Women have known to fall under discrimination and several stereotypes from gender only. According to the United Nations Human Rights, “gender stereotype is a generalized view or preconception about attributes or characteristics that are or ought to be possessed by women and men or the roles that are or should be performed by men and women.” One of the oldest, most common female stereotypes is the fact that women should be home and be housewives, while the men go outside and actually work. This would be a gender stereotype because it is putting women in a box and saying they should stay inside while a man should do work outside. Another common one is that men are stronger than women, but that is not always true. The list can go on and on about different stereotypes and what women are supposed to do. Nowadays, women have broken most of those stereotypes and made themselves clear about what they can, should, and should not do

Women at the time were not given basic rights such as being able to voice their opinions about politics, receiving equal pay, and even become a lawyer. Now, women are allowed to do all of that because of how much people fought for it. Take the women’s suffrage movement. Ever since women found out they weren’t able to vote, many parades and protests started to take place.  They even held one on the day of Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration to try and gain as much attention as possible. According to an article called The 1913 Women’s Suffrage Parade,“Organized by Alice Paul for the National American Woman Suffrage Association, the parade, calling for a constitutional amendment, featured 8,000 marchers, including nine bands, four mounted brigades, 20 floats, and an allegorical performance near the Treasury Building.” This was clearly a big protest and the first of many.

Women have been fighting for their rights for over 150 years. According to an article called Seneca Falls Convention, the Seneca Falls Convention was the first meeting for women’s rights in the United States. It was held on July 19-20, 1848, in Seneca Falls, New York. In that meeting, over 300 people attended. It was open only for women on the first day and then to both men and women the next day. The meeting’s organizers were Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Mary M’Clintock, Martha Coffin Wright, and Jane Hunt. According to the article, “Stanton and Mott first met in London in 1840, where they were attending the World Anti-Slavery Convention with their husbands. When the convention excluded women delegates solely based on their sex, the pair resolved to hold a women’s rights convention. Back in the United States, women’s rights reformers had already begun contending for women’s rights to speak out on moral and political issues beginning in the 1830s.” After this, the five women gathered and drafted a notice to announce “a Convention to discuss the social, civic and religious condition and rights of Woman”. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was the primary author of the Declaration of Sentiments, which was inspired by the Declaration of Independence. In the declaration, they wrote 19 abuses and usurpations and 11 resolutions (which demanded that women have the same rights as men.)

“I think the gender norms of emotion are horrendous. Being masculine means showing zero emotions, but having the choice to be angry or depressed. Being female means you are one dimensional – if you show more than that, you are a psycho, hysterical, or historically, a witch.” (Petra Collins).

This quote reveals that stereotypes are still being used and used throughout society and that women usually are thought to be emotionless. They are viewed as objects and not typical humans but if they show emotion, others would see them as weak. Women are sometimes viewed as objects because some people don’t think they are capable of anything

Additionally, on a recent interview from Alexander Street and Rebecca Raymond-Keller with Peggy Simpson in 2011, she describes the stereotypes that were placed on women in the modern society.

“…or you know, Phyllis Schlafly’s, one of her big agendas was to make sure that women never got, if we had a draft against that women would never be drafted or (be) eligible for the draft. And they shouldn’t be in combat, and they shouldn’t be here, and they shouldn’t be that… But you thought of women as reproductive cows, you know. You couldn’t, you don’t wanna think of them as anything broader, as having brains, or having talents, or having muscles, or having strategic abilities to fight a war…” -Peggy Simpson for the U.N. Conferences on Women Panel at the Berkshire Conference on Women’s History

As stated in this quote, Simpson firsthand informs the listeners and the interviewer that in society, women are labeled as not having the ability to do the things that men could do. She states that people don’t believe that women could fight in the army, or even have basic talents. Later in the interview, she says that it was not wise to pay attention to only half of the country’s population, meaning the men, and downplay the females.

The opponents to the idea of women stereotypes are the anti-feminists, and the people who criticize women who do not match up to the potential of men. These people are the backbone of women’s stereotypes. The proponents are the feminists and the people who are looking for a change. They recognize that the current situation that women are in is wrong, and are moving for a more positive change to dispel the labels that have been placed on them.

There is many things we can do to support women’s rights and make sure we are seen the way we are, not the way people want to see us. For example, you can take apart of women’s protests and marches. Since 2017, there has been an annual women’s march anyone can take part of. Being apart of marches makes you feel empowered and helps you get involved in something bigger than you. You can also vote. Voting gives you a chance to voice your opinion about things that are important to you.

This issue is political and social. It is political because it granted women the right to vote and be able to take jobs that require laws. For example, it granted women the right to be lawyers and judges. This issue is social because of stereotypes. People usually say “women can’t do that” and “that’s a man’s job”. This affects women and it creates a social issue because it is unfair when people say that. Most stereotypes are incorrect. It creates a social issue because it affects women and enrages them because it is incorrect to say what women can do and what they can’t do.

Woman stereotypes are implied in To Kill A Mockingbird many times. For example,  Aunt Alexandra is heavily affected by women stereotypes. We see that when she mentions Scout’s appearance, and how she should act and dress more like a lady. In chapter 9, she says, ‘ ”What are you doing in those overalls? You should be in a dress and camisole, young lady! You’ll grow up waiting on tables if somebody doesn’t change your ways-a Finch waiting on tables at the O.K. Café—hah” ‘(Lee, page 101). Clearly she says this as an insult. Jem also makes remarks about Scout being a lady.  He says, ‘ “Scout, I’m tellin’ you for the last time, shut your trap or go home—I declare to the Lord you’re gettin’ more like a girl every day!”.’ This shows that Scout is supposed to be quiet and follow along everything that’s happening, as thats what a girl would do.