Surprising Facts About Women’s Rights

Women’s rights may have come a long way, but there are still a lot of things that need to be worked out. Until now, breastfeeding is still not allowed in public in most countries and the issue is not even about being nude. If breastfeeding, which is a natural thing, is still not accepted by most, when will it be possible for women to be topless and not get arrested? If men can bare their nipples on a hot, summer day, why can’t women? Society has made it through accepting women wearing pants and sporting short hair. So maybe, it’s the right time to bare. Not convinced? Here are a few facts about women’s rights, and why it’s time we put #freethenipple on the list.

Short Hair for Women

Men wear short hair, so why can’t women? Some religions up until now still do not allow their women to sport short hair, although, it is now more accepted. Women’s first attempt to wear short hair was in the form of a bob in the 1920s, but it was only in the 1960s that they started wearing the “pixie” cut which was really short. (Source) However, up until today, no short-haired woman has ever won an international beauty contest.

Women Wearing Pants

Women only started wearing “trousers” in 1851. However, pants for ladies only made it into fashion in 1911 and became really more popular and accepted in the 1930s. In the 1960s and 1970s, more women started to wear pants. (Source)

The Right to Vote

Women’s suffrage or the women’s right to vote was only gained in the 19th century. New Zealand was the first country that granted adult women the right to vote. However, most countries only granted this right to vote for women after the World War I. (Source)

Women at Work

Women only started to become professionals in the 1920s. However, it was only after the World War II that women started working en masse. (Source) It’s just a pity that until now, for every dollar a man earns, his woman counterpart only earns 78 cents.

Women in Politics

Although the women’s right to vote started in the late 18th century and early 19th century for some countries, it was only in 1954 that the United Nations Convention on the Political Rights of Women granted women to not only have the right to vote, but also hold office. (Source)

Topless Women in Public

It was only in the 1930s when men were finally allowed to go topless in public. Almost a century after that, going topless for women is only allowed in certain nude beaches and only in a few cities and states.

Although there have been many attempts in daring women to go topless, in 2014, a movie entitled Free The Nipple was released which has created buzz over the social media. The film, which was created, directed and starred by Lina Esco, sparked discussion among the public on the issue of gender equality. Now a movement, #freethenipple has inspired women to go topless and bare it by posting on social media. It has now gained the attention of the public. Indeed, isn’t it time to give this right to women? Why can’t women go topless on a hot summer day when men can? How long do women have to wait to have this right?

Featured Photo Credit: Cosmo UK