Women in Politics: Before the 60s to Now
When we think about women in politics, it is usually about the women’s
empowerment movement which went full steam in the 1960s. But there have been
women in politics making influential decisions since the birth of all nations –
and we are not just talking about the “behind every great man there is a great
woman” approach to politics!
Long before there was a women’s suffrage movement, Lydia Chapin Taft was
already voting in what was to become the United States of America. In 1756,
Taft became the first ever legal voter in the nation and even had her vote
counted in 3 town hall meetings.
Susan B. Anthony is by far one of the most recognized historic women in
politics. She brought attention to the women’s suffrage movement in 1872 when
she was tried for illegally voting in a presidential election. Anthony refused
to pay the fine she received for her illegal voting. Her actions triggered many
other women in politics to fight for their rights to vote, including Aletta
Jacobs from the Netherlands.
When Finland granted women the right to vote in 1906, they were quick to act on
their rights and elected 19 women into the parliament. These were the first
Finish women in politics to be elected by women in Europe. Ten years later,
Montanan Jeanette Rankin was elected into the US House of Representatives –
despite the fact that women could still not vote in the state.
By the time the women’s empowerment movement was going full swing in the 1960s,
there were already women in politics all over the world, from Soviet Union
Ambassador Alexandra Kollontai in Sweden to the first female prime minister
Nakayama Masa in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon). There is still a long way to go for
women in politics but it is no longer considered a strange feat for women to
take their part in our countries’ governments.