The plight of equal rights for women has had an extensive, long-suffering and tumultuous history. Even though women have argued intensely to attain their privileges, they continue to labor for workplace equality, reproductive rights, and to overcome religious and cultural barriers. The conflict for women's rights persisted for many decades, even centuries. In the nineteenth century, women's entitlements saw a great change, for many countries allowed women suffrage. Achieving suffrage then became a gateway into having influence in other societal aspects: property ownership, inheritance claims, and access to higher education (Thomsen 3). .
The Declaration of Sentiments listed such grievances and became the foundation of the modern women's rights movement in Western countries (Quezzaire and Finley 1). Today, however, in Western countries, some people believe that parity has been realized between men and women. Those that "believe that women in Western nations have generally achieved equality with men, " believe "that the movement should focus on helping women in other parts of the world gain the same rights " (Women's Rights, " Opposing Viewpoints In Context 1). Though "(others) argue that women in Western societies have not achieved true equality in areas such as career opportunities and wages " (Women's Rights," Opposing Viewpoints In Context 1). .
Women struggle to construct equality in the workplace. This is partly due to bias, sexism, or restrictions of family obligations (Quezzaire and Finley 1). In 2006, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission received 23, 247 charges on sex-based discrimination (China Daily 77). Moreover, "[according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women are on average paid 77 percent of what men earn for the same work"" (Women's Rights, " Issues & Controversies 1). However, some women in other parts of the world do not work because they wish to further their careers but instead, to survive (Jacobs and Walker 1).