American Feminist Finest

Running head: AMERICAN FEMINIST MOVEMENT 1

American Feminist Movement

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AMERICAN FEMINIST MOVEMENT 2

American Feminist Movement

Abstract

The fight for gender equality is a war that has been in existence since the early days of

human civilization. Women have often been the subject of discrimination and dismissal in a

world largely perceived as a man's world. Good jobs, occupations, and careers did belong

exclusively to men a century ago. The trend however changed, with more women becoming

enlightened to navigate a change on the socio-cultural assumptions wielded by the society. This

paper is going to discuss the American Feminist Movement since the late 19

century, through to

the 1960s and 1970s. Within this context, its history, evolution, and achievements through the

timeline are going to be discussed, together with the three waves of feminist movement. Through

the guidance of scholarly articles, journals, and books, this research on American Feminist

Movement will help the audience understand the struggles of women in the mid-20

century and

appreciate the strides made by the movement in championing women’s rights in America and the

rest of the world. Even as the existence of the American Feminist Movement is critically

analyzed, the contribution of men in the Movement is going to be looked at, since they helped

shape the activities of the Movement, providing inspiration and motivation to wage war against

gender inequality.

Background check

According to McAtamney (2017), feminism is defined as the belief of equality of the

sexes both socially, politically, and economically. It is a Movement aimed at achieving an equal

society for both the male and female gender. Deriving from this definition, feminism activism

entails all the activities geared towards the struggle for equality. Feminism is seen as a counter

AMERICAN FEMINIST MOVEMENT 3

move against sexism, which is defined as the prejudice or discrimination against women, solely

because of their gender. Contrary to popular belief, feminism is not an ideology based on one

gender being placed above the other, but rather regarded equally. Therefore, an opposition

against feminism is considered sexist (McAtamney, 2017). Though not obvious at the time, the

American Feminist Movement was based on the ideology of resistance against sexism and the

elevation of the female gender to the level of the more dominant male.

Founding of the American Feminist Movement

The American Feminist Movement dates back to the late 19

century. The American

women at that time were limited in ways of life. They were expected to follow strict stages of

life, ranging from when to marry or enter a career, relationships to pursue, sexuality, birth

control, clothing, housework and even childcare (Powell, 2013). The women were looked down

upon, both in the family setting and in the society when it came to interactions and working.

Those lucky to be working were given deliberately paid lower salaries and denied opportunities

even when they had qualified by merit. It was considered a waste of time and resources giving

women a priority in pay and recognition because they were bound to get pregnant, hence living

their jobs. Men were considered breadwinner, with families to support through the jobs they

engaged in. The American Feminist Movement was founded on the backdrop of workplace

inequality that included access to better jobs, salary disparities and discriminatory laws on the

female gender (Powell, 2013). In those times, women often required a signature from a male

figure, often a father or a husband in order to acquire credit or buy valuable items. Though

instances of women’s rights Movements were recorded as early as in the beginning of the 20

century, the American Feminist Movement only came to pick momentum in the 1960s. Prior to

this, the championing of women’s rights to vote led to a stronger resolve to provide more rights

AMERICAN FEMINIST MOVEMENT 4

to women in America. The Movement later came to capitalize on sexism promoted by

advertising on the media, economic inequality, wage discrimination and reproductive health as a

basis for seeking social change.

Leadership and operation

The American Feminist Movement existed on a non-hierarchical basis, thereby lacking a

definite structure of leadership. This provided a ground for their activities in a collective and

experimental manner. As proof of this fact, the Movement in itself was segmented into groups

consisting of the young, the old, the upper class, the radical, and the those who were more

conservative. Working without an outright leader gave the Movement the freedom to act

promptly and independently, catalyzing the urgency for the liberation of women in a gender-

biased era.

The Feminist Movement could be divided into three phases. The first phase is that of the

late 19

century and leading to the 20

century. This phase is referred to as the Suffrage

Movement, based upon the social, liberal, industrial intrigues of that time (Dicker, 2016). The

main of the Movement was to provide opportunities to women and advocate for voting rights.

