What Is The Feminist Movement?

Feminism has been around the a long time. The Age of Enlightenment was the breakout of early feminism. With many philosophers sharing their views and ideas with the world, it definitely brought out a couple of changes into the world. Feminism comes in many parts and different types. Throughout time, it slowly developed in three waves and is currently on its fourth. While feminism has made its mark in the past, the 21st century is where it is blossoming. The Feminist movement has affected some changes in the political world.
Mary Wollstonecraft was the advocate of women’s rights. In 1792, she published ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: with Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects’. Apparently it was one of the earliest works
of feminist philosophy. During her time, she had responded to the political and educational theorist that believed women did not deserve an education. Wollstonecraft argued against it and argued that women needed education due to their position in society. One of her strong memorable quotes “Rousseau declares that a woman should never, for a moment, feel herself independent, that she should be governed by fear to exercise her natural cunning, and made a coquettish slave in order to render her a more alluring object of desire, a sweeter companion to man, whenever he chooses to relax himself. (2.24)” This statement concurred with many women of the 18th century that Rousseau’s proclamation was beyond belief. Wollstonecraft did not have any bias when declaring her opinion of the political statements. Another popular quote from her book would be “[Women] were made to be loved, and must not aim at respect, lest they should be hunted out of society as masculine. (2.58)” The interpretation of this is that some women may carry far more intelligence than a man which results in the being judged and pushed out society, which is wrong and inhumane.
The Subjection of Women, an essay that made the world think was the conjoined essay by John Stuart Mill and his wife Harriet Taylor Mill.
In this essay, the argument that women are inferior to men is shut down. John Mill stated that “we simply don't know what women are capable of, because we have never let them try.” Added onto that he stated “The anxiety of mankind to intervene on behalf of nature...is an altogether unnecessary solicitude. What women by nature cannot do, it is quite superfluous to forbid them from doing." They set the suggestion that we should not forbid women from doing things we believe they cannot. It is not our choice to decide. It does not seem bias for John and Harriet Mill to set these specific ideas into society’s
head.
There are anti-feminist such as Phyllis Schlafly who says “The feminist movement is not about success for women. It is about treating women as victims and about telling women that you can't succeed because society is unfair to you, and I think that's a very unfortunate idea to put in the minds of young women because I believe women can do whatever they want.” This quote clearly shows that Schlafly misunderstood Feminism’s goal and/or objective. Her quote could be bias due to her only basing that off of assumably one or two feminists.
Bell Hooks released a book that is titled ‘Feminism is for everybody.’ She shared her views and beliefs on why feminism should be something in everyone's lives. She said “If any female feels she need anything beyond herself to legitimate and validate her existence, she is already giving away her power to be self-defining, her agency.” It translates into women not going out of their way to just prove that they just as good as men, when it should already be known as fact. Hooks set out to give a different views to those who are anti-feminist.
The Color Purple is a very popular book which contains many comments about the social and political issues.
It has a powerful part in it which reads “He beat me today cause he say I winked at a boy in church. I may have got somethin in my eye but I didn’t wink. I don’t even look at mens. That’s the truth. I look at women, tho, cause I’m not scared of them. Maybe cause my mama cuss me you think I kept mad at her. But I ain’t. I felt sorry for mama. Trying to believe his story kilt her. (5.1)” It portrayed a woman beat for winking at a man although she did not. It showed that women were seen as the weaker one between man and women. The author attempted to show how women were physically and mentally beaten down because they were supposedly weaker than
men.
Feminism really is for everyone. Feminism keeps the idea in society’s head that there isn't going to be a silence when a women is put down below a man. A female should be allowed to cook in the kitchen and be a housewife or go into the Marine Corps and provide for her own family. There are many things a woman can do and there are many things a man can do. While yes some may not be possible, such as a male birthing a child, but that does not mean that we separate and treat others with sexism just because they are not capable of somethings. Some may never know until they try.