What Feminism is about for me (2) History of Feminism

Often people don’t really know what feminism is and just think it is something bad – something a decent person should not even speak about. If you ask them, “Do you think men and women should be treated equally?” they will often say, “Yes, of course.” But they do not want to be associated with feminism. The word brings up images of aggressive, demonstrating women in their minds that produce fear. I would like to show what feminism is really about. So let’s take a look at what we can find out about the history of feminism.

History of Feminism

Feminism advocates for equal rights, human dignity, and self-determination of all people, as well as standing against sexism. Nobody can deny that societies prioritize the male point of view and that women have long been treated unjustly. Feminism wants the same opportunities for women as for men. Feminist campaigns have improved social conditions, particularly in the western world. The history of the modern western feminist movement is divided into four so-called "waves”.

First Wave Feminism

First-wave feminism was a period of activity during the 19th and early-20th centuries, promoting women's right to vote. In the UK and US, it also focused on the promotion of equal contract, marriage, parenting, and property rights for women.

In the US, notable woman leaders campaigned for the abolition of slavery before championing women's right to vote. These women were influenced by the Quaker theology of spiritual equality, which asserts that men and women are equal under God.

Wars (both World War I and World War II) had seen the provisional emancipation of some women, but post-war periods signaled the return to conservative roles.

Second Wave Feminism

The second wave, the women’s liberation movement, began in the 1960s and campaigned for legal and social equality for women. In countries like Switzerland (1971) and Liechtenstein (1984) the question was still about suffrage.

Feminists continued to campaign for the reform of family laws which gave husbands control over their wives. In many continental European countries, married women still had very few rights and had to have their husband’s permission to work. (Abolished 1965 in France).

Third Wave Feminism

Third-wave feminism, starting in the 1990s, was a response to sexual harassment. The nomination hearing of Brett Kavanaugh for the US Supreme Court, in which Christine Blasey Ford testified about her allegation of his sexual assault brought back to mind the treatment of Anita Hill’s testimony in 1991 about sexual harassment in the Clarence Thomas hearings.

The term third wave is credited to Rebecca Walker, who responded to Thomas's appointment to the Supreme Court with an article in Ms. magazine, "Becoming the Third Wave" (1992). She wrote: “So I write this as a plea to all women, especially women of my generation: Let Thomas’ confirmation serve to remind you, as it did me,  that the fight is far from over. Let this dismissal of a woman's experience move you to anger. Turn that outrage into political power. Do not vote for them unless they work for us. Do not have sex with them, do not break bread with them, do not nurture them if they don't prioritize our freedom to control our bodies and our lives. I am not a post-feminism feminist. I am the Third Wave.”

Since the 1980s, standpoint feminists have argued that the feminist movement should address global issues (such as rape, incest, and prostitution) and culturally specific issues (such as female genital mutilation) as well as glass ceiling practices that impede women's advancement.

Fourth Wave Feminism

The fourth wave, from around 2012, used social media to combat sexual harassment, violence against women, and rape culture; it is best known for the #metoo movement. Scandals involving the harassment, abuse, and murder of women and girls have galvanized the movement.

Postfeminism

Postfeminists believe that women have achieved second-wave goals while being critical of third- and fourth-wave feminist goals. Some say that feminism is no longer relevant to today's society, where "gender equality has (already) been achieved".

Yes, much has been achieved, and we women in the 21^st century are deeply grateful to all the women who fought for women’s rights. And yet, there is still much that needs to be changed before we have an egalitarian world. If our grandmothers had been satisfied with the crumbs they were offered, we would not be where we are now. We have been given a piece of the cake and some are happy with that. Many other women say, “We want half of the cake.” Just a while ago I heard somebody say, “We don’t want half of the cake, we want the bakery.” I understand that to mean that women should be involved in the production of the cake of human rights, not just recipients of whatever men produce and cook up to give to women. We need a completely new concept of how men and women live and work together, united to make the world a better place.

 

 

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