By Sydney Williams
Art by Jess Alen-Goix (@jessart231) for Seismic Sisters
Feminism. An intimidating word to many, even though it shouldn't be. The Feminist Movement has been beset by misconceptions of women stealing power and influence from men, but this is just simply not the case. Feminism is about sharing power, resources and responsibilities for governing society and creating a free, fair and open society for all. Feminism has gained momentum in the U.S. with major ‘waves’ of activism, such as the women’s suffrage campaign, and continues today as we are living through - and enthusiastically participating in - the fourth big wave of the movement. As our feminist voices amplify, not only are women finally finding their rightful place in leadership, but there is a broader understanding that our participation is needed now more than ever.
Waves of feminist activism set the stage for the women’s rights and equality movement of today. If you’re unfamiliar with this history, here’s a summary of the major waves of activism that created the groundswell for feminism in America.
The first wave of feminism began in the 1830s and lasted through the early 1900s. This wave was the grassroots stage of feminism, growing out of women’s work in the slavery abolition movement and recognition that these political organizing skills could also be applied to achieve social freedoms and legal rights for women, including the right to vote. Key events during this wave include the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention and drafting of the Declaration of Sentiments, Sojourner Truth’s famous “Ain’t I A Woman?” speech at a women’s rights conference in 1851, decades of work on women’s suffrage and the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the constitution in 1920 which gave women the right to vote (although it applied mainly to white women, and it took many years later to secure the right to vote for women of color with subsequent legislation and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965.)
The second wave of feminism, lasting from the 1960s to the 1980s was ignited by the end of World War II. Many men went overseas to fight the war on the frontlines, leaving women to fill their regular roles and jobs in society. It was an all-hands-on deck situation and women jumped in to help with the war effort wherever needed. Women had a taste of being important in society and making their own money with jobs that were valued and critical to the success of the nation. The federal government provided childcare centers for many women during this time so they could work in wartime factory jobs. When the men returned from war to fill their old jobs, many women were not satisfied to go back to the old ways and social roles. Expectations had changed for women’s roles in society. The second wave of feminism was also marked by women’s participation in the Vietnam War protests, Black Civil Rights movement, Chicano Rights, Asian-American Civil Rights, reproductive rights, and gay and lesbian movements.
Photo art by Fern Cooke. Insta @FernCooke
The third wave of feminism of the 1990s to the early 2000s was sparked by women’s explosive outrage at the treatment of Anita Hill at the judiciary hearing for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. It launched public debates and discussion about sexual harassment of women in the workplace, as well as drove millions of women to organize and get active in feminist groups, recognizing that there was still much work to be done. This renewed activism led to a surge in women running for office and resulted in a record number of women being elected to Congress - including two female senators from California (Boxer and Feinstein) - in what became known as “The Year of the Woman” in politics in 1991. The era continued with fights against gender-based violence, pay disparity, and growing attacks on hard-won reproductive rights, as well as rising demands by lesbians, bisexual and trans women to be fully included and respected in the movement. This important wave paved the way for where we are today.
The fourth wave of feminism is said to have begun rising in 2012 and continues into present day. In this current wave, we focus on building new power structures, training women how to run for office and win in large numbers, fighting against sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace and now on the Internet, confronting body shaming and rape culture, the empowerment of women and girls, LGBTQ rights, and reframing our perspective of feminism with an intersectional lens that addresses racism, sexism and class together to achieve real progress. Social media played a large role in this wave as it became the go-to platform for people to raise awareness and concern surrounding persistent gender inequality, harassment and abuse (especially the #MeToo movement). Fueled by rage over high-profile incidents of women being discriminated against, raped, and killed, as well as dovetailing with the Black Lives Matter movement, this current wave of feminism is gaining unprecedented support and making bold moves.
We couldn’t talk about the fourth wave of feminism without mention of the legendary Women’s March which took place on January 21, 2017, the day after former President Donald Trump’s inauguration. On that day, 4.6 million women and their supporters attended various events across the United States to contest the inflammatory remarks that the new president had made during the campaign, as well as his past treatment of women and racist and regressive policy positions. Many who attended the massive Women’s March were first-time activists and came out to express their shock, grief and outrage at his victory over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Presidential Election. Clinton was widely expected by pollsters and the mainstream media to win the election, so many were stunned on election night to see their assumed historic ‘first woman president’ victory snatched away. Reflecting the seismic shock of election night, the 2017 Women’s March was the largest single-day demonstration in American history, and it has been followed by revolutionary levels of ongoing feminist activism. This wave is still rising.
A message from the author - Sydney Williams
If you don’t consider yourself a feminist, I understand. Feminism in some ways can feel like it is forcing women to pursue a high paying career, be pro-choice, and feel shame if we are happy as a stay at home mom. But this is not what feminism is.
We welcome you to the feminist movement.
Feminism Quote of the Day
“I embrace the label of bad feminist because I am human. I am messy. I’m not trying to be an example. I am not trying to be perfect. I am not trying to say I have all the answers. I am not trying to say I’m right. I am just trying—trying to support what I believe in, trying to do some good in this world, trying to make some noise with my writing while also being myself.”
— Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay