A graphic of three women advocating for their rights (The Conversation)
Feminism is defined as a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression. However, it has a different meaning across generations and nationalities, and it is constantly evolving. There are three major “waves” of feminism inside the movement in the U.S.
The first wave happened between 1840 to 1920 and was spearheaded by activists like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Matilda Joslyn Gage, and Alice Paul. They protested “feme covert” laws, which made women legal dependents of a father or husband. These laws affected inheritance, employment, marriage, and divorce.
At that time, women could not vote except in a few Western states. The “Declaration of Sentiments”—a document listing a desire for women to vote—was created at the landmark 1848 Seneca Falls convention. After many years of fighting, the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920 and gave women the right to vote.
The ERA, or Equal Rights Amendment, was introduced in 1923; however, it wasn’t immediately ratified and still isn’t to this day. The amendment guarantees women equality under the law, and states, “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the U.S. or by any state on the account of sex.”
The second wave took place between the 1960s and the 1980s. The time period was marked by lots of anti-war and civil rights movements, which spread awareness of activism across the world. During this wave, lots of new legislation was fought for and passed, such as the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which illegalized payment discrimination based on gender.
Additionally, Title IX was created in 1972, which gave women protections against sexual harassment, assault, and rape. In 1973, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Roe v. Wade and gave all women the right to access an abortion. Although middle-class white women dominated the movement during this time, feminism later became more inclusive of working-class women, women of color, and lesbians.
The third wave of feminism started in 1990 and continues today. Some historians argue that we have already moved out of the third wave and are currently in the fourth wave, but this perspective is less common. The biggest shift in the third wave is that feminism now has a more international focus.
Historians and activists agree that the movement now embraces diversity and recognizes intersectionality between identities. There is no longer a singular feminist ideal, and there is less pressure to conform inside of the movement.
Ratifying the ERA has also re-emerged as an ongoing fight. However, many people oppose the action, because it would entitle women to duties such as a military draft, and it is unlikely to be passed any time soon. While we have come a long way since the first wave of feminism, we still have a long way to go.
Discussion Questions:
How have you interacted with feminism in your personal life?
What next steps do you think we can take to ensure equality?
Do you think the ERA should be passed? Why or why not?
Vocabulary:
Exploitation: taking advantage of
Oppression: the mistreatment of a group of people
Evolving: changing and growing
Inheritance: passing down money through family
Landmark: turning point
Ratified: passed as legislation
Awareness: attention
Illegalized: to be made against the law
Discrimination: biased actions
Harassment: unwanted bothering or attention
Dominated: took the lead
Lesbians: women attracted to other women
Perspective: outlook
Intersectionality: focusing on the intersections between
Conform: to make the same
Re-emerged: to have appeared again
Entitle: give the right to
