Finding something

            Women have been and continue to fight oppression in a patriarchal society today. They strive to be seen as individuals rather than a group categorized within the category of the "other." .
             Simone de Beauvoir in her article "Introduction to the Second Sex" discusses that women the situation of women in that they live in a world where men automatically assume her to be the "other." The term man is used to represent both males and females, human beings in general. In addition, man defines woman relative to himself. Man can be thought of without a woman, but a woman cannot be thought of without a man. Throughout history she has always been dependant upon the man and always below the man in such a patriarchal society. The only reason for which a woman is essential for a man is for sex. According to de Beauvoir, the reason that they have been oppressed is because women have always been subordinated to men, it was not something that occurred due to some historical event. A woman is defined in reference to a man and therefore, she is the "other" (de Beauvoir 13). The reason women have been unsuccessful is because they have never really had a history as a whole group such as the American Negroes or the Jews. Instead, they have "dispersed among the males" (de Beauvoir 15). They have been linked to men through residence, housework, economic condition, and social standing to specific men. .
             Angela Davis goes on to suggest that instead of just focusing on the liberation of African Americans, we need to liberate women as a whole. Women would see the need to fight equality after the example of the anti-slavery struggle. Davis explains how Elizabeth Stanton was interested in fighting against abolitionism as well as oppression in the male dominated society. She stressed that women needed to have more than just the right to vote, they needed to have all political rights. The institution of marriage was an important factor in Seneca Falls Declaration.