Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A “Notorious” Icon for Women’s Rights
“The decision whether or not to bear a child is central to a woman’s life, to her well-being and dignity. When the government controls that decision for her, she is being treated as less than a full adult human responsible for her own choices.” – Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Few women are more well-known in the legal world than Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She served as an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1993 until she died in 2020. She was only the second woman to hold this position.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, or RBG as she is often called, is a feminist icon worldwide. Much of her work centered around championing gender equality and women’s rights. For example, she helped reverse legislation that allowed discrimination based on gender. She was also a founding counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union’s Women’s Rights Projects. She additionally created, designed, and taught law courses on gender discrimination laws.
RBG started excelling at her craft early on in her life. She entered Cornell University on a full scholarship, where she also met her husband, Martin. He would also become a well-known tax lawyer and one of RBG’s biggest supporters. They both studied at Harvard Law School, but after moving to New York City, RBG completed her law degree at Columbia Law School, where she graduated tied for first place in her class.
This stellar start paved the way for an esteemed career as a lawyer, professor, and Supreme Court justice. She did all this while also being a mother to two children. RBG balanced motherhood with her work as one of the most respected figures in gender equality. Interestingly, she delivered a lecture at New York University Law School in 1993, offering a critique of the reasoning of Roe vs. Wade. This case would give women the right to choose to have an abortion.
RBG argued that the Supreme Court should have issued a more limited decision, giving more power to state legislatures to decide on specific details. This way “might have served to reduce rather than fuel controversy,” RBG commented. Fast forward to today, this makes even more sense considering the current controversy surrounding this ruling.
Throughout her career, RBG remained consistent with her decisions regarding gender equality and women’s rights. While she often voted with the other liberal justices on the Supreme Court, she respected and formed well-known friendships with conservative judges. These relationships earned her even more regard from her peers. RBG became particularly outspoken during the Obama administration. This was when she reached peak popularity as a progressive feminist that many women looked up to and followed for guidance.
Two years after her death, Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s legacy and lessons live on. She is immortalized in several books, a documentary, and a movie. RBG remains one of the leading figures in gender equality and a beacon of women’s rights. In these challenging times when women’s rights are being questioned and removed, we should all look to RBG for guidance and inspiration on continuing to champion the progress she fought to achieve.
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