Feminism

Feminism is a movement and set of ideas that wants everyone, whether they are male or female, to have the same chances and rights in life. It believes that many parts of our world still favor men over women, and works to change that. This includes fighting unfair ideas about what boys and girls should or should not do, and pushing for better opportunities for women in school, jobs, and everyday life. A person who supports these ideas is called a feminist.

Feminist ideas began in Europe in the late 1700s. Since then, people have worked to help women get important rights like voting, holding public jobs, working, earning the same pay as men, owning land, and getting an education. These efforts have led to big changes in many places, especially in the West, where women now can vote, own property, and have more equal rights.

There are many different kinds of feminism today, each with its own focus. Some focus on changing laws, others on changing how society thinks about men and women. All of these forms share the goal of making the world fairer and safer for everyone.

History

Main article: History of feminism

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of feminism.

Terminology

Waves

The history of feminism is divided into "waves". The first was about women's right to vote. The second wave began in the 1960s and fought for equality. Around 1992, the third wave began, focusing on individuality. Some talk about a fourth wave starting in 2012, using social media to fight unfair treatment and violence against women.

19th and early 20th centuries

Main article: First-wave feminism

First-wave feminism happened in the 19th and early-20th centuries. It focused on equal rights for women. New laws helped women gain rights.

Women's suffrage began in New Zealand in 1893. In Britain, women over 30 could vote in 1918, and all women over 21 in 1928. In the US, women gained the right to vote in 1919.

In Germany, Clara Zetkin worked for women's rights. In China, women fought for more freedom. In Arab countries, Qasim Amin wrote about women's rights.

The Iranian Constitutional Revolution in 1905 led to the Iranian women's movement.

Mid-20th century

By the mid-20th century, women still did not have many rights. In France, women got the right to vote in 1944. In Switzerland, women voted in federal elections in 1971.

Feminists worked to change laws that gave husbands control over wives. French philosopher Simone de Beauvoir wrote The Second Sex in 1949, expressing unfair treatment of women.

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan and The Female Eunuch by Germaine Greer are important books from this time.

Second-wave feminism focused on ending unfair treatment based on gender.

In Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser started "state feminism" in 1956.

In Latin America, changes happened in countries like Nicaragua.

In 1963, Betty Friedan’s book The Feminine Mystique expressed discontent among women.

Late 20th and early 21st centuries

Third-wave feminism

Main article: Third-wave feminism

Third-wave feminism began in the early 1990s. It focused on individual choice and different viewpoints.

Standpoint theory

2017 Women's March, Washington, D.C.

Standpoint theory says a person's social position affects their knowledge. It argues that traditional science ignores women and the feminist movement.

Fourth-wave feminism

Main article: Fourth-wave feminism

Fourth-wave feminism began around 2012 and uses social media. It focuses on justice for women and fighting unfair treatment and violence.

Fourth-wave feminists use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Tumblr, and blogs to challenge unfair beliefs.

Decolonial feminism

Decolonial feminism critiques how gender and patriarchy were shaped by European colonialism.

Postfeminism

Main article: Postfeminism

The term postfeminism describes views that react to feminism since the 1980s. Postfeminists believe women have achieved many goals but question newer feminist ideas.

Theory

Main article: Feminist theory

See also: Gynocriticism and écriture féminine

Feminist theory is about why people are sometimes treated unfairly because of whether they are a woman or a man. It looks at how society, culture, and stories treat women and men in different ways. This theory studies topics like how people live together, how money is used, and how art and writing are created. It helps us understand why some people have more power than others and works to make things fairer for everyone.

Feminist theory talks about important ideas like ending unfair treatment and making sure everyone has the same chances. It also looks at how women are shown in books, movies, and art, and how these ideas affect real life. Some writers and thinkers have special ways to explain these ideas, helping us understand them better.

Movements and ideologies

Main article: Feminist movements and ideologies

Many different feminist movements and ideas have developed over time. Feminism is often split into three main types: liberal, radical, and socialist/Marxist feminism, sometimes called the "Big Three." Newer forms of feminism have also appeared, some focusing on specific areas like the environment.

Today, feminist activism and ideas are based on human rights, working together, and considering many different factors that affect people. For instance, UN Women said that true gender equality needs to include all women and everyone, based on universal human rights.

