Woman Between Islam and Western Society
1. A Survey
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women to segregate themselves from men and live
in seclusion, they came out of their homes and
began working in offices and factories. Gradually,
the traditional pattern of living began to change.
Men were no longer the sole breadwinners: women
had begun to share that responsibility. With
economic independence came the realization in
women that they should “break out of the shackles
forged for them by men” to make new and
independent lives for themselves. This trend in
thinking eventually paved the way for the women’s
liberation movement. Since feminism was given its
first impetus by the industrial revolution, “women’s
lib”
began
in
those
countries
where
industrialization had first made its appearance. The
first noteworthy book to demand equal rights for
women was published in London in 1792. Authored
by Mary Wollstonecraft, it was entitled,
A
Vindication of the Rights of Woman.
The industrial
revolution came later to America and that is why
the women’s liberation movement did not begin
there until the nineteenth century. With the
progress of the industrial revolution, women’s
liberation gained momentum, reaching its zenith in
the 20th century.
