March is Women’s History Month!

We all know that women have come a long way since the 20’s and on, but what about this past decade?

Equality Now, a non-profit international human rights organization dedicated to political, social, civil, and economic rights for females, has published a list of discriminatory laws in 1999 from 45 countries in order to address legalized honor killings, a woman’s right to a divorce withheld, as well as her right to say no to her husband.

Because of that publication, progress has been made!

In Algeria, wife obedience is no longer legal. In Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Peru, and Uruguay, rapists are no longer exempt from punishment if they married their victims.

In France, it’s now legal for a woman to work at night.

In Haiti, Jordan, and Morocco, there is no longer an exemption from penalty for men who murdered their wives and/or female relatives in certain circumstances (i.e. honor killings).

India, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Serbia, and Montenegro, Tongo no longer legally allow marital rape.

Kuwait has now granted women the right to vote.

In Latvia (near Lithuania), women are allowed to work overtime and travel for work during pregnancy and one year after childbirth.

Mexico no longer has a legal restriction on the amount of time a woman has to wait in order to remarry after a divorce or widowhood.

These are all wonderful victories for women on both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres! Let’s remember all the women who have risked their lives to make the world more equal for the next generation.

What woman has inspired you to promote equality?