Feminism - What is it? (Types, History, Main Idea)

Updated November 4, 2021 877 Author: Dmitry Petrov
Hello, dear readers of the KtoNaNovenkogo.ru blog. Feminism is a familiar word whose definition remains vague for many.

For some it is a movement for gender equality, for others it is a perverted concept that views men as a threat.

You can understand what feminism is only by familiarizing yourself with the history of its development and modern interpretation.

What is feminism?

It is not difficult to explain what feminism is in simple words. In Latin, femina means "woman", and from the name itself it is clear that it is an ideology founded by women.

The sign of feminism is a clenched fist enclosed in a symbol of femininity (the Mirror of Venus), made on a purple background. The sign symbolizes women's struggle for gender equality.

Feminism is an ideology that calls on women of all countries to step out of the shadow of men and demand equality. This applies to education, employment, wages, protection from harassment, domestic violence and much more. Feminist movements have many branches and there are a number of differences between them.

Who are feminists?

I will try to explain who feminists and feminists are in simple words. Feminists are women who value their independence. The basic idea is that all people are born equal, regardless of gender. Patriarchal society belittles women's dignity and belittles the value of women as human beings. It is generally accepted that women are not only physically weaker than men, but their mental development is also much lower.

In recent years, feminism among men has been observed. Of course, they are not called feminists, and there is a term for them “profeminist”.

Profeminists, like feminists, advocate for gender equality. Feminists can accept a man into their community, but they will never allow him to lead. After all, the natural aggression of men will sooner or later take its toll, and they will try to crush women with their authority.

Feminism and masculism are essentially similar movements in ideology, and they often come into open confrontation. Supporters of the idea of masculism note that their rights are violated by women. The role of men in society is such that they become “consumable” for women. At the same time, they provide data that life expectancy in men is shorter than in women.

Suicide statistics also show that men are more likely to be unable to cope with stress.

For equal violations of the law, men receive harsher punishments than women.

In a divorce, men are rarely allowed to have custody of children themselves if they have a mother. And it doesn’t matter how much this mother can and wants to fulfill her responsibilities in relation to the children. Men, on the other hand, get the modest role of purse, which is obliged to finance their former family.

All over the world, the retirement age for men is higher, and in general there is a whole range of what can be called male oppression. If a woman is raped, it is a tragedy. Violence against men is perceived as a joke.

“The main modern feminist” of the USA, Cassie Jay, tried to look at masculism through the eyes of a feminist.

The documentary she released in 2016, The Red Pill, reveals hidden problems in society that are not commonly talked about. Gradually delving into the problems of men, Cassie changed her opinion about them and about the ideas of feminism. The film received a lot of criticism, and Australian feminists achieved a ban on showing the film in their country and even declared the director persona non grata.

Types of feminism and their differences

The question sounds surprising: what kind of feminism is there? After all, by definition, this is a women’s struggle for equality, so where did the different directions come from?

The fact is that in different countries, at different times, groups of women were formed who solved specific problems that arose in a given period of time. The different social status of these women, their position in society, was a factor that influenced what the activists of the movement did. Let us outline the main directions of feminism.

Radical feminism arose in the 60s of the last century. The main thesis of radical feminism is that society is guided not by the legal system, but by the patriarchal-gender system. Men view women solely as sexual objects and use pressure to dominate in all areas.

Marxist feminism was formed under the influence of Clara Zetkin and Alexandra Kollontai. The main problem for women was capitalism and market relations, in which men exploited women. Women had a lot of household responsibilities that were not paid. In earlier times, feminists demanded the opening of kindergartens, laundries and canteens to make life easier for housewives. Modern feminists strive to ensure that the work of housewives is valued and paid.

Liberal feminism is condemned by radical feminists. This form is considered too soft and abstract. Liberal feminists do not consider men to be the source of all ills and do not criticize them. It follows from their philosophy that all people are equal and everyone has the right to choose. Everything women do with their lives is their conscious choice.

Intersectional feminism examines the many forms of discrimination against women. Intersectionality theory suggests that it is impossible to accurately describe how discrimination occurs, even within the same culture. Activists of the movement defend all women, or those who position themselves as women, of any race and social status.

Existential feminism calls for not looking for someone to blame. Men are free because they themselves chose freedom. Change needs to start with working on your own personality and simply choosing freedom.

Essentialist feminism emphasizes the biological differences between men and women. However, this does not make women worse or better, it is just a fact that it is stupid to argue with.

