Three Waves Of Feminism

Kathleen Hanna stated: “There are just as many different kinds of feminism as there are women in the world.” This could not be truer. With different types of women, you have different types of feminism, all differing in levels of activism however enveloping around the same purpose. The most popular definition of the term feminism is “the doctrine for advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men” (Dictionary). These would include perception of appearance and attitude, equal pay for equal work – constitutional equality, reproductive rights, ending violence against women, and more. Early thinkers, including Sappho, Hildegard of Bingen, Christine de Pisan, and more are considered the “foremothers of the modern women’s movement” (Rampton). There are three waves of feminism spanning from the late nineteenth century to present day. They encompass the first through the current attempts and successes of what women have fought for in their role in modern society. Roles of women have changed over the past 150 years in the home, the workforce and workplace, the church, and in the educational system. Despite great improvements in equality

The period of the first wave was from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. This wave was centered on the fight for a woman’s right to vote. It all began with the Seneca Falls Convention held in Seneca Falls, New York in July of 1848. The women’s rights and abolition movements are heavily convoluted. Elizabeth Cady Stanton is credited as being one of the first women’s rights activists. She was an essential part of the women’s suffrage movement (DeFonza). Successfully leading the drafting of the Declaration of Sentiments, together the Convention made the “first formal demand for women’s suffrage in America” (MacNamara). The first wave came with success in voting rights across borders, including the United Kingdom, Netherlands, and