Advantages of the Modern Woman

Lately, I’ve been reading histories of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (England 1558-1603) and the backgrounds of the six queen consorts of her father, King Henry VIII, including Elizabeth’s mother, Anne Boleyn. All of these books prompted me to consider how life for women has changed over time. I’m reminded of a famous Virginia Slims cigarette advertisement: “You’ve come a long way, baby.”

So…drum roll, please…the top 12 advantages of the modern woman.

Advantages of the Modern Woman:

1. Antibiotics – deaths of many new mothers occurred when tearing caused by the birthing process led to systemic infection. Once infection set in, (without antibiotics) death would soon follow.

2. Birth control – it was a foregone conclusion that pregnancy would be an annual event for most women before the advent of dependable birth control. Pregnancy was life threatening for both mother and child due to lack of antibiotics and poor health care. Modern women’s control of pregnancy led to greater freedom – women could take that three-year job in Japan or train for the next Olympics – along with the critical aspect of saving and extending women’s lives.

3. Indoor plumbing – germs, spread of disease, unsanitary conditions…need I say more?

4. Clean water – access to clean water will eliminate 80% of diseases that cause death to men, women and children, particularly to children under the age of five. Unfortunately, just because you live in the 21st century does not mean you have access to clean water. If you want to learn more about this worldwide epidemic, please see the website: http://www.charitywater.org/

5. Property rights – modern women have the freedom of property ownership. Why is this important? This means women can legally inherit property, own property, live on property, (not board) and will property to their children or heirs. Ownership provides a roof over your head, literally, as well as other privileges including legal and state power, title, safety, security, collateral, and potential voice in government dealings regarding property laws. Prior to women’s property rights, women could not legally own the property on which they lived. Later provisions stated that women could obtain partial rights if their husband or father died and he had no legal heirs.

6. Refrigeration – protection from food-borne illnesses. Another defense against sickness and untimely death.

7. Marital rights – not only the personal right to choose or decline a marriage proposal, but also the legal right to break the marital contract with your spouse without the elimination of your personal and financial rights under the law.

8. Personal rights – by these I mean control and protection of your body. Previously, laws in many countries allowed women to be physically beaten for minor offenses. Restrictions only stated the size of the weapon. Modern women have legal defense against personal harm along with legal protection (restraining orders) for themselves and their families from those that wish to harm them.

9. Education – the right and privilege to obtain a primary and secondary education. Modern women in many places of the world take their access to higher education for granted. Education can provide the necessary skills for employment. However, the most important aspect of education is literacy. Without literacy, women (and men) cannot enter into a contract with the security of reading what is stated on that contract. This is a critical element in personal knowledge – everything from property ownership to marriage to employment to buying/selling in the marketplace is governed by contractual law. If you cannot read the contracts, you are at a distinct disadvantage and could be irrevocably harmed by unfair terms and conditions within these contracts.

10. Fashion – just imagining the restrictions of various corsets throughout history makes me catch my breath. These dresses and other stylish clothing may seem frivolous to modern women, but women at that time did not have the choice to wear anything other than the fashions of their day. Adding to these restrictions is the fact that most women (without servants) made their own clothes and those of their family. Get your needles and thread ready…

11. Washing machines – the convenience of washing clothes whenever necessary. Without this modern technology, women (and some men) had to obtain ‘clean’ water and use washboards, basins, stones or other available implements to beat the dirt out of their clothing. This required a great deal of time and physical effort. Another reason why I believe life spans were shorter back then.

12. Last, but not least, (and I spent way more time on this list than intended, probably because my washing machine was fixed and I’m not residing at the local laundromat…) dentists! You thought I was going to write cars or computers or iPhones? No, women have successfully survived without these technological conveniences. Dental health, however – whether we choose to maintain it or not – is critical to your overall health. It’s as simple as this: digestion starts with your teeth. If your teeth are in poor condition, this can impede food intake and digestion. Modern dental health is better than ever in the history of humankind. Think about that the next time you brush your teeth or visit the dentist – or the next time you read a history book.