The Feminist Movement

Over a hundred years ago, one event created chaos among gender roles and here are some of the initial factors of how rights for women started as a predicament which later began to evolve into a much larger problem that involved many people around the nations. Over the course of history, many issues had change the world to what it has become today. Many problems led to social, economic, and other changes. One small event is able to cause more obstacles, which eventually leads to larger complications. Even though society had tried to resolve these issues, they still encountered many hardships that were disruptive to their own perspectives as also for other people within the community. Thus, this was an important issue because it had changed

With the advancement of suffrage to equal pay, over the last century, women’s rights have progressed immensely. Through historic marches and demonstrations across the United States, women protested for their equal place in politics and social progress. Despite the fear-mongering components used in achieving these rights, women’s rights are still thoroughly debated within society today. Over the last century, incredible and unreachable goals have been fulfilled for women, such as the right to vote and a sense of equal state in the “Free World,” and can only improve in the years to come.

Early feminism was typically focused only on white women, likely because racism was still extremely prominent at the time feminism began emerging. It was not until Kimberlé Crenshaw introduced the term “intersectionality” in 1989 that feminism started to look at oppressed group’s needs (Nash, 2008, 2). Intersectionality is a way of thinking that acknowledges that when a person has identities that belong to more than one oppressed group, it impacts their quality of life more negatively. In this paper, I will argue that intersectionality is important in the discussion of feminist theories and activism because it ensures that feminism is for all women, not just a select group of them. Intersectionality has changed the way the feminist movement handles the overlapping of different identities, which has helped feminist theorists understand the experiences of women of colour much more clearly. While intersectionality has a very important role in the conversation and practice of feminism, there are certainly critiques of the concept that should be brought up. These critiques, however, can offer a way to improve the study of intersectionality.

Soon after the modern feminist movement began, there was pressure put on the US government to decree occupational equality. In 1963, the Equal Pay Act was passed, making it illegal for women to be paid less than men when carrying out the same job. Then, in the following year, feminists saw another victory when Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibited employers to discriminate based on sex,

Looking back with a historical lens, it’s evident that the fight for women’s rights has progressed in a step wise process. The nineteenth amendment opened a new door of opportunities for women to take advantage of. In modern times, the continued push for equal rights is evident through the fight for reproductive rights and equal pay. Even with the right to vote, women are still being under represented and out of control when it comes to their reproductive rights and in the workplace. Opposing beliefs regarding feminism have prevented the progression of more gender equality in the United States. What originally started as a plea for a political voice helped to shape the history of the nation. Women’s suffrage paved the way for countless groups and further feminist

Around the years 1848 and 1869, the Feminist and Suffrage movement started to take off, and was named "the emergence of an independent women 's movement in America" (Dubois Title). During these times, societal standards taught that a woman belonged either in the kitchen, or serving her family. This presented few opportunities for education and/or careers for women. In turn, many women realized they didn 't want to only serve their families, or even have a family. They decided to stand up for themselves. This was the beginning of a revolution that is unfortunately still going on today.

The feminist movement of the 1960’s focused solely on the improvement and well- being of women. The idea of Feminism is a critical theory as it is an analytical examination of social conditions and what tools could be utilized to proactively improve these conditions. Overcoming the consistent barriers women had to endure during this era remains prevalent and continues to have psychological effects. In order to strengthen one’s mindset regarding feminism, we must first refer back and understand the intellectual history of the women’s movement and examine areas of how counseling can assist with overcoming these impediments. The Feminist philosophy is the philosophical dimension of intellectual feminism. Many philosophers understand their intellectual history and the history of the women's movement in terms of three "waves."

During this period several women including Betty Friedan stood out to establish safeguards against discrimination of sex.Women were gaining their rights along with African Americans. Betty Friedan established the National Women’s Caucus half of a million women fought so they can have equality toward men they took part in the women’s strike on August 26,1976. In 1961, President Kennedy established issues related to women he established an important step for women’s rights.Women weren’t treated fairly in the workplace and the EEOC was unable to enforce they were discriminated in the workplace. By 1972, the equal rights amendment had been approved everyone is now equal including women. This shows how women were able to overcome the stereotypes that were put upon them and how they were able to fight to make themselves equal like men for many centuries.Also, how Acts were established for women’s rights. Today, women are finally able to work and vote without being discriminated upon by society.Women have more opportunity today than in the 19th century, today women have equality toward men and they are treated equally in society.The movement made it possible for women to gain equality toward men and have more opportunities that they never got in the 19th

