The Social Position of Women in the late 19th century Europe
During the latter years of the nineteenth century women, as always, women held an inferior position to men, which usually reflected their social status. Though laws were helping to improve the woman's role in society, she was still confronted with legal, educational, and economic setbacks. By the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century improvements aided in giving women more rights, and educational and occupational opportunities.Earlier on in the century women lacked the rights to own their own property no matter their rank in society. Women were forced to give obedience to their husbands, and had minimal opportunity to be divorced from their without going through numerous explanations and trials in courts. Women usually had to prove more than one offense against their husbands to be granted a divorce. Even cases of rape and maltreatment worked more to the advantage of the husband. W
Middle- class women had it much easier than lower class women. More opportunities, more advancements, and more respect. When they did accept women the numbers were limited because women lacked the education to be prepared for any type of higher learning. Movement influenced and led by women like Millicent Fawcett and Emmeline Pankhurst helped lead to the rise of women in society. Other women found jobs in rudimentary school teaching, managing clubs for poor youth, poor young women, and schools for infants. They were able to enjoy many of the new luxuries, inventions, and innovations of the time. Men on the other had were the head of the family, obtained the property rights, had more educational opportunities, and much more legal rights. Society was not for the benefit of women. omen were encumbered with the fact that they had little chance to go beyond being a house wife. Without access to higher learning institutions women had no chance of advancing their individual social or economic status. If women found it particularly hard to find a job they usually resorted to prostitution, which was legal at the time. Over time public literature, such as magazines and books, began to praise the different aspects that women had to undertake. Outside of the workplace women were expected to attend church on a regular basis and make sure that their families, especially children had religious instruction. Many women were illiterate because they were denied any type of primary or secondary education other than care taking.
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