Women of today.

Modern women have the freedom to do, say and act however they want. We are in what you could call the golden age of being a female. Women can support themselves, have and raise children alone, and some never marry. 

However, the illusion of equality between the sexes is nothing more than that; an illusion.

"Women hold 17 percent of the seats in Congress; abortion is legal, but more than 85 percent of counties in the United States have no provider; women work outside the home, but they make about 76 cents to a man's dollar and make up the majority of Americans living in poverty" (Jessica Valenti).

There is only one point at which women should stop fighting for equality between the sexes, and that is when we achieve it. 

"Yes, women today fare better than our foremothers. But the benchmarks so often cited -- the right to vote, working outside the home, laws that make domestic violence illegal -- don't change the reality of women's lives" (Jessica Valenti).

We may be in the greatest high-point in history for being a woman, but the women's movement is far from over. Yes, women have come a very, very long way since the oppression that took place in the 18th century, but should that really mean that we should just accept our accomplishments and stop striving for more simply because it makes a few people uncomfortable? 

This learned idea that men should be the provider, protector and one in power is a dated and unrealistic one. Women should be treated as respected, equal human beings. 

What do the restrictions placed on women, both in the past and now, say about our society as a whole? And, more importantly, what do they say about men?

Works cited:
For women in America, equality is still an illusion. By Jessica Valenti