Women’s Suffrage

Content for Mains Enrichment:

 

Source: LM

 Context: In October 2023, Pope Francis granted women the right to vote at the Synod of Bishops, marking a significant change in the male-dominated Roman Catholic Church.

 

Vatican City, becoming the last country to allow women’s suffrage, concluded a century-long democratic quest for justice.

The women’s suffrage movement originated in the 19th and early 20th centuries, led by voices in the Anglosphere (a group of English-speaking countries). Between 1893 and 1960, 129 countries granted women the right to vote, overcoming attempts to impose disqualifiers based on race, age, education, or marital status. Social activism played a crucial role, as seen in New Zealand’s fight against alcohol in 1893 and the US suffrage activism linked to protests against slavery in 1920. Additionally, World Wars I and II accelerated women’s enfranchisement, particularly in the West.

Usage: The example can be used in women-related Questions/Indian Society/Women-themed essays etc.