Third Wave Feminism And Women's Rights

The severity of World War II directly impacted the future of American women by forcing them into positions of importance - a stark contrast to their traditional role as simple housewives. Without the jolting force of World War II shoving women into the somewhat uncomfortable position as the backbone of the nation’s labor force, traditions would have been perpetuated for decades longer. Because their wartime acts gave women nationwide a sense of self-confidence, they pushed for more rights in the proceeding decades with the rise of second-wave

Other than the obvious time differences between first and second wave feminism, the real contrasts are found in what it was the women, and men in some cases, were fighting for. First-Wave feminists mainly fought for suffrage, while their Second-Wave sisters fought for a wider range of women’s rights.

This essay examines the question, “To what extent was the second wave of feminism (in the 1960’s and 1970’s) successful in achieving equality for women?” The essay is introduced by describing why the second wave of feminism developed and the aims of this second wave of feminist. The essay is broken into two parts. The first part of the essay discusses the impact of women 's rights activist on legislation. It is argued that the second wave feminist were unsuccessful in gaining equality in terms of obtaining equal wages and opportunities for women in the workplace. They however were successful in obtaining equal rights laws and reproductive laws for women. The feminist of the 1960’s and 70’s were victorious in securing for many american women the right to have easy access to contraceptives and abortion. The second part of the essay focuses on the extent that the second wave feminist were successful in changing the mindset of Americans. These feminist wanted the view of women to be one that portrayed women less as only a housewife and more as a women who can lead a life that could involve a career in any field. Success ranged in this area. On one side there was women becoming more independent and free as they embarked the sexual revolution while in other regards such as film and music women still held an inferior role to men. The second wave of feminism achieved great success in attaining equality for women however this success was not as far ranging as these mid 20th century

As Third Wave feminism is currently unfolding before us, and its aims encompass a wide array of complex issues, it is often hard to describe what Third Wave feminism is. The feminist theories, mainly associated with First and Second Wave feminism attempt to describe the power imbalances that are found in society, and while doing so expose other oppressions, such as discrimination based on race or sexual orientation. As this essay attempts to place a clear definition to Third Wave feminism, feminists are concurrently trying to deconstruct old definitions and open it up for women to determine what feminism means to them. In other words, no clear definition on what is meant to be a feminist is sufficient, as the Third Wave is about

at the time. Friedan sparked a fervor in women that is unparalleled in the realm of women’s rights. In a society dominated by men and their age old ideals, Friedan was their voice, campaigning for women to stop

Intersectionality underscores that it is impossible to consider gender in isolation from other forms of difference. Critically discuss the significance of this, including its implications for feminism. Refer to at least 3 readings in the unit read from weeks 1-6.

“You cannot be a humanist unless you are a feminist. You either advocate equality for all or you are a misanthrope” (Michael A. Sherlock). From women’s suffrage to abortion laws feminism has evolved with contemporary battles and a variety of approaches. The

The second wave feminism is a period of feminist activity and thought that first began in the early 1960s in the United states, and eventually spread throughout the western world and beyond. The united states movement lasted through the early 1980s. It then later became a worldwide movement that was strong in europe and some parts of asia, such as Turkey and Israel, where it began in the 1980s, and it began at other at other times in the other countries.

Feminism can be described as a collection of ideologies that share the same aim; the belief that all people, regardless of gender, are entitled to the same rights and should be treated as equals. Women have been fighting for equal rights and expressing their feelings and concerns about discrimination since as early as the 18th Century, when the European Enlightenment developed the idea of ‘natural rights’ and Mary Wollstonecraft published her 1792 novel, ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Women’. Mary Wollstonecraft is often thought of as the first feminist philosopher and this novel is one of the first to be called ‘feminist’. Over time, there have been surges in feminist activities and times in history when feminists have pushed for their rights more than before.

