"all movements that work to obtain women's rights should be considered feminist movements"
Explore the origins and evolution of feminist thought and activism from the 18th century to the present day.
First-wave feminism: Refers to the suffrage movement of the late 19th and early 20th century, during which women began fighting for the right to vote.
Second-wave feminism: Refers to the feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s which focused on issues such as reproductive rights, workplace discrimination, and sexual liberation.
Third-wave feminism: The third feminist movement which emerged in the 1990s and emphasises the individual experiences of women and intersectionality.
Patriarchy: A system of society and government where men hold most of the power and women are excluded or oppressed.
Intersectionality: The idea that social identities such as gender, race, and class intersect and are interconnected and that efforts to address inequality must take into account multiple identities.
Gender roles: The societal expectations and standards of behaviours for females and males.
Feminist theory: The study of the political, social, and economic equality of the sexes and the ways in which sexism affects indiviuals and society.
Feminist movements around the world: Feminist movements that have emerged in different parts of the world, and how they vary based on cultural norms and geopolitical context.
Sexual harassment and assault: The experiences of women, particularly in the workplace, with harassment and assault and how they have been addressed in feminist movements.
Reproductive rights: The right to control one's own body, specifically as it pertains to contraception and abortion.
Women in politics: The struggles of women for equal representation in governmental and political systems.
Women of colour feminism: Intersectional feminism which specifically deals with issues of women of colour and their experiences.
Media and representation: How the media portrays women and the role of representation in shaping societal norms.
Eco-feminism: Branched-off movement concerned with the intersection of environmentalism and feminism.
Liberal Feminism: This type of feminism promotes gender equality through legal and political reform. It focuses on equal rights and opportunities for women in areas such as employment, education, and politics.
Radical Feminism: This movement believes that the root cause of women's subordination is patriarchy. It aims to dismantle the patriarchal system completely and create a society that is free from gender oppression.
Socialist Feminism: This feminism type focuses on both gender and class oppression, and it argues that capitalism and patriarchy are interconnected. It aims to create a socialist society that is free from class and gender oppression.
Cultural Feminism: This type of feminism celebrates the innate qualities of women and promotes female values, such as nurturing and empathy. It argues that women should have a unique role in society, distinct from men.
Ecofeminism: This feminism type highlights the connection between the oppression of women and domination of nature. It argues that both women and nature are victimized by patriarchal exploitation and aims to create an eco-justice society.
Black Feminism: This movement emerged in response to the exclusion of black women from mainstream feminist movements. It focuses on the intersectionality of race, gender, and sexuality and aims to liberate black women from their oppression.
Postcolonial Feminism: This type of feminism critiques the political, social, and cultural effects of colonialism on women's lives. It emphasizes the voices of marginalized women and aims to dismantle colonial patriarchal structures.
Womanism: This movement emerged within black feminist circles and emphasizes the cultural and spiritual aspects of black women's lives. It aims to create a world where black women are valued for who they are.
Transnational Feminism: This feminism type focuses on the interconnectedness of women's struggles globally. It highlights the experiences of women in the global south and aims to challenge imperialism, globalization, and neoliberalism.
Queer Feminism: This type of feminism emphasizes LGBTQIA+ issues and aims to center and uplift queer voices. It critiques the traditional gender binary and heteronormativity in society, aiming to create a more inclusive and intersectional feminism.
"feminists around the world have differed in causes, goals, and intentions depending on time, culture, and country"
"use the label 'protofeminist' to describe earlier movements"
"conventionally split into time periods, or 'waves'"
"focused on overturning legal inequalities, particularly addressing issues of women's suffrage"
"cultural inequalities, gender norms, and the role of women in society"
"seen by third-wavers themselves both as a continuation of the second wave and as a response to its perceived failures"
"intersectionality, emphasizing body positivity, trans-inclusivity, and an open discourse about rape culture in the social media era"
"ignoring and erasing the history between the 'waves', by choosing to focus solely on a few famous figures, on the perspective of a white bourgeois woman and on popular events, and for being racist and colonialist"
"all movements that work to obtain women's rights should be considered feminist movements"
"focused on overturning legal inequalities, particularly addressing issues of women's suffrage"
"broadened debate to include cultural inequalities, gender norms, and the role of women in society"
"seen by third-wavers themselves both as a continuation of the second wave and as a response to its perceived failures"
"intersectionality, emphasizing body positivity, trans-inclusivity"
"emphasizing body positivity, trans-inclusivity, and an open discourse about rape culture in the social media era"
"use the label 'protofeminist' to describe earlier movements"
"for ignoring and erasing the history between the 'waves', by choosing to focus solely on a few famous figures"
"on the perspective of a white bourgeois woman and on popular events"
"and for being racist and colonialist"
"each with slightly different aims based on prior progress"