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“women were women by virtue of a certain lack of qualities”.
Essentialism sees men as able to think logically, abstractly and analytically, while women are mainly emotional, compassionate and nurturing creatures.
Women had no formal rights and were not represented in the law. Even if some women were able to receive a higher education, they were not allowed to receive the degree for which they studied. In marriage, the woman’s body belonged to her husband, who was also the only legal guardian of the children.
Early Modern feminist activity aimed at challenging the prevalent social view that women are weak and irrational creatures who should be controlled by men.
She advocated abolition, universal education, birth control and equal rights for women.
The major achievements of the first wave feminists were: the opening of higher education to women and the reform of secondary education for girls; and the enactment of the Married Women’s Property Act, 1870. They remained active until the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, which put a stop to suffrage campaigns. First wave feminist activism failed to secure the vote.
“remember to think about the Ladies”
“whilst you are proclaiming peace and good will to men, emancipating all nations, you insist upon retaining absolute power over your wives. But you must remember that arbitrary power is most like other things which are very hard, very liable to be broken.”
In spite of his emphasis on equality and respect between husbands and wives, Carey cannot help himself but establish a clear hierarchy in the relationship.
The women’s suffrage movement in Britain fought for a whole range of feminist demands, including: the right to vote, cooperative rather than family-based childcare, equal pay for women, and family allowances for all children.
What must be noted here is that the fight to achieve suffrage was often accompanied by similar protest against it.
Feminist activity at the beginning of the 20th century caused serious controversy which translated into a number of outspoken and vehement publications attacking “feminists” for being immoral, bad mothers and lesbians.
‘The correlation of feminism with lesbianism was meant to scare women away from the movement. They were warned that enrolling in colleges which emphasized athletics and taught “feminist courses” would ensure “lifelong homosexuality”.
The slogan “the personal is political” referred to the fact that every aspect of a woman’s private life is affected by and can itself affect the political situation.
Equal pay for men and women 2. Equal education and job opportunities 3. Free 24-hour nurseries 4. Free contraception and abortion on demand 5. Financial and legal independence 6. An end to discrimination against lesbians and a woman’s right to define her sexuality 7. Freedom from intimidation by threat or use of violence and an end to male aggression and dominance
Still a dream, almost everywhere
… “… it says that this femininity is so mysterious and intuitive and close to the creation
Both critics tended to blame women themselves for their subordinate position and failed to acknowledge the need for society to change in order to accommodate women’s changing lives.
These Superwomen of the 1980s attempted to achieve the impossible task of being both “woman” at home and “man” at work.
Socialist feminism asserts that women are held back by lack of education and social discrimination, and argues that a change in public attitudes is needed so that women can be integrated into all levels of society.
For Marxist feminists, the division of labour and lack of support for working mothers defines women by their domestic responsibilities and excludes them from productive labour.
men and women are being forced into socially-constructed masculine and feminine roles which hinder the development of their authentic selves.
feminist as a woman who “has in her the capacity of fighting her way back to independence”.
“Men and Women who are politically engaged in feminist issues should avoid labelling themselves as feminists; rather they should substitute ‘I am a feminist’ with ‘I advocate feminism’ to emphasize the ideological basis of their beliefs.” (bell hooks)
“I am a feminist, and what that means to me is much the same as the meaning of the fact that I am Black: it means that I must undertake to love myself and to respect myself as though my very life depends upon self-love and self-respect.” (June Jordan)
