Vulnerable Sections

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 19^th 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.