Emmeline Pankhurst, a British Suffragette, Fought Hard for Women's Rights, wikimedia commons
Four years ago, I moved from the United Kingdom to the United States. Through experience and observation, I have learned many things about the differences between the two countries. One of these things, is the difference in the way women are treated – through law and through society. Although women’s rights have advanced considerably in the last century, American women are still falling behind in certain areas, in comparison to their European sisters.
For example, many European countries grant several weeks of full paid maternity leave to women after the birth of a baby; although American women are, under federal law, entitled to time off, not every employer grants paid maternity leave. In addition, maternity healthcare is taken for granted in places such as the UK. In the United States, many women cannot afford health insurance for maternity care (and in some cases it is excluded, as a “pre-existing” condition) meaning that both the health of mom and baby are at risk.
Although a recent survey indicated that 20 percent of wives now outearn their husbands, and more women than before are receiving an undergraduate education, the majority of women are still picking up the child care and the responsibility of running a home, tasks that they have done for centuries, without the added responsibilities. And many women are doing the same job as men – and receiving less pay. Women are also potentially more open to sexual abuse and harassment in the workplace – and society.
England has had several queens and a female prime minister; the United States has never had a female president. There have been strong women in politics in other roles – for example Eleanor Roosevelt – but American women have still yet to make a statement in their “own right.”
How women are still viewed socially may have a lot to do with the way things are in America; a lot of men still hold onto the “traditional” view of a woman. However, it should be noted that in many non-Western cultures women are considered the “most important” members of the community, in order to keep things going 
I do believe that, in certain areas, American women have come a long way in the last century – but its been fought for every step of the way – and there is still some fighting to do These are just my observations and are not necessarily the viewpoint of many women – but it is based on my personal experiences on both sides of the “pond”
On a lighter note, perhaps, its worth remembering this quote:
“Behind every successful man there is a (wise) woman.” ~Unknown~
