The problem of inequality between sexes and the issue of gender stereotypes have been permeating communities for centuries, causing women in any society to experience tremendous oppression and massive restrictions. In her 1790 essay, “On the Equality of Sexes,” Judith Sargent Murray represents a plight of women from all corners of the world, demanding equality as an indispensable human right (Murray, 2019). Although Murray’s writing is more than two centuries old, it still sadly rings true for women globally. While Murray’s claim that outstanding women are just as numerous as remarkable men, the extent of attention drawn to women’s accomplishments is always doomed to be skewed compared to men’s as long as society continues to see women as a derivative of men and not as independent human beings.
Therefore, activism geared toward promoting a different perspective on women is drastically needed. Women need to self-organize in order to challenge and alter the current media narrative that tends to objectify women and deprive them of their agency (Murray, 2019). Notably, even though present-day feminist changes will most likely take place in the digital context, the general concept of challenging the portrayal of women as ornaments and the derivative of men will still remain the focus of the movement. Therefore, though written two centuries ago, Murray’s statement still retains its relevance.
Until women are represented as an equally important class within the global community, the extent of recognition that they gain is doomed to be lower than that one of men. Therefore, it is crucial to continue celebrating women’s accomplishments and encourage a positive change within the current perception of women as a social and biological class. Murray’s essay encourages a more profound and intricate understanding of the nature of women’s oppression, therefore, setting the stage for change. In the present-day context, the specified principles should be applied to empower women and encourage a change in how they are perceived.
Reference
Murray, J. S. (2019). On the equality of sexes. In E. C. Dubois & L. Dumenil, Through women’s eyes (vol. 1) (pp. 151-152). MacMillan Learning.