Liberal feminism

Main article: Liberal feminism

Liberal feminism began in the 19th century and aims for equality between men and women through laws and government changes. It focuses on rights like voting and education. Some modern forms are sometimes called conservative, especially when they focus on individual freedom.

Radical feminism

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a major figure in 19th-century liberal feminism

Radical feminism calls for big changes to society to end unfair treatment based on gender. It sees control by men in work and society as the main problem.

Materialist ideologies

Some forms of feminism come from ideas about economics and society. Marxist feminism says that economic systems are the root of unfair treatment of women. Socialist feminism says that both economic and cultural changes are needed.

Other modern feminisms

Ecofeminism

Ecofeminists believe that men's control over land hurts both women and the environment.

Black and postcolonial ideologies

Further information: Intersectional feminism

Emma Goldman, a union activist, labour organizer and feminist anarchist

Women from different backgrounds have added new ideas to feminism. Movements led by women of color and women from poorer countries have added important perspectives. These include womanism, third-world feminism, and indigenous feminism.

Social constructionist ideologies

Main article: Social construction of gender

Some feminists argue that roles and expectations based on gender are created by society and culture, not just biology. Post-structural feminism looks at how ideas about gender are shaped through language.

Transgender people

Main article: Feminist views on transgender topics

Many modern feminists support the rights of transgender people as part of working together for equality. Some groups, however, have different views on gender identity.

Cultural movements

Riot grrrl movement focused on young girls expressing themselves freely and being independent. Lipstick feminism encourages women to embrace traditionally "feminine" traits and choices as a form of empowerment.

Demographics

A survey from 2014 showed that in many developed countries, about half of the people said they are feminists. Most agreed that women should be treated the same as men. But not everyone who supports equality calls themselves a feminist.

In the United States, a 2015 poll found that only about one in five Americans called themselves feminists. But most still believed in equality for women. People with more education and liberal political views were more likely to support feminist ideas. A similar poll in Britain in 2016 found that only a small number of people called themselves feminists, but most supported equal opportunities for women.

Sexuality

Main article: Feminist views on sexuality

Ideas about women's bodies and relationships have changed a lot over time. Some people think women should be free to choose what they do with their bodies. Others think society sometimes puts pressure on women. These different ideas have led to debates among people who want equality for women.

There are many views about certain jobs where adults make choices about their own bodies. Some think these jobs might take advantage of women, while others think they give women control over their lives. Views about movies and pictures also differ, with some seeing them as harmful and others as a way for women to express themselves.

Everyone should be able to decide for themselves what feels right for their own body and relationships.

Science

Further information: Feminist epistemology

Some thinkers say that ideas about equality for women have led scientists to ask new questions. They want to know how unfair power affects science and schools. Some people hope more women will join science so these issues won’t need to be discussed. Others believe that looking at women’s experiences helps us understand all people better.

Biology and gender

Further information: Gender essentialism and Sexual differentiation

Ideas about equality for women question the belief that gender is only about biology. Books like Myths of Gender and Delusions of Gender explore how science sometimes assumes big differences between men and women are natural. Many believe these differences come from culture and society instead.

Feminist psychology

Main article: Feminist psychology

Feminist ideas in psychology began when people noticed that most research only studied men. As more women became psychologists, they brought women’s experiences into the field. Feminist psychology looks at how our lives and surroundings affect us. Projects like Psychology's Feminist Voices show how women have shaped this area of study.

Culture

Feminism has changed many parts of our culture. In design, people talk about beauty, creativity, and community projects. Famous writers have discussed how design can help fairness and solve problems.

Feminist activists started many different kinds of businesses, like bookstores and restaurants, especially during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.

Octavia Butler, award-winning feminist science fiction author

In art, the feminist art movement began in the 1960s and grew in the 1970s. Artists showed that women’s art is just as important as men’s. They shared how women see the world and expressed their ideas in many ways.

Literature

Main article: Feminist literature

Hrotsvitha, first female writer from the Germanosphere, first female historian and first feminist playwright

Feminist literature includes stories, nonfiction books, and poems written by women. It helped people learn more about women’s lives and their contributions. Books by women were rediscovered and shared again. Famous works include A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft and A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf.

Interest in women’s writing has grown, and now more types of writing, like science fiction and poetry, are studied. Women writers share their experiences and ideas through their work.

Music

Main articles: Women's music and Women in music

Women’s music is made by women, for women, and about women. It started in the 1970s as part of the feminist movement. Women singers, songwriters, and many others work together to create this music. In the music world, women are often performers, but there are fewer women in leadership roles like music producers.

