First Wave Of Feminism Essay

Feminism
The first wave of feminism began during the nineteenth and early twentieth century. Feminists were fighting for women’s right to vote. This first wave of feminism involved a wide range of women who were more moderate and conservative rather than revolutionary or radical. These women fought for their rights, but they did it with in the law. They were willing to work within the political system and they knew the purpose of this movement wasn’t to start wars or disrupt the social roles they were given. The reason these women pushed so hard for this movement was to achieve their goal of achieving a more equal social role to men. In 1860, New York helped out feminists by passing a revised Married Woman’s Property Act, which gave women shared ownership of their children, allowing them to have a say in their children’s wills, wages, and granting them the right to inherit any property they wish to give their children. As this first wave continued, of course advances and setbacks were made within New York and other states. Thankfully, with each new win the feminists used them as ways to advance and prove that it was time for change and
equality between men and women. This movement took time and it was very hard to start because nobody believed it would work. All it took was one woman to stand up and demand equality and then this beautiful movement was inspired. The ups and downs it came with were necessary. These women had patience and hope and that is what got them to the end of the first wave with a victory that they held onto to push them to commence the second wave and to continue to fight for what they believe in no matter what. Then end of the first wave is often linked with the passage in the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution which granted women the right to vote. This was the hugest victory of the movement. Not only did this new passage allow them rights to vote, it also included reforms in high education, in the workplace, and in health care. The first wave started the beginning but it didn’t end there. Women wanted more so they kept fighting. With the help of feminist Betty Freidan and many others, the second wave feminism accomplished their mission for their rights.
By the late 1800’s it was time for the third wave to take over. In this movement, or wave, the feminist would focus less on laws and the political process and more on individual identity. This third wave started in a world with punk rock music, in this wave the feminist may have been the most diverse and self-reliant feminist wave to date. The Third Wave is more nebulous, it started to redefining the way they are looked upon making it known that everyone and anyone could be a feminist but it seems to me to be more about expanding and questioning received notions of gender and gender roles. With the many laws that had made, the third movement focused less on laws and a little more on individual
identity. Feminism has been around for a while now, since 1848 until right now the present. To me, feminism has become an important event to learn about and be proud of. Knowing that so many women have fought for our rights. To be equal with men, equal rights to vote, to serve in the military, have professional jobs. Today in the present all women have equal rights to men and between them. I respect and admire for everyone who fought for our rights, for my right. I am a feminist because I want I want to actively fight against the idea that we just accepted into society that are actually determinable to women. To me it’s important because women all around the world can bond together for one act, for equality.