Women in
the 20th
Century – A
Short
Overview
AP World History
Big Changes for Women
• Overall, the 20th century brought major changes for women around
the world.
– By the end of the 20th century, most countries granted women
suffrage.
• Women still can’t vote in Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Kuwait
• Additional voting qualifications for women in Lebanon
– By the end of the 20th century, most countries granted women the
same economic and property rights as men.
• Exceptions are found in some Middle Eastern Countries (lack legal rights
to own land)
• Most land is still officially owned by men
• Remember, poor women have always worked
– By the end of the 20th century, the literacy rates for women had
increased dramatically from the 19th century.
• In Europe and North America more women than men pursue secondary
education.
• In poorer nations, few families can afford to educate girls – they choose to
educate their sons
EXAMPLES OF THE ROLES OF
WOMEN DURING AND AFTER
WORLD WARS
Role of WWI
• During the war, many women in Europe
went to work in factories to support the war
effort (and to provide much-needed labor).
• In European colonies (Africa/India) men
were drafted into the European armies
leaving women to fill the economic and
social roles that men had prior to the war.
• After the war, western countries that had not
granted women suffrage, began to do so.
• WWI is a “total war” and women and
children suffer in huge numbers
World War II
• Nazis and other fascist regimes stress the role of
women is to produce more children.
• In Europe, US, and Canada – Men go to war and
women go back to work in factories. (Yes, there are
women units; however, their numbers are small)
• Rape of Nanking (1937-1938) – significant in the
brutality against women (20,000 women raped {role of
rape in history}; 250,000-300,000 killed)
• Comfort Women (in Japanese occupied areas – China,
Korea, Philippines)
• Women entered the workforce in huge numbers and a
majority stayed in the workforce after the war
Process
• Note any trends you see in the role of
women in world wars.
• Note any details or examples you think
you need to find to fill in.
• Do you have any questions?
ROLE OF WOMEN
DURING/AFTER SELECTED
REVOLUTIONS
Russian Revolution (Oct. 1917)
and Women
• After the March Revolution, the provisional government of Russia
did set up full voting rights for women; however, women still had
few social rights.
• The tenets of communism do not differentiate between men and
women – all work to the best of his/her ability and all gets what
they need.
– "To effect her complete emancipation and make her equal of the man it is
necessary for house work to be socialized and for women to participate in
common productive labor. Then women will occupy the same position as men“
– Lenin
• Women served as soldiers during the Russian Revolution (and
later WWII). After the Revolution, women had equal opportunities
to go to university and to work in all fields of employment. The
state provided medical care, education, and day-care for all women
(and men). “Feminism” was discouraged as communism would
allow all people of all classes to have equal rights (in theory).
Soviet Union and Women
• Under the Soviet Union, women enjoyed the same legal,
social, and economic rights as men.
• Efforts were made to ensure these same standards in land
“secured” by the Soviet Union.
• In Central Asia (Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tadzhikistan,
Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) Soviet policies challenged
traditional Islamic law relating to women. Soviets banned
polygamy, bride-price, and raised the minimum age for
marriage to 16. Women were also educated in the law and
were trained to take political posts; however, as in the
Soviet Union, rural areas were slow or unwilling to accept
equal roles for men and women, so most fundamental
change for the sexes occurred in urban areas (minority of
the population lived).
China (Chinese Communism)
and Women
• Prior to the Communist Revolution(s) women had very
limited legal and social roles. Foot-binding had been a
common practice (outlawed, but still practiced).
• The 1911 Revolution overthrew the emperor, but under the
republic women still were denied basic equality rights.
• In 1919 the May Fourth Movement did bring women out to
protest for equality; however, little changed until the 1930s
when women were granted the same property and marriage
rights as men.
• In 1949 the Communist Revolution brought Mao to power.
In the 1950s laws were formalized recognizing the equality
of women in marriage, voting, and inheritance rights (end of
primogeniture) . With the redistribution of land in the 1950s,
both male and female peasants were given land.
