In 1908, on the streets of New York, a woman was elegantly smoking a cigarette, and she enjoyed a rare time of freedom in the midst of the smoke. But it didn't take long for the police to take her away, and what awaited her was a terrible prison sentence.
Seeing this, some people may think that the woman has committed serious crimes such as murder, drug trafficking, and corruption, and the police arrested her because of what she did before. In fact, no, the police arrested her for only one reason, that is, she was smoking, and she was smoking in public.
In the United States at that time, women did not have the right to smoke in public, which was different from men. Men who smoke are often the epitome of male hormones, portrayed as heroic, fearless, free, or melancholy, contemplative, and calm.
In short, everything is praised, but women are the opposite, and their smoking is often seen as a sign of unruliness, and even some radical places believe that only prostitutes smoke.
Each state in the United States has a high degree of autonomy, including independent legislative power. Some states, including New York, have passed legislation that makes it illegal for women to smoke, which is why police officers are so bold as to take women who smoke in public.
Many people believe that the United States was at the forefront of the world in terms of gender equality in the early 20th century, but in fact, the mere fact of smoking shows that the United States is even far inferior to China in this regard.
Many intellectuals and women in China at that time were out-and-out "smokers", and many of them were well-known "big names", such as Song Qingling, Lin Huiyin, Deng Yingchao, etc.
In the Western world, smoking bans for women began in the Netherlands in the 17th century. The "sea coachman" made full use of the benefits brought by the Age of Discovery, took advantage of the east wind of the capitalist economy, and walked in the forefront of the world in the fields of shipbuilding, securities, machinery, etc., and its GDP ranked among the best, which correspondingly brought about great changes in people's lives.
At this time, cigarettes quietly entered the homes of ordinary people. In literature, drama and paintings, Dutch men smoke are more common, but there is no record of women smoking, so it can be inferred that the ban on women smoking is not unique to the United States, and it is still a very common phenomenon on the other side of the Atlantic.
At that time, whether it was the East or the West, whether it was a rich family or a poor family, "the male dominates the outside, the female dominates the inside" has become a common model of family economy, and women raise their children at home, undertake housework, and take care of their husbands have become a matter of course, and the social attributes of cigarettes make them the biggest reason for men to enjoy.
In 1848, the first women's rights conference was held in Seneca Falls, New York, at which the rights of women to life, property, education, and sexual autonomy were widely concerned, and the famous Declaration of Women's Rights was adopted.
The conference was praised by many experts and scholars as "a landmark event in the history of the protection of women's rights and interests", and the issue of women's rights has been highly valued by the society since then.
But there are still many feminists in the civil society, calling on the government to change laws and regulations to give women the same rights to cigarettes as men.
It is a pity that the suggestions have been made again and again, especially in the United States, no matter which state government is unwilling to be "the first to eat crabs", while the shackles on women's bodies are gradually untied, "smoking" has become an insurmountable gap for women.
If the bright ones don't work, then the dark ones will come. In line with this idea, many women from middle-class and above families secretly smoke at home to enjoy the leisurely and comfortable clouds. In this case, the police will turn a blind eye, and there is no need to enter the room of the smoking woman and arrest her.
With the further development of the economy, the United States has effectively abolished the relevant laws prohibiting women from smoking. This has ensured the legality of smoking at home or in other private settings, with more women joining the ranks of smokers, and many tobacco companies and retailers making a lot of money because of the increase in female customers.
In the 20th century, the New York State government came up with a whim, "prohibiting women from smoking in public." ”
As soon as the news came out, it immediately caused an uproar. Many female rights activists led their fellow women to march and participate in various protests. In their view, this provision is not very harmful, but it is extremely insulting, and it is a blatant violation of the Declaration of the Rights of Women and a reversal of the trend of history.
Many women wrote letters to the governor of New York to express their dissatisfaction and anger, but unfortunately every time the thunder was loud and the rain was small, the governor and other staff members did not even come forward to respond, but did what they should do.
In fact, in the eyes of the governor of New York and other government officials, female smoking is more or less "sexually suggestive", especially in public, which is likely to bring about a bad social atmosphere and must be severely cracked down on by the government.
In response to the government's intransigence, some radical feminists have done the opposite, deliberately wearing revealing or tight-fitting clothes to smoke in the square to attract more attention.
The woman in the photo was reported when she was enjoying her free time, and the police took her away. But as opposition grew, the New York state government lifted the ban shortly after.
Since then, there has been a real equality between men and women when it comes to smoking. After a period in prison, the woman paid a symbolic $5 fine and was released.