A lot of people are afraid of my favorite F word, but even more do not know the meaning behind it – where it came from, what ideals are embodied within it, or even the simple definition. Some, as crazy as it sounds, are even offended by it. I promise though, it’s not so bad.
Feminism. The advocacy of equality, no matter your gender, based on the grounds of social, economic, and political rights. Different types of feminism have emerged over the years and the history is actually quite fascinating. Most who look back at the history will say that there are three “waves” of feminism, or three different areas of inequality that were focused on.
First wave feminism came about in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in the United Kingdom and the United States, which primarily focused on the political issues and fought hard for the right to vote. Ratified in August of 1920, the 19th Amendment granted their wish; however, it is important to note that this amendment, unfortunately, only applied to white women, since at this point in time only white people were considered to be citizens of the United States. In 1948, the last state laws that denied Native Americans the right to vote was overturned, in 1952, Asian-Americans received the right to vote, and it was not until 1965 that African Americans were granted the right to vote.
Second wave feminism focused on women’s dissatisfaction with domestic restrictions that were so strictly reinforced, workplace discrimination, as well as other kinds of discrimination – mostly concerning race, since this wave started in the early 1960s. The ideologies that second wave feminism adopted were due to the formation and involvement of many other organizations, all who focused on different areas of discrimination and coming together as an entire movement.
Third wave feminism, which began in the mid-1990s and continues into the present day, really concerns the deconstruction of gender roles of both males and females. First and foremost, feminist of early third wave feminism wanted to destabilize the notion of “universal womanhood” or simply put, the fact that not all women had the same experiences when it comes to our sexuality, body, or gender altogether. (Who knew women could actually think on an individual and not just collective level, huh?) Later, starting in the 2000s, third wave feminists began shifting their focus to deconstructing male gender roles as well, which is an even greater challenge, of course.
From the very second that we are born into this world, society has already given us a standard to live by based on our biological gender. Either you are a girl or a boy. Either you play with dolls and are dressed in pink or you play with trucks and wear blue. Either you are taught to wear makeup or are tossed into (often times, violent) sports.
Fortunately though, the radical thought of raising boys and girls the same is starting to erase some of these preconceived ideas of gender and the roles we take on because of it. Because these tiny humans who are just starting to learn how to walk and talk are the future of the world, this relates directly and fully to the problem of inequality between genders, which is what feminism is all about. If children are taught from the very beginning of their lives that girls don’t have to play with dolls and boys don’t have to play with trucks – that you can play with whatever you want no matter your gender – we can begin to set goals for even greater obstacles rather than just (literally) child’s play. Feminism seeks to unravel the ideas that restrict people from embracing what they like or what feels natural to them simply because of their gender.
Feminism is not man-hating. It is not the idea that women should be more powerful than men. It is the idea that no matter who you are, you are given an equal opportunity and are not judged based on your gender.
So, yes, feminism is by far my favorite F word. It is one that I’m not afraid to say and embodies a set of ideas that I wholeheartedly believe in. And if someone tries to insult you and call you a feminist, take it with pride and instead as a compliment, knowing that you are the one fighting for equality, you are the one making a difference, and you are the one changing the world into a better place.