China and Women
• The education of women greatly expanded. Prior to
1949, only 10% of women in China were considered
literate. Throughout the 1950s millions of women began
to attend schools and universities.
• Women suffered just as much as men during the
Cultural Revolution.
• The role of women in China is limited primarily as it
relates to rural traditions and family preference for male
children.
• There are currently 37 million more men in China than
women (infanticide).
Iranian Revolution
• “Persian” women have had a long history of education – in the
early 20th century many women were journalists and educators.
• Shah (King) Pahlavi began to “westernize” Iran in the 1950s-1960s
and outlawed the hijab in public and promoted women’s education
• Conservative Muslim clerics resisted the secular and western
policies and led an Islamic Revolution in 1979 (with the support of
many women who were not opposed to traditional Islamic traditions
such as dress and alcohol). Afterward, traditional Islamic dress
was mandated, marriage and inheritance laws were changed and
strict gender segregation was strictly enforced. Women can still
(with male permission) attend school and work in a variety of
careers (all with segregated sections). Currently more women are
in medical school than men (problem in the future?); In the home,
most women wear “western” style clothing and do “western” things
– TV, music, etc.
Process
• Note any trends you see in the role of
women in revolutions.
• Note any details or examples you think
you need to find to fill in.
• Do you have any questions?
WOMEN AND NATIONALISM
Turkey
• In 1919, the Ottoman Empire crumbles.
• In 1923, Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) becomes the first “President” of
Turkey and leads “western-style” changes throughout the Muslim
country.
• Ataturk instituted laws that called for the equality of women in all
aspects of society.
• Efforts have been made to keep “Turkey” secular (limit influence of
Islam). This has led to laws against head scarves for women in
public. In the later 20th century further laws were abolished that
limited roles of women (permission from husband to work), etc.
Women gained the right to vote in Turkey in 1929 (first elections in
1930).
• Just as in other countries, law and practice are different. Social and
religious attitudes do restrict the lives of women to certain norms –
fewer in universities and certain professions than in others;
arranged marriages are still common
Side Note on Islam
• Remember of all the world religions and belief systems, Islam (as
written in the Qur'an) actually has more protections and rights for
women than any other (doesn’t necessarily mean a whole lot since
most religious texts clearly condone subjugation of women, but…).
Muhammad outlawed infanticide, legalized women-initiated
divorce, set out clear property rights for women, and declared that
women as well as men should be literate.
• Many Muslim women enjoy great many rights in many countries,
including Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. In addition women have
been heads of state in “Islamic” countries such as Pakistan,
Senegal, Turkey, Kosovo, Indonesia, and Bangladesh. There was
even a female vice president of Iran at one time.
• Most of the ways women are treated in some societies are not
based upon the teachings of Islam, they are based upon cultural
traditions that existed long before Islam emerged.
Independence and Nationalistic
Movements
• In India, Gandhi encouraged women to participate in the
independence movement; Indira Gandhi (no relation) served as the
leader of India; cultural issues in some parts of India limit role of
women
• In 1929 women led “unrest” movements in Nigeria and other
women were active in other African independence movements;
however, their involvement did not translate into great change for
women in African countries.
– Most Africans live in rural areas where tradition remains firm about gender
issues; men left the countryside to move to cities – leaving women and children
behind to care for themselves; polygamy is still a common practice in most
African countries (either legal or not) and AIDS has caused huge death tolls for
women; in most countries literacy rates are below 50% for men and even lower
for women; democracy is still a challenge in most African nations, but current
leaders of Mozambique and Liberia are women
Vietnam
• Many women supported the nationalistic
movement defined by Ho Chi Min.
• As in other Communist-inspired nations,
legal treatment of men and women are
guaranteed by law. Legally women have
rights to education, inheritance, and
suffrage. Culturally women are not always
treated with the same level of equality.
Process
• Note any trends you see in the role of
women in nationalistic movements.
• Note any details or examples you think
you need to find to fill in.
• Do you have any questions?
th
20
Century
• What a brief summary of some major
trends in women in the 20th century.
• Note any details or examples you think
you need to find to fill in.
• Do you have any questions?