • Women’s Rights in the United States in the 1700s

💡 Women’s Rights Topics to Write about: How to Choose

Can’t choose a good topic? Here’s some tips:

  • Pick a topic you’re interested in . You get motivated when you’re doing what you like. So, picking an exciting theme will keep you focused and engaged.
  • Follow the instructions . If your assignment has specific guidelines on what area of research to choose, read it carefully and follow the recommendations.
  • Narrow down the topic . Once you’ve picked a research area, you can focus on a specific aspect. Trying to research a broad issue is almost impossible.

For extra motivation and inspiration, you can look through these areas for research about women’s rights:

  • Voting for women. In most countries, people of different genders have equal rights. But where are women not even allowed to vote, and why?
  • Sexual rights . Women have the right to be protected against sexual violence. It’s not only about gender but about fundamental human rights.
  • Workplace discrimination . Fighting for financial equality starts with closing the gender wage gap.
  • Freedom of movement . In some places, women can only travel with a male companion. Activists continue to advocate for women’s rights in this area.
  • Which Countries Violate Women’s Rights?
  • What Was the Aim of the Women’s Movement?
  • How Did the Anti-Slavery Movement Contribute to the Women’s Rights Movement?
  • Who Were the 4 Main Leaders of the Women’s Rights Movement?
  • How Does Gender Inequality Affect Women’s Rights?
  • Who Fought for Women’s Right to Work?
  • What Was the Biggest Women’s Rights Movement?
  • What Are the Colors for Women’s Rights?
  • Why Women’s Rights Lost Ground at the End of World War Two?
  • What Is the Role of Lesbians in the Women’s Movement?
  • How Far Women’s Rights Have Come?
  • What Laws Help Women’s Rights?
  • How Were the Abolition and Women’s Rights Movements Similar?
  • What Are the Most Important Events in Women’s Rights History?
  • Who Is Responsible for Women’s Rights?
  • What Is the History of Women’s Rights?
  • What Were 3 Major Events in the Women’s Rights Movement?
  • How Margaret Fuller and Fanny Fern Used Writing as a Weapon for Women’s Rights?
  • How Did Race Impact African American Women’s Experiences During the Women’s Suffrage Movement?
  • What Was the Cause of the First Woman’s Rights Convention?
  • Why Is Education Important for Women’s Rights?
  • How Are Women’s Rights Linked to Economic Development?
  • When Did the Women’s Rights Movement Start and End?
  • Why Did the Women’s Rights Movement Emerge in the USA During the 1950S and 1960S?
  • What Are Women’s Cultural Rights?
  • Who Was the First Black Women’s Rights Activist?
  • When Was the First Female Vote?
  • What Was the Movement for Women’s Rights in the 1800S?
  • Who Was the Black Woman Who Fought for Women’s Rights?
  • Who Was the Biggest Women’s Rights Activist?

Developing women’s rights research question will be easy if you follow these recommendations:

  • Figure out what the requirements are . Every assignment is different – for example, you may need to evaluate data or conduct a quantitative study. But in most cases, with women’s rights research, it’s about establishing and proving facts.
  • Do quick research. Read recent studies and news on the topic to understand different points of view. This will help you create a good research question. When writing about women’s rights, try checking Amnesty International and the UN websites.
  • Write down the research question. A research question can look like an inquiry to analyze the issue. Your paper will provide an answer to it.

Some quality examples of women’s rights research questions are below:

  • How would big corporations like Apple benefit from hiring more women in executive positions?
  • Why can educating and motivating men benefit the women’s rights movement more than engaging only women to become activists?
  • Women’s rights in the army: How can improving the conditions engage more women to sign up?

You can choose among historical women’s rights essay topics or more current ones for your assignment. In either case, it’s a good idea to refresh the fundamental aspects of writing a paper, especially those related to structure.

Here’s what you should keep in mind.

Thesis Statement

The thesis statement is critical to your essay’s structure, as it has to convey the central point you make. It should state your paper’s overall message or question comprehensively and concisely.

