August Classic of the Month: A Vindication of the Rights of Women

In the spirit of Women's Equality Day, (selected to commemorate the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote.) Cosimo's Classic of the Month is A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft as our Classic of the Month.

This 1792 book is one of the earliest works of protofeminist thought and is the first published argument advocating for the societal elevation of women as the intellectual and emotional equals of men. Written during the time of the French Revolution, this revolutionary book reacts against the French Diplomat's, Charles Maurice's, statement that women should be educated only in domestic matters.

Well received in its day and still an important resource for anyone wishing to understand the history of feminism, this extended essay demolishes the sexual double standard of the day, offers a rational defense for the education of girls, and demands merely that women be treated as people.

A Vindication of the Rights of Women is available in hardcover and paperback at leading online bookstores, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the Author:
Mary Wollstonecraft was an eighteenth-century British writer, philosopher, and advocate of women's rights. During her brief career, she wrote novels, treatises, a travel narrative, a history of the French Revolution, a conduct book, and a children's book. Wollstonecraft is best known for A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792), in which she argues that women are not naturally inferior to men, but appear to be only because they lack education. She suggests that both men and women should be treated as rational beings and imagines a social order founded on reason.

August Book of the Month: Founding a Movement

This August, Cosimo is celebrating women all over the world with our Book of the Month Founding a Movement: Women's World Banking, 1975-1990, a detailed history of the first global women's microfinance organizations, run by women, for women. Its history is told by founder Michaela Walsh, who was president and CEO of the company from its inception at 1975 until 1990. Chock full of interviews from the organization's first board members and participants, it follows the difficult path WWB took to recognize its dream and make small businesses a reality for so many women around the world.

Founding a Movement shows how hard work and perseverance, not to mention a helping hand from fellow entrepreneurs and business owners, can help anyone take control of their economic destinies. In the words of Michaela Walsh, this book "shines a light on the value that women contribute through work, and when they support one another, to become full participants in the economy through access to financial institutions and services, and everything that goes with that access."

About the Author
Michaela Walsh is an activist, scholar, mentor, educator, and author. She has been a pioneer female manager for Merrill Lynch, the first female partner at Boettcher, and the founding president of Women's World Banking. She has taught at Manhattanville College, served on the Boards of several institutions, and was the chairperson of the 59th United Nations DPI/NGO Conference in 2006.She has received numerous awards, including in honor an honor in 2012 from Women's Funding Network for changing the face of philanthropy.

Cosimo Celebrates International Women's Day

Today is International Women’s Day, a day that started nationally in the United States, but would gain enough clout and momentum to spread worldwide. Interestingly this is a day that brings together symbolically two of the current Presidential Democratic candidates, Bernie Sanders - the "democratic socialist" whose socialist "forefathers" in the Socialist Party of America declared on February 28, 1909 that the USA should observe Women’s Day - and his opponent, Hillary Clinton, the perennial supporter of women's rights, showing that they share more than meets the eye.

In 1910, an International Women’s conference was held and they reached the agreement that International Women’s Day should be observed annually. March 18, 1911 was the first International Women’s day. Observed by over 1 million people in several different countries, the day marked many demonstrations for the support and empowerment of women who have long contributed to the history and success of many nations without recognition. The demonstrations also demanded the right to vote and hold office. The day spread over the next fifty years and in 1977 when the United Nations General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8 as the UN Day for Women's Rights and International Peace, the day became official with a widespread observance. 

International Women’s Day is a recognizable and significant moment in the Women’s rights movement. Striving for equality in regards to voting was discussed and hotly debated in the early 1900s, a great survey of which is described in Eugene A. Hecker's 1914 title, "A Short History of Women's Rights" or, for those who may want to travel back in time a bit, Mary Wollstonecraft's book, "A Vindication of the Rights of Women" will give readers a fantastic historical background from the 1700s.

It is because of these women of the past who fought (and those women who still fight today) for equality and civil rights, that we can have such amazing authors as we do today. For example, Phebe A. Hanaford, who wrote about female poets, scientist, preachers, and educators in her book, "Daughters of America or Women of the Century", or Margaret E. Burton', who defied longstanding cultural traditions and stereotypes and wrote about her struggles in "Notable Women of Modern China", and more recently, Michaela Walsh, who wrote "Founding a Movement: Womens World Banking, 1975-1990" and was the president of Women's World Banking.



The 2016 theme of International Women's Day is #PledgeForParity which aims to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women, while still being aware that progress has slowed in many places across the world, so urgent action is needed to accelerate gender parity.

Thousands of events occur to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women. Organizations, governments, charities, educational institutions, women's groups, corporations and the media celebrate this day world wide. For more information about International Women's Day and events near you, see their website.

Happy International Women’s Day!

Today is International Women’s Day, a day that started nationally in the United States, but would gain enough clout and momentum to spread worldwide.

On February 28, 1909 the Socialist Party of America declared that the USA should observe Women’s Day. In 1910, an International Women’s conference was held and they reached the agreement that International Women’s Day should be observed annually. March 18, 1911 was the first International Women’s day. Observed by over 1 million people in several different countries, the day marked many demonstrations for the support and empowerment of women who have long contributed to the history and success of many nations without recognition. The demonstrations also demanded the right to vote and hold office. The day spread over the next fifty years and in 1977 when the United Nations General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8 as the UN Day for Women's Rights and International Peace, the day became official with a widespread observance. 

International Women’s Day is a recognizable and significant moment in the Women’s rights movement. Striving for equality in regards to voting was discussed and hotly debated in the early 1900s, a great survey of which is described in Eugene A. Hecker's 1914 title, "A Short History of Womens Rights" or, for those who may want to travel back in time a bit, Mary Wollstonecraft's book, "A Vindication of the Rights of Women" will give readers a fantastic historical background from the 1700s.


It is because of these women of the past who fought (and those women who still fight today) for equality and rights, that we can have such amazing authors as we do today. For example, Phebe A. Hanaford, who wrote about female poets, scientist, preachers, and educators in her book, "Daughters of America or Women of the Century", or Margaret E. Burton', who defied longstanding cultural traditions and stereotypes and wrote about her struggles in "Notable Women of Modern China", and more recently, Michaela Walsh, who wrote "Founding a Movement: Womens World Banking, 1975-1990" and was the president of Women's World Banking.


The 2014 theme of International Women's Day is Inspiring Change, and challenging the status quo for women's equality and vigilance inspiring positive change. Thousands of events occur to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women. Organizations, governments, charities, educational institutions, women's groups, corporations and the media celebrate this day world wide. For more information about International Women's Day and events near you, see their website.