Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s Address on Equality and Rights Essay

Introduction

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, an activist for women’s rights in the nineteenth century, talked about equality and women’s rights. She defined impartiality on the creation account premise, man and woman were created as equivalent beings (Wayne, 2020). God gave them the earth as their abode to enjoy its yield. Additionally, they both have a collective sense of morality and seek counsel and help from the same Supreme Being. Conversely, rights refer to the women’s ability to make their verdicts, think independently, access resources and act freely (Wayne, 2020). Women’s rights encompass their participation in the political process through voting and having fair laws.

Stanton felt that only a woman could adequately define rights and equality in a way that represents them. A man cannot fully express a woman’s thoughts, wants, and desires as they are inherently different (Wayne, 2020). Globally, the male gender had feigned the role of dictating females’ actions and duties. Religious leaders used their influence to suppress women to submission and suffering (Wayne, 2020). Women were to support movements, such as ‘The Education Societies,’ which discriminated against them and uplifted men who would come back to sabotage them.

Importance of Equal Rights to a Nation

The same rights enable both a man and a woman to be part of enhancing the growth and development of a nation. Women have demonstrated their capabilities by doing ‘manly’ activities, such as fighting and hunting (Siegel, 2019). The Croatian and Wallachian women contributed significantly to their economy through cultivation and running their households (Wayne, 2020). Identical rights help each person to understand the frailty and instability of human help and encourage reliance on Supreme power. As a result, they will appreciate and seek independence, making them responsible citizens with a sense of duty to God and their nation (Siegel, 2019). Everyone will also have equal opportunities to access resources that will enable living harmoniously by contributing equally to adjuration and power.

Proposition on Rights Acquisition

Stanton hoped that the men at that convention would be motivated by the women’s protest and reasoning to enact change. Men were in political offices, and their support was vital to passing reforms that promoted women’s rights (Siegel, 2019). The women would acquire their rights by using their penmanship, words, wealth, influence, and unshakeable faith to promote their course (Wayne, 2020). Stanton said that as women, they would keep fighting for their rights and not give up until justice was served. Educating women who resisted the movement on their troubling reality would be vital in creating a strong force. Women’s empowerment will reduce distasteful publications that support their oppression and suppression by claiming contentment with the present situation (Wayne, 2020). Stanton suggests that women should cease their support of initiatives that disempower them. They cannot contribute their hard-earned money to a course that segregates and diminishes them.

Conclusion

Human beings are equal according to creation, regardless of their gender differences. Men have used religion and other forms of teaching to degrade women to servitude. Stanton felt that only a woman could articulate their grievances with the weight they deserved and proceeded to give her speech clearly distinguishing equality and rights. Equal rights foster growth and development as it give everyone a chance to contribute productively to the economy. Women can use their words, writings, wealth, third-party influence, and unity to gain their rights in a chauvinistic society.

References

Siegel, N. (2019). Why the nineteenth amendment matters today: A citizen’s guide for the centennial. SSRN Electronic Journal, 27, 235–268.

Wayne, T. K. (2020). Women’s suffrage: The complete guide to the nineteenth amendment. ABC-CLIO.