ABSTRACT
In many areas the progress which women have made, with the right to vote, the right to own property, the right to work, and to live free of restrictions, would seem remarkable to those living only a few decades ago. However, despite this progress women still struggle to be seen as agents, and not just objects. Every woman will have a story of ways in which she has made herself smaller, ways in which she has adapted, to make herself fit into spaces and places that were not designed for, and do not adapt to, women.
Individual women who excel are still seen as the exception to the rule, in a patriarchal world. But new generations are still pushing for change, and are refusing to play by the rules. This chapter examines the ways in which women are continually pushing for change, breaking down barriers, and shattering glass ceilings. By examining the intersections of space, place, and time with gendered power relations this chapter also examines where, how, and why barriers to women’s agency still exist, and what more needs to be done to push for real change in the future.
