Your cart is currently empty!
100 years of American Feminism: How far have we come?
We focus on our strengths, not our weaknesses. Feminism is simply equality through a female lens. And just because we were born different than males, that does not mean lesser than.
100 years of American feminist history: Starting in the late 1800’s, with the 1st Wave and the suffragist movement, which was to give women the right to vote. These were not the first women to be given the name “feminist”, but there were so many of them, all fighting for their collective rights all at once it couldn’t be ignored anymore. Finally, in 1920, women headed to the polls for the first time.
But a woman’s work is never done and not all feminists are created equal. While yes, women now had the right to vote, the majority of those who campaigned for those rights still believed non-whites did not deserve equal treatment. The bigotry was pronounced, but not everyone thought like that, and there were plenty of actual feminists fighting for equality for all… However, progress is slow.
After women stepped up during the War efforts in the 40’s and 50’s, they started to realize they were doing the work of men, but not getting paid like the men. With the cultural revolution of equal rights for minorities right on the heels of that, the 2nd Wave of Feminism was born. This time we wanted equal rights for all, not just some. (At least in theory).
The counter-culture of the 60’s and 70’s was in full swing, women and men made love freely and young people experimented with mind altering drugs. This was also the time the birth control pill was invented, and soon Roe vs. Wade was passed, giving all Americans the right to an abortion. It was finally starting to look up for women.
However, the good times didn’t last and the conservative backlash of the 80’s created a hyper-patriarchal society, where gender norms were encouraged again, queer people were still invisible and/or targeted and sexual misconduct was still not seen as a real crime.
So, when 3rd Wave feminism hit in the 90’s, that was the jumping off point. We have a right to say “NO” to someone violating our bodies, and the laws need to protect us. Women’s voices were louder than ever but we were still seen as less than… still not getting fair pay, still not being believed or heard, and still fighting for equality.
That brings us up to modern times and 4th wave feminism, starting with the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. There were multiple feminist marches and Pink Pussy hats after Trump was elected, plus there’s the inclusion of LGBTQ+ rights, which has been denied for years by other so called “feminists”.
Discuss/Comment:
How do you feel the 4th Wave of feminism is going?
What would you like to see in the future?
How can you stay true to who you are in this world?