The Social Position of Women in the late 19th century Europe essays

The Social Position of Women in the late 19th century Europe essays 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 womans 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. Women were encumbered with the fact that they had little chance to go beyond being a house wife. 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. Many women were illiterate because they were denied any type of primary or secondary education other than care taking. Many colleges didnt begin to accept women until after the 1860s. When they did accept women the numbers were limited because women lacked the education to be prepared for any type of higher learning. They were too helplessly unqualified to be admitted to universities. Often, the reasons for men not wanting women to be admitted included the fact that the schools might become overcrowded and women might create too much change and challenge traditional ways of gender roles. Without access to higher learning institutions women had no chance of advancing their individual social or economic status. ...