Hicks 1

Aaliyah Hicks

Jennifer Newhouse

ENG 112

11 June 2022

Past and Present Sexism

Throughout history, women had unfair and unequal opportunities. Before 1920, women

were not considered citizens. Men considered women and African Americans as property. Men

controlled the roles of women. In the past century, the roles of women have changed

significantly. Women should have gender equality and be able to make their own decisions, not

men controlling what they can do.

There are two women with a split-screen with a search engine bar over their mouths. The

left side shows the author typing "woman should not" in the search bar. The right side shows the

author typing "woman should" in the search. Both sides offer a search result with four different

autocompletes in bold text. The tone of autocompletes is controlling. As if women are not

allowed to do anything until they are told. With the search bar over the woman's mouth, the

purpose is to keep their mouth shut and not speak. There is a sense of seriousness with overall

dark contrast. The women have a pale complexion and no type of facial excitement. This ad

states that women should not have rights and do what men tell them.

The ad appeals to the pathos rhetoric. When women read the search bar, they were most

upset and offended by the autocomplete search results. Women should be considered citizens

across the world. In the United States, they are entitled to rights under the United States

Constitution and the opinions to make their own decisions. Women do not want to be controlled
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Aaliyah Hicks

Jennifer Newhouse

ENG 112

11 June 2022

by a man. Women should have the same workforce opportunities as men and equal pay. Women

should not have to face workforce discrimination just because of their gender. It does not matter

the gender; we all should have equality. Women are human just like men are. If women wanted

to lose citizenship, there would not be any purpose of having the 19th amendment. The 19th

amendment likely would not exist if it were not for the Women's Rights Movement.

Women have been mistreated for centuries around the world. Back as early as 1495, an

Italian writer named Christine de Pizan. She had written books questioning if women were

humans or are they similar to animals. In the late 18th century, women and enslaved people had

almost no rights. Only white men were considered citizens and had rights to liberty and equality.

Once a woman gets married, she would lose all property under her name if she had inherited

property. The property would go to her husband, and she would no longer have the right to

control the property.

In 1776, a lady named Abigail Adams, future First Lady of John Adams wrote a letter to

her husband and the Continental Congress stating, "remember the ladies and be more generous

and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the

husbands. Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention are

not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion and will not hold ourselves bound

by any laws in which we have no voice or representation." Abigail believed that women should
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Aaliyah Hicks

Jennifer Newhouse

ENG 112

11 June 2022

have equal rights under the law and knew the value that women could to the nation. John Adams

could not plead to her wishes regarding women's issues. He wrote a letter back to her in one of

his statements, "As to your extraordinary Code of Laws, I cannot but laugh. We have been told

that our Struggle has loosened the government bands everywhere. Children and Apprentices

were disobedient, schools and Colledges were grown turbulent, Indians slighted their Guardians,

and Negroes grew insolent to their Masters. But your Letter was the first Intimation that another

Tribe more numerous and powerful than all the rest were grown discontented."

The first women's rights convention was named Seneca Fall Convention in New York.

There were 300 attendees, with the organizers of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. This

was where they had signed the Declaration of Sentiments, which sparked the women's

movement. In 1866, the 14th amendment granted citizenship to all persons born or ratified in the

United States and equal protection under the law. The 14th amendment only applied to men. In

1869, the 15th amendment was passed, granting African-American men the privilege to vote.

Susan B. Anthony was outraged and said, "There should never be another season of silence until

women have the same rights as men."

During World War 1, women significantly impacted the American victory. Since men

had to go into the war, women were left to do labor. More women had to go into the workforce.

Women found them working in places that they were not familiar with doing. They played an
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Aaliyah Hicks

Jennifer Newhouse

ENG 112

11 June 2022

active role as non-paid volunteers for whatever service was needed. Most aided the Red Cross by

rolling bandages and supplying food to the soldiers. Nurses were sent overseas to assist those

soldiers who were sick or injured. Some women were enrolled in the military forces. A crucial

role that women played in World War 1 that they helped sign an amendment that women

activists had been long waiting for. In 1920, women's rights activists made their dreams come to

reality. The 19th amendment was passed, and women were allowed to vote nationwide.

Women were needed the same way in World War 2 as they were in World War 1.

Women went to the workforce to replace men's roles but were paid less than the opposition.

Employers were allowed to pay women less than men for jobs requiring the same skills and

responsibilities. On June 10, 1963, John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Act of 1963 into law,

making it illegal for employers to pay and have benefited different between men and women. On

July 2, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Title 7 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into

law which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national

origin. The National Organization for Women was helped found by Betty Friedan; the

organization states, "grassroots activism to promote feminist ideals, lead societal change,

eliminate discrimination, and achieve and protect the equal rights of all women and girls in all

aspects of social, political, and economic life."

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Aaliyah Hicks

Jennifer Newhouse

ENG 112

11 June 2022

The purpose of this ad is to show that sexism still exists in the world today. It is essential

to show the audience how far in history women came regarding rights, equality, and

empowerment. The negativity of this ad shows that stereotypical men exist. Regardless of

sexism, we still have to push for women's rights, opportunity, equality, and empowerment

worldwide.
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Aaliyah Hicks

Jennifer Newhouse

ENG 112

11 June 2022

Work Cited

Sexism Search Results. News 18. https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/powerful-un-women-ads-

use-google-search-to-highlight-worldwide-sexism-645901.html Accessed 5 June 2022

History.com Editor. “Women’s History Milestones: A Timeline,” HISTORY, 25 February 2022,

www.history.com/.amp/topics/womens-history/womens-history-us-timeline.

Council of Europe. “Feminism and Women’s Rights Movement.” Gender Matters,

www.coe.int/en/web/gender-matters/feminism-and-women-s-rights-movements.

Accessed 11 June 2022.

John Adams, “John Adams Answers Abigail’s Plea to ‘Remember the Ladies.’” American Social

History Project Center for Media and Learning,

https://shec.ashp.cuny.edu/items/show/676

History.com Editors. “Women’s Suffrage.” History, 9 March 2022,

www.history.com/topics/womens-history/the-fight-for-womens-suffrage.

History.com Editors. “Abigail Adams Urges Husband to ‘Remember the Ladies.’” History, 30

March 2020, http://www.history.com/.amp/this-day-in-history/abigail-adams-urges-

husband-to-remember-the-ladies

“Equality: History of Women’s Movement.” YouTube, uploaded by Kelly Wolfington, 18 April

2016, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_n1MuocuE4&feature=youtu.be
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Jennifer Newhouse

ENG 112

11 June 2022

“The Surprising Road to Women’s Suffrage.” YouTube, uploaded by University of California

Television (UCTV), 1 April 2018, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5oB7-

o_vzM&feature=youtu.be

“How WWI Changed America: Women in WWI.” YouTube, uploaded by National WWI

Museum and Memorial, 5 August 2020, http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=6UmERSpTtJc&feature=youtu.be

“Equal Pay Act: An Early Step Toward Reducing the Wage Gap - Women’s Rights in the United

States ...” YouTube, uploaded by United 4 Social Change, 21 August 2020,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuwrMopW9x8&feature=youtu.be

“Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: Who does it really protect? - Women’s Rights in the

U...” YouTube, uploaded by United 4 Social Change, 10 March 2021,

https://youtu.be/L1bAAcGQD-g