Women have made their mark on history since America was founded in 1776. During the early years of our lives in America, women had specific roles in which they were expected to fulfill. Women rarely worked outside the home, personal interests were not advised, and their roles were known to all. Women's roles included but were not limited to marriage, caring for the home, and raising the family (Ruthsdotter). As we moved forward, however, women began to expand their role in the world. Women have adopted a different lifestyle after making their first mark in history in 1920, when they fought for and won the right to vote. The establishment of the right to vote was the first step in the ongoing process of acquiring women's rights. Alice Paul prompted the next step for women when she proposed the Equal Rights Amendment in 1923. This amendment suggests that both men and women should have equal rights in the United States. Even though this amendment gave women the same rights as men, and women today hold the same rights as men, they still struggle to get the recognition they deserve. Women's rights have made significant progress since its inception in 1776, but among men and women, women are held more responsible than men and compromise much more in their lives. Women have strived to "have it all" since the beginning of time. Having it all means being respected in a full-time job, getting married, and having children. Finding a balance between these tasks is difficult and is rarely done, if at all, by many women. Ann-Marie Slaughter, the first female director of policy planning, is just one of the women preaching to young women around the world that they can have it all. Slaughter was a woman who… middle of paper… what women do throughout their lives may not be right and is usually not welcomed, but it has become an everyday occurrence in our society. Even though compromise has become the norm in women's lives, that doesn't mean it can't be changed. Women work every day to achieve equality and now that both men and women are aware of their changing roles, it is becoming easier to maintain equality. As the years pass and society evolves, the social roles of men and women will continue to become less defined and more equal. By decreasing the compromises women make and continuing to maintain equality in the workplace, home and school, men and women will share more responsibilities everywhere. To date, women have made measurable progress in terms of compromise and decision-making, but they continue to compromise more than men in their daily lives.