This first wave of Movement was complimented by groups of similar interest such as the black

women abolitionists. As stated, this wave of the movement faded with the attainment of suffrage

rights and the acquisition of tertiary benefits such as reforms in education and healthcare

(Dicker, 2016). The second phase of Movement materialized in the 60s, through to the 90s. It

was characterized by strong political and social ideologies that led to a better women’s

livelihood. Though vocal in many areas, this Movement’s signature was the championing of

sexuality and reproductive rights. As such, there was a struggle to amend the constitution to

AMERICAN FEMINIST MOVEMENT 5

provide for Equal Rights. Sexism at that time was prevalent within the Movement, being

propagated by male-dominated groups (Dicker, 2016). The awareness of the existence of sexism,

therefore, influenced the Movement’s activities, even as they became more vocal and persistent

in fighting for equality of all people. Within this phase, the Equal Rights Act was amended to

prohibit sex-based wage discrimination in workplaces. Similarly, the Civil Rights Act was

amended in 1964 to discourage women discrimination in workplace environments. Apart from

these core achievements, education or both men and women on feminism was advocated for, to

make the public aware of the context of feminism and sexism (Dicker, 2016). The last wave of

Feminist Movement came into existence in the 90s. This phase of Movement based its ideologies

on ambiguity, multiplicity and diversity among women (Dicker, 2016). In addition, this period

sought after more opportunities and reduced sexism accounts. There was also a re-emergence of

dressing codes such as high-heels and lipsticks, deemed oppressive in previous generations

(Frith, 2001). Women of all walks of life joined in this Movement, regardless of race and sexual

preference.

Throughout the end of the 20

century and in the onset of the 21

century, the Feminist

Movement has continued to evolve and single out issues that need immediate redress as times are

changing. The Movement continues to expand even as men are increasingly becoming involved

in advocating for equal rights and non-partisan treatment. The Feminist Movement has helped

the modern-day woman to enjoy more rights and privileges irrespective of geographical location

(Karl, 2012). Women are now treated equally and in some cases, are preferred to men. The world

now understands the importance of women’s participation in all aspects of civilization, and

especially politics.

AMERICAN FEMINIST MOVEMENT 6

In conclusion, women’s livelihood has changed over the last decades, as the world has

become more liberal. This has helped women stand for their rights with the argument that they

too deserve equal opportunities and rights to compete fairly with their male counterparts. The

American Feminist Movement contributed to the awakening of the American women through

their early activism. The modern-day world is now accommodative of women in any capacity,

ranging from the corporate world and I.T field to the more technical engineering and medical

fields. Such careers among women were unheard of in the in the 20

century. Feminism ideology

should not be resented or countered by sexism or any discriminatory regulations. If anyone were

to aptly understand the history of the American women in relation to feminism, then a look into

the timeline of the American Feminist Movement would provide a template with which to

appreciate the achievements made over the timeline. Real power for women from both an

economic and political perspective is yet to be achieved, but the awareness and consciousness

made so far on feminism have certainly balanced the scales on gender. The success and failure of

the United States of America have largely been influenced by feminism. Feminism has created a

path with which women have discovered their true power and status in the society.

AMERICAN FEMINIST MOVEMENT 7

References

Dicker, R. (2016). A history of U.S. feminisms. Berkeley, CA: Seal Press.

Frith, H. (2001). Young Women, Feminism and the Future: Dialogues and Discoveries.

Feminism & Psychology, 11(2), 147-151.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0959353501011002001

Karl, R. (2012). Feminism in modern China. Journal Of Modern Chinese History, 6(2), 235-255.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17535654.2012.738873

McAtamney, H. (2017). What Is Feminism?. HuffPost. Retrieved 11 December 2017, from

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/womens-rights-news/what-is-

feminism_b_6985612.html

Powell, J. (2013). Feminism. New York: Novinka.

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