Feminism as a Movement

Introduction

Feminism, simply put, refers to a movement that spread from United States to Europe and then to the whole world that aims for a single call: women rights. For many, the movement came because women all over the world were suffering from injustice. In Europe, women were denied rights for voting, education, property, work...etc. By the beginnings of the 19^th century and after the Enlightenment revolutionising philosophies and with the coming of industrialisation and technology, there was an urge for change for women status be it social, economic, political, or cultural.

A Definition towards Feminism

For Offen (1988) feminism emerged as a concept that can encompass both an ideology and a movement for socio-political change based on a critical analysis of male privilege and women’s subordination within any given society. The movement’s most important call, hence, was for male and female equality. Feminism, however, changed throughout history. For that reason, it is wrong to ask for a precise definition since there is not only one form of feminism; there are feminisms. Liberal feminism, for example, rejects patriarchal domination and asks for women’s social integration. Radical feminism, from the other hand, thinks that sexism is deeply rooted in culture and the only cure for this disease is to eradicate gender as a concept. It tackles issues of sexual partnership, pregnancy, abortion, and women’s own right of their own bodies. Social feminism, merely related to Marxist theory, calls for economic reformations among which a quest to eliminate capitalism is the core focus. Men have dominated higher statuses because of their economic freedom and powers. If shared with women, patriarchy will perish and a new era for women will emerge.  Feminism, therefore, has to be conjugated with other principals to be fully understood.

Feminism Development

Historically speaking, feminism developed in three waves. The first wave emerged by the WWI and called mainly for women’s political rights such as voting, education, and property. Mary Wollstonecraft’s famous book A Vindication of the Rights of Women (1792) and Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own (1929) are two pioneering works which influenced the development the two future waves witnessed. The second wave is related to radical feminism call between 1960 and 1970. Their quest focus was not vote or equality but women’s right to own her body freeing it from any social, religious, or cultural constraints. It also asked for social equality such as work opportunities, family shared responsibilities, and liberating sexual experiences. One of the most influential writings of the time was Simone de Beauvoir’s book The Second Sex (1949) in which she claims ‘one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman”. The third wave of the 1990’s came to solve the problems which the 1^st and the 2^nd wave could not undertake. This includes women of color issue since the first two waves are criticized for their concentrating on white women rights only. This latter is considered the most powerful and effective feminism for its ability to engage in political, social, economic, and even religious affairs giving the world a new order.

Common Agreements

Despite their differences, feminists agree upon basic aspects including (but not limited to):

-Women are politically, economically, socially, and culturally oppressed.

-The world has been dominated for long time that patriarchy became the norm.

-This domination is exercised and maintained throughout everyday behaviours and attitudes.

-The only way to get rid of this domination is through gender equality.

Conclusion