What are the key events in the history of feminism?
Feminism, as a movement, has an established history in the public domain. The fight for equal rights in terms of social, cultural and economic standing, prevailed in every part of the world. From the fight for right to vote, to the recent #metoo movement, there has been an uproar of voices for womenRead more
Feminism, as a movement, has an established history in the public domain. The fight for equal rights in terms of social, cultural and economic standing, prevailed in every part of the world. From the fight for right to vote, to the recent #metoo movement, there has been an uproar of voices for women’s rights and, their re-establishment in the society with better roles and agency.
The earliest sighting of feministic approach was found in the statements of Plato, who declared that women are the holders of “natural capacities” when it comes to ruling Rome. Though this was an important anecdote in history, the “first-wave” of feminism took place during the Seneca falls convention in 1848. Women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott fought for voting right for women, this process took nearly 100 years of struggle (also called Suffrage movement). The moment of glory came in 1920, when the 19th amendment was introduced, allowing American women to vote (while country like New Zealand became the first country in 1893 to give voting rights to women, followed by Australia and Finland.)
Women also started working during the Great Depression; to earn money so they could support their homes, which couldn’t be done single-handedly by men. Also, During the World war-II, women were also enlisting in the army, also leading to the Civil Rights movement, demanding equal pay as men in work fronts.
The second wave of feminism was all about the equal legal rights of women, followed by the 1963 publication of the feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan. It talked about women’s liberation from the unfulfilling roles of homemaking and childcare.
The third wave of feminism was a fight that finally involved the voices of women from minority communities, who were earlier excluded in the first wave: women of color, lesbians, immigrants, religious minorities.
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Feminism has a transforming history, characterized by key occasions which have shaped the movement for gender equality. The first wave of feminism began in the late 1880s and early 1900s and legal issues were its main concern. A crucial point was the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, where ElizabethRead more
Feminism has a transforming history, characterized by key occasions which have shaped the movement for gender equality. The first wave of feminism began in the late 1880s and early 1900s and legal issues were its main concern. A crucial point was the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, where Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, among others, produced the Declaration of Sentiments demanding equality for women. The next important event was John Stuart Mill’s essay “The Subjection of Women” published in 1869 that argued for women’s suffrage and gender equality. In this respect, it led to the crowning of the first wave when American women won on their right to vote through the adoption of the 19th amendment in 1920 into American constitution. The second wave began from as early as nineteen sixties until eighties with wider inclusiveness for instance reproductive rights, workplace fairness, equalities in law among others. This included Betty Friedan’s publication “The Feminine Mystique” (1963) and establishing National Organization for Women (NOW) (1966).
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