Waves of

Feminism
Dr. Reena Dewan
What is feminism

 Feminism is a collection of political , social and

ideological movements that defends the rights of
women.
 Feminists act, speak , write and advocate on women’s
issues , their rights, identity, and justice.
 They believe in equality and more appropriately should
be called human rights activists.
What feminism is Not

 Feminism is not the belief that woman are superior.

 Feminism is not hating men (misandry)
 Feminism is not male oppression.
Waves of Feminism

 The history of the feminist movements id divided into

different waves.
 Movement of 19th C through 20th C (approx 1900-1959):
First wave.
 1960s- 1980s : Second wave
 1990s - 2000s: Third wave
 2008s - present: Fourth wave
First wave

 Key concerns:
 Suffrage movement: Right to vote: 19th Amendment in
American Constitution, 1920- majority of the women in
this movement were white, unwilling to include women
of colour.
 Other concerns: education, employment, the marriage
laws, and the plight of intelligent middle class single
women.
 Individual feminist: Mary Wollstonecraft. In 1792, her
revolutionary book “Vindication” was published.
 Largely upper middle class white women responded to specific injustice
they had experienced.
 Women were not allowed to enter profession like medicine or law.
 No participation in the affair of church.
 Women were robbed off self-confidence and self-respect.
 Patriots like Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone and Sojourner Truth. The birth
control movement started by Margaret Sanger, a public health nurse,
around 1919, and continues to this date.
Second Wave of Feminism

 Key concern:
 Raising consciousness about sexism and patriarchy
 About gender based violence, domestic abuse, marital
rape
 Inequalities in the workplace
 Legalizing abortion and birth control
 Sexual liberation of women
 The writers:
1. Simon de Beauvoir’s “The Second sex”- 1949
2. Betty Friedan’s “The Feminine Mystique”- 1963.
Two types of movement:
3. Equal rights feminists
4. Radical feminists.
The second wave slogan
“The personal is political”
Adrienne Rich likes were outraged that equal rights feminists did not
recognize lesbian existence.
The activists were majorly white.
Third wave Feminism

 This wave was intersectional- includes race, class,

gender sexual orientation.
 Post colonial and post-modern thinking. (women were
more aware of their use of language, compliance with
gender construct and heterosexual norms).
 Involvement of non- white, diverse , lower-class women
were a part of the movement.
 Empowered trans individuals(LGBT)
 Redefined the role of women. Icons like Madonna , displayed that women
is not just an object but could be beautiful and powerful.
 Riot Grrl Feminism: it was a punk movement of 1990s: It was a sub-
cultural movement that combines feminism, punk music and politics.
Fourth wave Feminism

 Emergence of social media. The issues were discussed

on public forum.
 Body positivity movement.(against anorexia, bulimia,
dysmorphia and likes)
 Sexual Assault awareness
 Slut Walk: It was a transnational movement , the
procession was in 2011 in Toronto, Canada.
 #metoo campaign: Tarana Burke in 2006 and 2018 it was
initiated in India.