“妇女权利是人权”的由来

The Origins of ‘Women’s Rights Are Human Rights’

Nearly 100 years ago -- in 1920 -- the U.S. Constitution was changed to guarantee women the right to vote.

Today, at least six women are running for president – the highest number the country has ever seen.

The struggle for women’s political rights in the United States has deep and complex roots, says historian¹ Kate Lemay. She recently launched a show at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., called “Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence².”

The show explains that the struggle for women’s political equality began long before 1920. It was connected to the fight against slavery in the 1800s.

It also connected to efforts to reach civil rights for African Americans during the 1900s.

Political rights for women are only part of the story, argues another historian, Katherine Marino. In March, she released a book called “Feminism in the Americas: The Making of an International Human Rights Movement.”

Marino writes that a group of influential³ feminists⁴ in Latin America in the early 1900s split⁵ with some feminists in the United States over the goals of the movement. These Latin American feminists wanted to advance social and economic rights along with political rights.

For example, they spoke⁶ out against government oppression and international imperialism⁷. And, Marino says, Latin American feminists sought rights for families as well as individuals.

Marino says feminists from Uruguay, Brazil, Panama, Chile, and other places often worked together. Their work resulted in the United Nations Commission⁸ on the Status of Women. It also gave birth to the phrase “women’s rights are human rights.”

Today, says Marino, some feminists in Latin American still combine struggles for women's rights with other issues. For example, she says, before the #MeToo movement began in the United States, some Latin American women created Ni Una Menos. The phrase means “not one woman less.” It speaks out against the killing⁹ of women and girls, and in some cases also opposes national austerity measures.

Marino notes that, even with an early split, feminists across the Americas are sounding similar again.

She says, “Today in the U.S. we str seeing a broader definition of feminism that’s connected to social, racial, economic justice.”

I’m Ashley Thompson.

Words in This Story

persistence - n. the quality that allows someone to continue doing something or trying to do something even though it is difficult or opposed by other people

imperialism - n. a policy or practice by which a country increases its power by gaining control over other areas of the world

austerity - n. a situation in which there is not much money and it is spent only on things that are necessary

broad - n. including or involving many things or people : wide in range or amount

1 historian   

n.历史学家，编史家

参考例句：

• As a historian,he was most typical of the times in which he lived.作为历史学家，他是他所处时代最有代表性的人物。
• He calls himself a historian,but his books are a mere journalism.他自称为历史学家，但是他的书都是些肤浅的通俗作品。

2 persistence   

n.坚持，持续，存留

参考例句：

• The persistence of a cough in his daughter puzzled him.他女儿持续的咳嗽把他难住了。
• He achieved success through dogged persistence.他靠着坚持不懈取得了成功。

3 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

4 feminists   

n.男女平等主义者，女权扩张论者( feminist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Only 16 percent of young women in a 1990 survey considered themselves feminists. 在1990年的一项调查中，只有16%的年轻女性认为自己是女权主义者。 来自辞典例句
• The organization had many enemies, most notably among feminists. 这个组织有许多敌人，特别是在男女平等主义者中。 来自辞典例句

5 split   

n.劈开，裂片，裂口；adj.分散的；v.分离，分开，劈开

参考例句：

• Who told you that Mary and I had split up?谁告诉你玛丽和我已经离婚了？
• The teacher split the class up into six groups.老师把班级分成6个小组。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 imperialism   

n.帝国主义，帝国主义政策

参考例句：

• They held the imperialism in contempt.他们鄙视帝国主义。
• Imperialism has not been able to subjugate China.帝国主义不能征服中国。

8 commission   

n.委托，授权，委员会，拥金，回扣，委任状

参考例句：

• The salesman can get commission on everything he sells.这个售货员能得到所售每件货物的佣金。
• The commission is made up of five people,including two women.委员会由五人组成，其中包括两名妇女。

9 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。