What is Feminism?

Since times immemorial, women have always been relegated to the background by the society. They were the caretakers of the house, the one who brought up the children and cooked food for everybody, still all these contributions of theirs were not given due respect and importance. Being forever stuck in the cult of domesticity, women never had a chance to develop any other talent except for the household chores. Women did not have much say in decision-making too, either in the family or the society. Men first and women second - that has always been the mantra which societies have followed! To counter all these conventions of the society and to get the women equal rights and opportunities as men, a social movement known as "Feminism" started in the western world.

Feminism can be defined as a philosophy which promotes equal status for women in the social, economic and political spheres. According to this philosophy, just like men's work is appreciated and valued, women's contributions should be given due importance too. All those people who believe in this philosophy, irrespective of age or gender, are known as feminists. Feminists demand this world to be equal for everybody, where there is no discrimination or bias on the basis of gender, age, financial status, marital status and sexual preferences.

The Theories of Feminism

There are basically three theories of feminism - cultural, individualist and radical feminism. Cultural feminism theory states that there are certain biological differences between men and women, due to which there is a lot of difference in their personalities. These differences should be appreciated by the society in general and should not be looked at as women's weaknesses.

The individualist theory focuses on the freedom of women. Their independence, rights, freedom and autonomy from the conventions of the society. The thirst feminist theory i.e. radical feminism supports the view that some of the gender differences can be owed to biology and some to the culture and norms of the society. Both genders need to free and break away themselves from the differences created by the culture, if any positive social change has to take place. Thus, feminism completely depends on the theory one believes in.

The Movement of Feminism

Feminism as a social movement started finding its feet in the nineteenth century when women started fighting for equal property rights as men. By the time the nineteenth century ended, women began demanding the right to vote. It was in the year 1918 that "Representation of the People Act 1918" was passed which granted women who were above thirty years of age and those who owned property, the right to vote.

If you look at the history of this social movement, it is divided into three time periods, which are popularly known as the waves of feminism. The first wave, as mentioned above, started in the nineteenth century. The second wave, lasted from 1960 to 1990. During this time, women demanded equal opportunities in social and economic spheres. They wanted equal pay, similar to what men got. Certain women's issues such as procreation, reproduction and their sexuality were highlighted too by the feminist women of that era.

The third wave is about feminism today. It started in 1990s' and is still going strong. Today, the women's rights and women's issues have changed considerably. Women now demand rights for those women who are at a disadvantage such as black women, low income women, lesbians as well as trans-gendered women. Another major issue that is at the forefront is breaking the glass ceiling at the workplace i.e. working women reaching positions of management at the workplace.

Today, "Humanism" has taken over "Feminism", with many feminists proclaiming to be humanists. Humanism is nothing but a broader view of feminism, with humanists believing in equality, respect and rights for all, without any bias.