Unlike the First and the Second waves the Third wave does not have a starting point or a particular moment. The period from early 1990’s to present is often defined as the Third wave. This wave is considered as the “backlash” of the movements and achievements made in the second wave. Many issues like Webster decision in 1989, that made a way to create abortion laws and Planned Parenthood Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey made a law that women should get counseling before abortion led to the lesser chances of availability of abortion. Since then, even the education in abortion was also seemed to gradually decrease. By 1990, there had been bombings on the abortion clinics. Also in 1976 , Snuff, a porographic film pushed women to form a Women against Violence in Pornograohy and Media as they realized that pornography degrades women of her standards and ultimately leads to rape and violence. Many feminists believed that pornography violates women’s rights. Media played a major role in reflecting the views of women to be called feminists. This wave particularly focuses on intersectionality. Women of color also expressed their thoughts of being divided on the basis of color and what it means to them to be a feminist. Some of the papers like “ This Bridge Called My Back, took birth which portraits the concerns of women of color and third world women and are also significant to those involved in the third wave. Many feminist writers like Bell Hooks, Audre

New waves of feminism have been spreading across all states with each varying due to the political and cultural climate of said states. One example of this interaction between a state, its people, and the game that is social advancement is Iran. Despite Iran attempting to equalize men and women in socioeconomic and educational aspects (and, sometimes, not even that), the continuation of protests for women’s rights proves that some rights are more valuable to the advancement of gender equality than others. However, there is no specific area that should be targeted for this change as doing so does not promote complete equality. However, the area that seems to be most important is the political one. By limiting the woman’s voice in the political process, there has been a constant tug-of-war with the rights of women. Furthermore, this has caused great backlash from the women of Iran who protested for the inclusion of more women on the recently elected President’s cabinet. If more women were represented within the political process, then perhaps sustainable and constant change would be happening within the nation of Iran as it has in other countries. In putting up this political barricade, women are forced to only have their voices heard in unofficial protests with demands that, typically, fall on deaf or uninterested ears.

What is feminism? Feminism is a definition to philosophy in which women and their contributions are valued. It is based on a social political and economical which is an equality for women. It’s a revolution that includes women and men who who wish the world to be equal without boundaries. The evolution of the rights of women in Australia owes much to successive waves of feminism, or the women 's movement. The first of these took place in the late 19th century and was concerned largely with gaining the right to vote and to stand for election into parliament. The second wave of feminism took place in the 1960s and 1970s and focused on gaining equality with men in other. The second wave targeted many different aspects of life and presented a broader challenge to traditional ideas of women 's rights. It therefore led to more fundamental changes in the daily lives of mainstream Australian women.

When referring to the history of feminism in the manner of the first, second, or third wave, one is undermining the experiences that were ongoing during, in middle of, and before those waves that history defines. What ideologies of oppression were being spoken of to raise awareness and whose experience was being excluded/diminished? The articulation of feminism in using the metaphor of waves to describe how the ideologies peaked and rescinded, is incorrect because it focuses only on the voices of those who were able to bring their problems to the surface and excludes those who had a different experience or may have brought awareness in a quieter manner. There are many feminisms and each interpretation is defined by the collective oppression, rather than looking at the situation in an individual perception, which is what creates disagreements and division between feminists. Many definitions of feminism, feminisms, exist simultaneously because it is evolving as fast (or, well, as slow) as the world is changing and if one group of people are to speak of others experience of oppression (or lack of) in place of them, the result can be the glossing over of experiences and therefore, undermine experiences of others.

The idea of women being equal to men has been debated for a very long time. Even when civilizations were just starting, most women were treated very differently from men. When women started fighting against this oppression they were called feminists. Feminism can be separated into three waves. The first wave of feminism was from the mid 1800s to the early 1900s. The second wave was from the 1960s to the 1980s. The third wave of feminism started in the 1990s, but its end is unclear. Some people believe it has ended and the fourth wave of feminism has started, but others believe it continues today. The different waves have been very different in some aspects, but very similar in others. The main differences between the first and third wave of feminism are what they fought for, how they protested, and society’s reaction to their cause.

In 1776, the then First Lady of the United States was the first to raise her about women’s rights, telling her husband to “remember the ladies” in his drafting of new laws, yet it took more than 100 years for men like John Adams to actually do so. With the help of half a dozen determined, and in this case white upper-middle-class, women the first-wave feminism, which spans from the 19th century to the early 20th century, finally led to their goal after 72 years of protesting. The Nineteenth Amendment, which secured the rights for women to vote finally passed in 1920. This grand victory brought other reforms along, including reforms in the educational system,