White Women Discrimination

Evan Allen
1/16/13
White Women
While white woman have been on this world born just as man was, people still disrespect them in many ways. Racism and discrimination still exists to this day “In my opinion, had I been African-American, they would not have fired me,"(Shira Hedgepeth, former director of academic technology at Winston-Salem State University), According to Shira Hedgepeth she worked at an all black college for three years (August 2008 to July 2011) she got fired one day due to the University “Going in a different Direction” (according to an EEOC letter to the university dated Sept. 20.). These things are some obstacles that white woman had to face. In the story Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck there was a character named Curley, he had a wife who didn’t have a name. She was abused, she stayed at home and she did not work. When she was younger, someone gave her the opportunity to become an actress and she thinks her mother hid her letter of acceptance. Curley’s wife did not work because at that time there was discrimination in two ways, because she was a woman, and because she didn’t have the education to work. Curley beat on is wife, maybe because he felt more powerful than her due to the fact that she is a woman, or that he is just always angry. Curley’s wife wanted to experience the American Dream to go out and work. For years white woman did not work, but stayed in the house and were house keepers. White woman wanted to experience the American dream, and were treated unequal for a long time until the 19th amendment passed. They went through tough obstacles like education, discrimination, and sexism. White woman faced many obstacles, one of these are education. In 1836 a family from Bristol, England moved to America for a better lifestyle, in other words to experience the American Dream. This family was the Blackwell family who had 3 daughters with them (At the time). One of the daughters name was Elizabeth, and she was the youngest child. Eventually Elizabeth became a teacher. She felt as though being a teacher was not enough for her, but she did not know where to turn. One of her friends was sick with a type of cancer (that is unknown) and she needed medical help. Elizabeth’s friend said she wanted help from a female doctor because she would be more comfortable. Elizabeth tried to find one, but was perplexed because she could not find a female doctor. She decided to go into the medical field when she found out. She felt like women should do the things men could do. Other members in the medical field prohibited her from being a doctor because in America woman did not have the right to have very prosperous jobs. White women in the late 19th and early 20th century faced discrimination. They were house wives and maids living in the suburbs for a long period of time. From many years, and even after the 19th amendment passed woman still, had to fight for their equality. Susan B. Anthony gave the woman the right to vote when she and a group of woman stood up for themselves and fought for their rights. For about 50 years (1852 to 1918) Susan B Anthony led women into a battle with the Congress in order to achieve their rights. In 1919, the 19th amendment passed and woman had the right to vote. Woman couldn’t get good jobs, like going to the military, working as a doctor, or being a firefighter. Woman could not get these types of jobs because men thought that woman weren’t good enough and they needed them home to tend to the house and the children. Men see woman as weak individuals that will not be capable of the great things that men can do. Even today there is discrimination; in 2001 the military allowed woman veterans to go to war in IRAQ and Afghanistan. There were accusations that women would not be good enough to lead or go to war. Not only did men deprive woman from their privilege of things because they were woman but they also did not let woman attend college. White Woman or any women in fact were not able to attend college no matter what kind of Grades they got. In countries besides America they are taking away the privilege of education to the women. According to Kay Bailey Hutchison on the day October 9th 2012 a 14 year old girl was “shot in the head by gunmen, her crime? Having a education”. In the country of Pakistan Women’s education is prohibited, they would rather have the woman home taking care of their family. “Poverty is also a big hurdle in girls' education. According to UNICEF, 17.6 per cent of Pakistani children are working and supporting their families.” (Amir Latif of Pakistan
Press International reports) In Pakistan the little girls need to go out and get jobs instead of them going into school and getting an education. In many parts of the world Women are robbed of their knowledge needed later on in their lives.