Women Belong in the House and the Senate

It's no surprise that women were encouraged, if not forced, to limit their participation in anything else that didn't involve being inside of a house cooking, cleaning, sewing or just tending to her husband and raising their children.

Before the civil war, "true womanhood" was painted to illustrate a women's role in society. A "True" woman devoted her time and self to maintaining a clean home and working to satisfy her husband and to nurture her children.

But, desperate times call for desperate measures - which, in this case, means letting women off the leash (restriction) society at the time had placed them in.

Women were seen more outside of the home, working as nurses during the Civil War. But, word of having to nurture and care for more men didn't seem to satisfy all women. More than 400 women disguised themselves as men to fight in Union and Confederate Armies during this time.

Sound familiar?

Yes, Mulan disguised herself to protect her father, but the same idea still applies. Mulan felt she did not fit the societal-driven category she was mandatorily placed in. Before volunteering, she did not see herself performing as a traditional woman in her culture.

The tradition of women not being limited to home-based activites continued throughout the years involving war.

In World War II, women were needed to take over the jobs men vacated because of war recruitment.

Even in these desperate times, employers were still hesitant to hire women for what was seen as a "man's job". It wasn't until an introduction of conscription in 1916 that made hiring women urgent.

It has always been a war between women and societies view of women and their expectations of us. Even when women were needed (in war especially), manufacturers and corporations were still reluctant in hiring women because of the stereotypical atmosphere and thinking that has been permanently strewed into our heads, including the idea that women are weak or are too emotional to be involved in such social issues.

But, time and time again, we have proved to be more than capable, and we will continue to prove this, not for the approval of society, but for the satisfaction for ourselves.

Sources: Women in the Civil War, Women's Work in WWI