Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s Declaration of Sentiments and Resolution is a strongly-worded resolution that is very similar to the Declaration of Independence in structure. The subject of her declaration, however, is a call for equality among men and women using the premise of the Constitution which states that “all men are created equal”. She states that for centuries, history has relegated women as the inferior sex and thus to be accorded with inferior rights compared to men. Stanton enumerates in the body of her essay various evidences to prove her point. Her main issue is the fact that women were not allowed to vote.
The absence of this right, she says, prohibited women from having a voice in lawmaking. As a result, she could not make her causes heard and she was oppressed from all sides because men did not allow her other important and basic rights as well. She is prohibited of the right to earn her wages. She is compelled to obey her husband. If she divorces, she would be disadvantaged as he would get guardianship of the children. However, if she is single and owns property, she is taxed.
She could not choose to study and more so to be a lawyer, doctor or priest. All of these in spite the fact that women comprise one half of the population.Today, women have gone a long way in terms of fighting for rights and equality compared to the women of Stanton’s time. Most of the prejudices the writer are calling for has long been made obsolete. Today, women can vote, occupy high positions in the workplace, finish college and join the various branches of government. Some inequalities still remain, though.
Double-standards still exist regarding the way society regard men and women. The women’s liberation movement still has to continue to make more landmark social changes in the quest for equality but the good news is, they are getting there fast.
