Katherine Buckman
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The Influence of Civil Rights and Unionization on the Women’s Rights Movement and Attainment of Suffrage
US History
Volume 7 | Issue III | September 2023
Mountain View High School ’24 | Virginia, USA
John Jay Scholar at Columbia University ’28
Huddled into the library sofa, equal parts horrified and dismayed at the scene unfolding in my mind, my eight-year-old self clutched the biography of Malala Yousafzi. At the time, my young brain couldn’t comprehend that some girls faced death merely for wishing to attend school. However, as I grew up, my initial disbelief evolved into a determination to create a better world for girls internationally. This desire to see change spiraled into a passion for business, law, public policy, and government. From my participation in the business organization FBLA, my role as student representative on my county’s school board, and my experience as an intern at my county’s prosecuting attorney’s office, I have been exposed to the gender divide that exists locally, globally, and, also, in the past. To learn more about this inequality, I wrote my International Baccalaureate extended essay on this topic. This initially superficial exploration into the history of the American women’s rights movement evolved through the revision process offered by The Schola. With my edits, I was able to delve further into this time in history by unearthing the connection that existed between unionization and the women’s rights movement. From this paper, I wish to create a greater understanding of auspicious women’s rights movements, so that other women across the globe may someday experience similar success. It is my hope that those viewing this paper see it, not only as a critical reflection on American history, but also as a celebration of how far we have come, and how much we will be able to accomplish in the future.