A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: How Women’s Neglected Education Impedes Gender Equality?

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demonstrates that women are likely to act the way they are expected to. This passage also suggests that women were also responsible for their gender’s inequality. Society creates a degrading and useless image of them, and they are not fighting to change it; They bear their status and accept the role men give them. Wollstonecraft also believes that women should pursue their full humanity and adulthood. She says that women are “degraded by mistaken notions of female’s excellence” (1509).

Another important aspect about women’s conception of their identity is motherhood. The fact that women are not educated has repercussions when it comes to raising their children. Wollstonecraft says that women are taught from their childhood, by the example of their mothers, that in order to have a man’s protection and to establish themselves, women should have “little knowledge of human weakness, justly termed cunning, softness of temper, outward obedience, … and they should be beautiful, everything else is needless, for, at least, twenty years of their lives” (1510). The environment in which women are growing is, according to the author, very influential on their self-esteem. Mothers encourage their daughters to be nothing else than beautiful objects. In other words, women were taught to be seen, but not heard. The author places the words “for” and “at least” between comas to draw the reader’s attention to the fact that although women establish themselves, their perception of their role in society will not change. Once they have seduced a man who agrees to marry them, they will remain weak, restricted of any power and unworthy of equal rights because they will neither aspire for strength, nor reason. Ruth also explains that Wollstonecraft thought that women’s socialization results in the failure for women to be competent mothers. Women were given no rights and were considered deprived of reason, but were also given the measureless responsibility of raising and educating their children. Ruth says, “Wollstonecraft points out how poorly equipped they are for their key social roles as wives and mothers…Physically weak and morally disable, they are ill suited to the important task of rearing children”(234). Wollstonecraft implies that women’s perception of themselves is impeding the way they raise their family. In fact, they cannot successfully educate their children as they act like children themselves (1509). As mentioned, the author believes that major changes in education is the key element to gender equality. She intends for women to gain recognition for their identity. She also suggests that women should express their satisfaction when they are considered for who they truly are: human beings, capable of reason (1516).

Gender inequality is also the result of authors writing about the education of women. Among others, she blames Rousseau and Dr. Gregory, both famous writers of the 18th century, and the influence their work had on women’s perception of themselves. Wollstonecraft mentions, “I may be accused of arrogance; still I must declare what I firmly believe, that all the writers who have written on the subject of female education and manners from Rousseau to Dr. Gregory have contributed to render women more artificial, weak characters, than they would otherwise have been; and, consequently, more useless members of society” (1512). The quotation begins with Wollstonecraft’s uses of irony. She suggests she may be accused of arrogance because she goes against what society expects from a woman; she speaks for herself and fights for her rights. She blames the writers for impeding women’s image and contributing to making them useless. She says that in his book called Émile, Rousseau describes women in a degrading way as she is “formed to obey a being so imperfect as man, often full of vices, and always full of faults” (cited in Wollstonecraft 1515). She also argues that Rousseau believes a woman should never consider herself independent and should always be governed by fear. Wollstonecraft is offended by Rousseau’s conception of a woman’s responsibilities and qualifies it as pure nonsense (1515). She believes Rousseau’s vision of a women is outrageous and illogical. In other words, when a man commands his his wife to something or act a particular way, she should obey to his demand and never second guess it.

An additional challenge impeding women’s education is the idea that women should be depending of their husband. In her book called Civic Republicanism, Iseult Honohan explains Rousseau’s view of the role of a woman. He believes that in order for men not to be dominated by women, the latter should only dedicate herself to domestic task and accept that they are dependant of their husband. The author also states that Rousseau believes that “The men should be strong and active; The woman should be weak and passive” (Honohan 97). The author says that Mary Wollstonecraft was one of Rousseau’s admirer but she rejected and criticized the fact that he excluded women from both public and social life (98). In fact, Honohan points out that Wollstonecraft believes women’s freedom relies on being relieved of men’s domination, and having the right to independently participate in public life and society (101). Another author, criticized by Wollstonecraft, is Dr. Gregory. She disapproves of the recommendations he gives to women. (Wollstonecraft 1517). In fact, Dr. Gregory suggests women should lie about their feelings and “not dance with spirit, when gaiety of heart would make her feel eloquent without making her gesture immodest” (1518). Wollstonecraft answers him in a revolting way as she writes, “in the name of truth and common sense” (1518). She uses this expression to intensify the fact that she absolutely disapproves of this statement and she rejects Dr. Gregory’s recommendations. In her essay, Wollstonecraft uses language patterns and rhetorical aspects to prove that although women are not supposed to, they can have a say on their condition and can access power over themselves.

To conclude, Mary Wollstonecraft believes that the neglected education of women is the main reason why they encounter challenges in terms of gender equality. She believes that society, especially men, have contributed to portray women as less than human beings. Furthermore, Wollstonecraft suggests women should pursue physical and mental strength, and reject prejudice stating they should act as if they were an object of desire. She also believes that the reason why women are so poorly educated is because of popular educational theorists, in which Wollstonecraft blames Rousseau and Dr. Gregory for contributing to building a pejorative image of women and their role in society. Throughout her essay, Wollstonecraft argues that giving women the opportunity to get educates is a step