Feminism is a social and cultural movement that has roots tracing back to ancient Greece, but wasn’t radicalized or properly recognized until the mid-19th century. Originating in Europe, before slowly making its way to America in the 1800’s, feminism is a world-wide affair. Now, the definition of feminism has greatly changed from the purposes it served back in its origination, as we’ve had major cultural changes since the introduction of the cause.

First-wave

In Europe, specifically the United Kingdom, the early to mid 1700s was when the beginning of the movement truly started. Anne Knight, a pioneer in the early feminist sisterhood, is credited with creating the first leaflet for women’s suffrage. She was also the founder of the first British group created specifically to advocate for women’s rights. The real start of the movement as we know it today began in 1848 at the Seneca Falls Convention. Many women such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the convention’s main contributor, congregated together to create their own radicalized version of the Declaration of Independence, called the Declaration of Sentiments, which was written with women in mind. They mainly fought for the right to vote, which they were repeatedly denied until years later, when the 19th amendment was ratified.

Second-wave

The second-wave of feminism came to be in America during the 1960s and 70s. Feminism was instead called “women’s liberation,”and focused heavily on breaking women free of the typical roles they were expected to play. Leaders such as Betty Friedan, the writer of the “Feminine Mystique” and co-founder of National Organization for Women, helped organize the fight against stereotypical ideologies towards women. Many American women at the time were seen as only mothers and wives, and were not allowed to work and live in the same ways that men were. Gloria Steinham, a feminist journalist who was one of the editors of New York Magazine, went on to co-found the radical magazine, “Ms.” This magazine stood as the first paper to ever publicly cover women’s issues from a feminist point of view, focusing on topics such as domestic violence, abortion rights, equal pay and sexual harassment. During this new wave of feminism, women adapted to criticisms from the public. Artists such as Judy Chicago put new, woman focused perspectives on things accessible to the public eye, such as art. Her most famous work, titled “The Dinner Party,” which is a large-scale exhibition focusing on nearly 1,000 different women who made influential changes in history, is acknowledged as one of the most famous pieces of art of all time, travelling across six countries with a viewing audience of 15 million in the 80s. Despite backlash from the general public, art world and the government, there were dozens of leaders in the second-wave who made feminism into the idea that it is today.

Third-wave

Third-wave feminism emerged in the 90s, and is technically still going on today, even though some claim we’re now in a new, fourth-wave. Third-wave feminists embraced diversity within the movement, encouraging protests, individualism and retaliating against the objectification of women. Advocate Rebecca Walker, the daughter of famous feminist Alice Walker, saw the injustices that women of color and queer women were facing in the social and political climate, and wanted to make a change. The new era focused on building on past efforts, and giving power to still underrepresented groups. This new batch of feminists moved to change what it meant to be a feminist, and they brought a certain sense of anger with them. This anger created new movements in artistic fields, such as the Riot Grrl music genre. Riot Grrls are known for their loud, abrasive, opinionated punk music and views, as they brought a certain harsh rage that wasn’t socially accepted for women to express into the music scene. A major standout about third-wave feminism that separates it from the other, older waves is the sense of creativity that came with it, trying to push the ideas into mainstream media and public attention. Some modern-day feminists claim that the ideologies of the third-wave may be slightly outdated in our new social landscape, hence why they are pushing that there should be a new fourth-wave introduced.

The feminist movement has been prominent for hundreds of years, but it has changed multiple different times, the overall goals and morals of the group adjusting to the political and social climates of the time periods. While first-wave feminism focused on voting rights for women, third-wave feminism highlighted the anger women felt while trying to break away from stereotypes pushed upon them. Feminism is a diverse, always changing movement focusing on highlighting women’s voices through creative means, fighting for equality over all else.