My mother was smart and quite a reader. Being a girl in a big family, she did not have parental support for going to university. She got a job as a secretary, got married, and had children. Her options were limited. Thinking about her experiences led me to consider how rights (and options) have increased for women over time.

Think of the options that women have gained over the years in most societies: 

To obtain higher education

To vote

To wear pants in public

To write books

To publish research findings

To own property in their own name

To enter into contracts

To intentionally have a child without being married

To divorce

To run a business or company

To get elected to office

To work in all sorts of jobs

To wear “revealing” clothes in public

To play all sorts of sports

To speak about sexual activities

To use contraceptives

To have an abortion

To decline to marry

To decine to have children

To decline to have sex with a spouse or with anyone

To marry another woman (in some countries)

I am not sure which options became available to women when. The timing varies from one country to another. 

What options remain closed to women (but open to men)? (1) Going topless in public. (2) Walking down a busy city street alone without being hassled. (3) Safely going for a run alone in a city after dark.  I feel sure there are more options denied women but open to men., What would you add?

Photo by Becca Tapert on Unsplash