A powerful argument for gender equality from the world's first feminist. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman is one of the most important works of the modern era. In this book, Mary Wollstonecraft demonstrated that it was necessary for women to be educated in the same manner as men for the benefit of all society. She emphasised the capability of women for rational thought and their ability to pursue any field they might choose. Rather than relying on beauty, women should obtain control over their own lives through education and honesty.