Feminisms

“Feminism, the belief in social, economic, and political equality of the sexes. Although largely originating in the West, feminism is manifested worldwide and is represented by various institutions committed to activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests.” (Brunell) Periods of feminist action are defined by contemporary feminist historians as waves. The first wave of feminism refers to the time period between the nineteenth and early twentieth century and is most commonly characterised by the women’s suffrage movement. Catalysts of the first wave such as Mary Wollstonecraft’s “A Vindication of the Rights of Women,” outlined society’s failures with regard to women such as, it’s failure to respect women’s value outside of the domestic sphere. (Pagila, 2008) The first wave of feminism did not specifically mark the fight for gender equality; the first wave marked to first multi-national organised movement encouraging political shifts towards equal opportunities and the treatment of women. The first wave is considered to have ended in 1919 with the contract of the 19^th amendment to the United States Constitution granting women the right to vote.

The second wave of feminism began in the 1960’s and represented a seemingly abrupt break with the tranquil suburban life pictured in American popular culture. The first wave built a strong foundation for political equality, and the second wave was able to extend that beyond the suffrage movement. Women's concerns were on President John F Kennedy's agenda even before public discussion began. In 1961 he created the President's Commission on the Status of Women and appointed Eleanor Roosevelt to lead it. (Brunell) The second wave emphasised gender equality in education, in the workplace, and also at home where women tried to separate themselves from the restrictive stereotype of the submissive American housewife that became even more engrained in western culture throughout the 1940s and 1950s. (Pagila, 2008) The Equal Pay Act of 1963 offered the first guarantee, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was amended to bar employers from discriminating on the basis of sex. In contrast to the pragmatic approach taken by liberal feminism, radical feminism aimed to reshape society and restructure its institutions, which they saw as inherently patriarchal. (Brunell) The phrase “personal is political” created by Carol Hanish inspired women to seek equal treatment not just politically, but also culturally and socially. (Pagila, 2008)

The third wave of feminism emerged in the mid 1990's. It was led by so called Generation Xers who, born in the 1960's and 70's in the developed world, came of age in a media saturated and culturally and economically diverse milieu. (Brunell) The third wave is the belief that hearing other women’s stories can both enlighten and ground the movement of gender equality, pop culture and works with self-proclaimed advocates of third wave feminism. The third wave was made possible by the greater economic and professional power and status achieved by women of the second wave, the massive expansion in opportunities for the dissemination of ideas created by the information revolution of the late 20th century, and the coming of age of Generation X scholars and activists. (Brunell) The question of how can a movement be focused and united when it highlights differences and champions every choice that every woman makes? Lori Marso (2010) discussed the importance of emphasising collective political consciousness among women though the third wave aims to do so, only after this is achieved and the scope of gender equality and diversity acknowledged can women fight for political goals and broader social justice. However, Marso’s analysis does not consider the implications of representation and advertising shape this collective political consciousness and third wave’s close relationship with pop culture is essential to the progression as a successful and viable social movement.  Third wave feminists, influenced by the post-modernist movement sought to question, reclaim, and redefine the ideas, words and media that have transmitted ideas about womanhood, gender, beauty, sexuality, femininity and masculinity. In reaction and opposition to stereotypical images of women as passive, weak, virginal, slutty and demanding. The third wave redefined women as assertive, powerful and in control of their own sexuality. (Brunell)

Debated by some, some claim that a fourth wave of feminism began about 2012, with a focus on sexual harassment, body shaming and rape culture among other issues. Online and the internet has created a platform for fourth wave feminism to take place. ‘Maybe the fourth wave is online,' said feminist Jessica Valenti in 2009, and that's come to be one of the major ideas of fourth wave feminism. (Brunell) Sometimes fourth-wave activism can even take place on the internet such as the MeToo tweets, and sometimes it takes place on the streets The Women's March, but it's conceived and propagated online.  The ‘MeToo’ movement was significant, which launched in 2006 in the United States to assist survivors of sexual violence, especially females of colour. The campaign gained widespread attention beginning in 2017, after it was revealed that film mogul Harvey Weinstein had for years sexually harassed and assaulted women in the industry with impunity. Like all of feminism, the fourth wave is not a monolith it means different things to different people. Fourth wave feminism is queer, sex-positive, trans-inclusive, body positive and digitally driven. Now the fourth wave has begun to hold our culture's most powerful men accountable for their behaviour. It has begun a radical critique of the systems of power that allow predators to target women with impunity. (Brunell)