• John Stuart Mill’s views on gender equality are expressed in The Subjection of Women. The essay is regarded as one of the most fundamental texts to the formation of modern-day feminism.
• Mill championed the march for an egalitarian society. In “The Subjection of Women” as Mill argues for a less authoritarian government to allow for more individuality of women which would subsequently enhance happiness for higher numbers of people. 
• In The Subjection of Women, Mill argues for the emancipation of women and female suffrage in Britain by exploring the social factors which prevent women from being equal to men. Mill’s overarching thesis, which is based on a combination of liberal and utilitarian assumptions, is that: the inequality of men and women is unjust as well as harmful, both for individuals and for the progression of society. In The Subjection of Women, Mill considered the principle of equality to be a moral imperative. 
• In the given quote Mill bases the inequality of men and women on the legal aspects of society. He says that the law confines women to undertake domestic roles and being excluded from decision making parts of society, such as politics and business. Mill understands that the central reason for this oppression comes from the male’s physical strength. Men are physically bigger than women, and it was common to think at the time that the male’s brain was larger than that of a women. Mill assumes that the more influence reason has in society, the less importance physical strength will have – “in this state, women will no longer be disadvantaged, as physical strength becomes less important as civilisation advances”.
• By stating that the subordination of women is one of the “chief hinderances to human improvement”, Mill is outlining that the oppression of women poses negative consequences on the lives of women, but of men as well – hence preventing the progression of society. Mill argues that for society to progress, women must be able to be treated as an equal. This is because any inequality represents a barrier to the advancement of an entire society, and is also an obstacle to progress on an individual level. This is aligned with Mill’s liberal and utilitarian views. Mill justifies the need of the emancipation of women to develop their personal talents so as to realise the maximum of their personal happiness, and as a result, contribute to the development of society. This argumentation is based on liberal principles of equal opportunities and individual free choice, but also utilitarian principles of the well-being of the maximum number of people. In this way, Mill transcended his own time – in the 1860s, there was no female suffrage, women could not own property (it was given to their husbands) and women did not have equal access to education. To think of a woman as an equal was only really acknowledged by most men half a century later, when some women were allowed to vote. From this, we can really understand how advanced Mill’s liberal feminist thought was. 

Criticism and Challenges:

• Critics argue that while Mill''s views were progressive for his time, gender inequality persists in various forms globally.
• Some contend that addressing legal subordination alone does not guarantee gender equality and that cultural and social norms must also change.

Contemporary Relevance:

• Despite progress, gender-based legal disparities continue to exist in some parts of the world, reinforcing the importance of Mill''s statement.
• Contemporary feminist movements advocate for legislative changes to achieve full gender equality.