Many women were unhappy trying to fit in and portray the image of the happy suburban housewife. Later that year women were so happy to hear that congress passed the Equal Pay Act, which made it illegal for a woman to be paid less than a man for the exact same job. Three years later, in 1966 the National Organization for Women (NOW) was formed and would demand women be treated equal on the job, with education, and in political participation. Women were becoming increasingly upset with the slow progress of reform. Another female revolt was beginning within the civil rights and student movements that was all about women’s liberation. Women felt that sexual relations, conditions of marriage, and standards of beauty were just as political as civil rights, and fought for women’s freedom (Foner

Betty Friedan was a significant role model to women everywhere in the early 1960s when she first came out with her book, The Feminist. Friedan’s book inspired women everywhere to work with government leaders in order to earn equal pay, and to avoid employment discrimination. Friedan’s actions directly lead to the creation of The National Organization for Women (NOW). This organization fought to ensure equality for women everywhere. They did not start out too successful in the early 1960s, but by the end of the second year, they rounded up just about 1,035 members. The group tried to make their own Bill of Rights for women; it made sure to enforce the laws of banning employment discrimination; maternity leave rights; child care centers; tax deductions for child care expenses; equal and unsegregated education; and equal job-training opportunities

Every reformation requires a leader—someone to set an example for them, to remind them what they are fighting for, to be the first person to stand up for their cause. Each leader represents every individual in their movement and they have to be willing to sacrifice everything for the cause of their movement. As entrepreneur Bo Bennet said, “Without initiative, leaders are simply workers in leadership position.” In the women’s rights movement, there was someone who defied all standards set up for women in the 1800s and took chances for the cause of suffrage and equality—Susan Brownell Anthony. Born into a Quaker family in New York, Anthony grew up under the notion of social equality and pursued independence as a young woman. This led her to pursue several imperative movements such as temperance, abolition and her most profound and recognized reformation—women’s rights. Susan B. Anthony played a critical role in changing the direction of the women’s rights movement and its success by demonstrating her authority as a leader and breaking the standards of society for women.

But with the civil rights movement act in 1964, feminist made their way to congress and lobbied for the injunction of gender discernment in the labor force. After much deliberation, the civil rights act was conceded with the prohibition of title VII: “equal employment opportunity.” For this reason, in 1965, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was assembled to secure the implementation of the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, but despite all the efforts the EEOC decided that gender discrimination in the workforce was permitted. During the Third National conference of Commissions on the status of women, many of the activist for women’s rights gather at this conference requesting that the EEOC fulfilled its lawful decree and put an end to the segregation in the workforce, but they were denied under the allegation that they didn’t have any authority to do so.

The women's rights movement in the United States of America was an important part of history for the social equality of women around the world. Not only did women receive the right to vote, but as time passed education and careers became available. In 1848, through July nineteen to twenty, the Seneca Falls Convention was held which marked the start of the demand for equal rights of women. The convention itself had three hundred who attended, with around forty men who came to call upon how the female community were being wrongly shackled from their rights. As time went by, another convention was held and was officially the first National Women's Rights Convention which took place in Worcester, Mass. This time the event had over a thousand

Throughout history, Canada’s identity has changed in many ways and there have been many historical events that have greatly shaped and impacted Canada’s history and identity. The Women’s Movement and women’s contribution in the past and throughout history has had the greatest impact on shaping Canada into what it is today. Among many identifying qualities like being multicultural, bilingual, and world leaders, Canada is also country that has changed immensely in the way of becoming a country that has learned to accept women, move towards providing them with equal opportunities and treating them equally. Through economic, social and political movements and actions, the contribution from women and the women’s movement have increased, changed and improved women’s rights and equality greatly. Women worked to create independence and equality economically through their contributions to war on the homefront in WWI resulting in greater workplace equality, socially through the actions of the Flappers in the 1920’s giving women currently, the confidence and strength that they need to speak up, and politically, through the work of the Suffragists including the Famous 5 to allow women to have the same political rights as men.

The Women’s Liberation Movement greatly impacted Australia and the United States throughout the 60’s and 70’s carrying on to the 90’s. Without the Women’s Liberation Movement women wouldn’t have received changes in laws primarily regarding employment impacting on them moving forward in terms of equal opportunities. However there is still a there is still process to be made concerning employment and social roles for women to have equal rights as men. The Women’s Liberation Movement started in the 60’s during the second wave of feminism. Even though the 70’s were a time of change, both Australia and the United States saw women remaining in low status roles and staying primarily in the domestic sphere. The 90’s however saw a dramatic change in the amount of women employed and working more so in the domestic sphere.