It is good practice to make the thesis a single sentence that is fully self-sufficient and not excessively long.

Essay Outline

It’s helpful to have a framework for arranging the subtopics so that they flow nicely and support the central thesis. Doing this will help you make the essay more coherent rather than an assortment of loosely associated statements.

The basics of writing an outline are simple:

  • Write down all of the ideas you want to discuss.
  • Discard the worst ones or fold them into other, broader topics until you have a handful left.
  • Organize those in a logical progression.

Introduction

The introduction familiarizes the reader with the topic and ends with your thesis statement, setting the tone and direction of the essay. Remember that the introduction should only contain known facts and examples.

Every point you make in the main body should directly or indirectly support the claim made in the thesis statement. Keep the discussion of each topic self-contained without referencing other body paragraphs. If there is a significant relationship between some of the ideas, devote a separate section to it.

The conclusion summarizes what you have written and adds some concluding remarks. In this section, make sure not to introduce any new information beyond what has been stated in the essay.

You can find excellent women’s rights essay examples, useful samples, and more helpful tips on writing your essay at IvyPanda, so visit whenever you are having trouble or would like advice!

  • Civil Rights Movement Questions
  • Gender Inequality Research Topics
  • Women’s Suffrage Essay Ideas
  • Childbirth Titles
  • Gender Discrimination Research Topics
  • Motherhood Ideas
  • Personal Identity Paper Topics
  • Reproductive Health Essay Titles
  • Chicago (A-D)
  • Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, October 22). 138 Women’s Rights Essay Topics & Research Questions. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/womens-rights-essay-examples/

"138 Women’s Rights Essay Topics & Research Questions." IvyPanda , 22 Oct. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/topic/womens-rights-essay-examples/.

IvyPanda . (2024) '138 Women’s Rights Essay Topics & Research Questions'. 22 October.

IvyPanda . 2024. "138 Women’s Rights Essay Topics & Research Questions." October 22, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/womens-rights-essay-examples/.

1. IvyPanda . "138 Women’s Rights Essay Topics & Research Questions." October 22, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/womens-rights-essay-examples/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "138 Women’s Rights Essay Topics & Research Questions." October 22, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/womens-rights-essay-examples/.

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy .

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy .

COMMENTS

  1. Gender Equality and Women's Rights

    Gender Equality and Women’s Rights. The issue of gender equality in society has gained popularity in the precedent century with the rise of the feminist movement and women’s struggle for rights equal to those of men.

  2. Equal Rights for Women: The Ongoing Struggle for Gender Equality

    In this essay, I will explore the importance of equal rights for women, the current state of gender equality, and the challenges that women still face in achieving full equality.

  3. 5 Powerful Essays Advocating for Gender Equality

    Generally, women are only given ¾ of the rights given to men. To learn more about how gender equality is measured, how it affects both women and men, and what can be done, here are five essays making a fair point. Take a free …

  4. A global story: Women's suffrage, forgotten history, …

    In this essay series, Brookings scholars, public officials, and other subject-area experts examine the current state of gender equality 100 years after the 19th Amendment was adopted to the...

  5. Gender equality and women’s rights

    We promote women and girls’ equal enjoyment of all human rights, including freedom from violence, sexual and reproductive rights, access to justice, socio-economic equality, and participation in decision-making.

  6. What does gender equality look like today?

    A new global analysis of progress on gender equality and women’s rights shows women and girls remain disproportionately affected by the socioeconomic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, struggling with …

  7. Women, Human Rights, and Gender Equality

    Gender equality will not exist until women and girls have rights to equal pay, education, citizenship, land ownership, body autonomy, maternal health rights, freedom from …

  8. 138 Women’s Rights Essay Topics & Research Questions

    Who Were the 4 Main Leaders of the Women’s Rights Movement? How Does Gender Inequality Affect Women’s Rights? Who Fought for Women’s Right to Work? What …