Cinema

Main article: Feminist film theory

Politics

Feminism had different connections with big political movements in the 1900s.

Socialism

Main articles: Left-wing politics § Social progressivism and counterculture, and Socialist feminism

Since the late 1800s, some feminists worked with socialist groups. Others felt socialist ideas didn’t care enough about women’s rights. An early activist, August Bebel, spoke about equal rights for men and women. In 1907, women socialists met in Stuttgart and said voting rights were important. In Britain, women’s groups worked with the Labour party. In the U.S., Betty Friedan became a leader. Radical Women is the oldest socialist feminist group in the U.S. and is still active today.

Fascism

Further information: Fascism and ideology and Women in Nazi Germany

Fascism had mixed views on women’s rights. In 1919, a Fascist manifesto asked for women to vote and hold office. Some Fascist women’s groups pushed for these changes. But leaders like Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler did not support feminism. Under their rule, many rights women had fought for were taken away.

Civil rights movement and anti-racism

The work for civil rights influenced the feminist movement, and feminism helped civil rights efforts too. American feminists used ideas from the civil rights movement to talk about women’s rights. But in the late 1960s and 1970s, some women of color said that feminism often focused only on white, middle-class women. This led to new kinds of feminism, like black feminism and Chicana feminism, which looked at how race, class, and gender all affect people’s lives.

Neoliberalism

Neoliberalism has been criticized for hurting women’s jobs, especially in poorer countries. Some say getting more women to work will help economies grow, but feminist critics say this doesn’t really make things fairer between men and women. Neoliberal policies have not solved big problems like low pay for women’s work and keeping women in lower positions at work and at home. The term “feminization of employment” describes how many jobs now have worse conditions, lower pay, and less security.

Societal impact

Main article: Feminist effects on society

The feminist movement has brought many changes to society. Women gained the right to vote, go to school, earn fairer pay, start divorce, make choices about pregnancy, and own property.

From the 1960s onward, the push for women's rights brought changes in the U.S. and the U.K. Countries in the EEC worked to remove unfair laws. Some feminist efforts helped change ideas about responsibility for harmful actions involving children.

In the U.S., the National Organization for Women began in 1966 to fight for women's equality. This included trying to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, though it did not succeed everywhere. The court's decision in Roe v. Wade let women decide whether to continue a pregnancy.

Feminist ideas also affect how we think about jobs at home and work. As more women joined workplaces, ideas about housework changed. Some say women still do more housework, even when they work outside the home.

Internationally, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) was created by the United Nations General Assembly to support women's rights worldwide.

Feminist legal ideas look at how laws affect women and aim to fix unfair treatments. They challenge old ideas that ignore women's experiences.

Some people argue that certain words and phrases can show unfair ideas about men and women. For example, using only male words for jobs can make it seem like men are the norm.

Feminist ideas also appear in different religions. For example, in Christian, Islamic, Buddhist, and Jewish traditions, people work to make sure women have equal roles and rights. This includes rethinking old teachings and stories to include women fairly.

Patriarchy is a system where men hold most of the power. Feminists say this is unfair to women and limits everyone. Some think changing this system is key to equality, while others suggest new ways for men and women to work together.

Feminist ideas also look at how society expects men to behave. Some say these expectations can be harmful and limit men's choices. Many men support feminism, seeing it as important for everyone's equality. The goal is for both men and women to work together for a fairer world.

Reactions

People have different thoughts about feminism. Both men and women can support or criticize it. In the United States, many students agree with feminist ideas but don’t always call themselves feminists. The media sometimes shows feminism in a negative way, but when people meet self-identified feminists or talk about feminism, they are more likely to support it.

Some men support feminism without being part of the feminist movement. These pro-feminist men work to prevent violence, offer workshops about respectful behavior at work, and help educate communities. They also support men’s health and work with feminists on issues like violence against women.

Others criticize feminism. Some believe that certain feminist views can be unfair to men or that feminism focuses too much on women’s interests. There are also people who oppose feminism completely, thinking it goes against traditional values or religious beliefs. They may disagree with women working, voting, or having control over their own lives.

Some people who value reason and ethics, called secular humanists, wonder why focus on feminism instead of broader human rights. However, many humanists and feminists share similar goals, even if their reasons differ. Humanism helped support women’s education in the past, even when society often preferred men.