In America, we take too many things for granted, to which there was often a long, hard, and arduous road to get there and the rise of women was one of those long winding roads that took lots of time, sacrifice, and perseverance. At the founding of our great nation, married women were subordinate to their husbands, no matter how good or bad he was, how drunk or sober, how industrious or lazy, which meant that the husband was the master of his wife, he owned the property, not her, and he owned her labor, not her. All voting rights were in the hands of men and not women, and the literacy rates of men was far higher than women during our colonial times.
Slowly, however, laws and traditions adjusted within America, to which the literacy rate of women began to rise significantly, and in the mid 1800s on, property rights were given to married women on a State-to-State basis. Additionally, there had always been men who recognized the worth and wisdom of having a good woman by his side and their liberality helped to slowly forge change in employment and opportunities for women in general.
Through it all, women recognized the vast importance of the vote, something that had been won for the black male through the 15th Amendment to our Constitution in 1870. Woman's suffrage would not be won until 1920, but once won, the progress of women within this country was significantly changed, and to wit women were now permitted a far greater opportunity for higher education and for additional employment avenues such as teachers, librarians, and for clerical work. World War I and the rapid industrialization of America gave an early opportunity for women to be employed in the factory and in nursing. While World War II opened up additional doors for women to work in fields previously dominated by men such as "Rosie the Riveter" and other military jobs in which it was a necessity to hire females to accomplish work previous done by males who were now part of our fighting force. In fact, it has been said, that part of the reason that Hitler's Germany was defeated in World War II was because of Hitler's bourgeoisie belief that a woman's place was in the home.
Over the last fifty years, barriers for female entry in regards to higher education and for employment in jobs that necessitate an advanced degree have been nearly completely torn down. Women dominate males in high school by grade point average, in University in the achievement of both Bachelors' and Master Degrees, and have essentially closed the gap in Doctoral and Professional degrees. There is absolutely nothing to indicate that this trend will be averted anytime soon and with blue-collar jobs on the wane in America, there has never been a better time to be well educated, which positions females very well for more meaningful contributions and achievements.
The rise of women has been a tremendous benefit and boon for America, because their knowledge, their worth, and their industrious have been utilized to benefit not only themselves but more importantly to help advance our country and our lifestyle. Those countries that have yet to understand the value and importance of a liberated woman have placed themselves into a hopeless situation, to which their males' heads are in the collective desert sand.