Transactional feminism is more about protecting married women. When the first feminists fought for the right to leave the house and the right to work, they did not think about the fact that household responsibilities would not disappear. Despite the fact that in the modern world most women, like their husbands, go to work, all housework is done by the fair sex. Transactional feminists suggest treating marriage like any other business venture. That is, distribute all responsibilities fairly, perhaps even specifying the order of making morning coffee in the marriage contract.

Postmodern feminism denies the naturalness of femininity, that is, femininity. Activists of the movement are sure that this society imposes stereotypes on what a woman should look like and what she should be like in general. Fashion magazines and ideals of female beauty were invented by men in an effort to create an androcentric world.

The varieties of feminism do not end there, but the list of them can be endless. In many ways, these movements intersect and the main points of these intersections can be identified.

Currents of movement

There are several movements of feminism, which were most pronounced in different historical periods. Moreover, the emergence of new directions directly depended on the socio-political situation.

The basis of the liberal movement is suffragism (the fight for suffrage). In addition, supporters of liberal feminism advocated the rights to education, career and political participation.

@RationalStandard

Radical feminists are fighting against patriarchy. Women prove that they have the right to manage their reproductive properties at their own request, and condemn sexism and violence.

@Medium

Anti-racist (“black”) feminism aims to pay attention to the rights of women, regardless of skin color.

The task of the post-colonial movement is to protect the rights of women living in the so-called “third world countries”.

Intersectional feminism is a movement for the rights of representatives of non-traditional sexual orientation, people with disabilities and other minorities.

Basic ideas of feminism

It is difficult for the average person to understand what exactly feminists are fighting for. Sometimes they go out into the streets with posters, organize rallies, flash mobs or pickets. In most cases, these actions are timed to coincide with some events that occurred recently.

Women's Liberation March in London in 1970. Feminists of the time were the first generation to question women's responsibility for cooking, feeding, and managing the home.

The goals of feminism are to draw attention to the unfair treatment of women. These include sexual harassment, sexual blackmail, unfairly low wages and much more.

The essence of feminism is to show and eliminate the injustice that women experience every day.

Women should have the same rights as men and any discrimination based on gender differences should be eliminated. The struggle for women's rights has lasted for decades and feminists have already achieved a lot. There is no denying the contributions they have made over the years. It is unknown how society would have developed if women had not stood up for their rights.

Why do women want to be more important than men?

The question seems purely rhetorical. Any living creature tries to take a leading position in the community. A leader always has great opportunities for self-realization. Roughly speaking, he gets the best pieces of food.

The position of a leader allows you to use the energy and intellectual resources of subordinates to strengthen your own life process.

So it cannot be said that it is women who want to be in charge. Even in animals we see a completely similar struggle for leadership. These are the laws of Nature.

History of feminism

It is impossible to note exactly when and in which country feminism appeared, because individual initiatives of women were not taken into account anywhere. Wealthy women did not raise such issues, and poor women did not have the opportunity to be heard.

According to the official version, the first feminist appeared in the USA. During the Revolutionary War (1773-1783), the wife of the future second US President John Adams, Abigail Adams, openly called for women's suffrage.

She was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame with a quote written in a letter to her husband in 1776:

“We will not submit to laws that we did not participate in, and to authorities that do not represent our interests.” Abigail Adams

From that moment on, feminism in America began to gain strength. Some states listened to Abigail Adams and gave women the right to vote, but at the national level the issue remained open. It was only in 1920 that America adopted an amendment to the Constitution, which granted women the right to vote at the state level.

In Europe, the feminist movement was much more complicated. In 1791, following the example of the United States, women demanded the right to vote. An ardent feminist, Olympia de Gouges wrote a declaration on the rights of women and citizens.

The convention did not accept the declaration and banned the social movement of women. Olympia de Gouges was sent to the guillotine, and women's rights were reduced to a minimum. Women were deprived of all rights and freedoms, completely subordinating them to men.

In fact, the Napoleonic Code, adopted in 1804, legalized the oppression of women. They were prohibited from owning and managing property, speaking in court, and even appearing in public places without being accompanied by their husband. Approximately the same picture occurred throughout Europe.

In the Russian Empire, the beginning of the women's movement occurred around 1850. Women were organized into communities that were mainly engaged in charity, education and social projects. Society appreciated the work of women, and the government even financed some projects, effectively recognizing women's equality.

By the end of the 19th century, women's organizations gained strength, influence and adopted some of the world's ideas of feminism. Demands for suffrage began to sound louder, but were heard only in 1917. Shortly before the Great October Revolution, the Provisional Government granted women equal rights with men, trying to find new allies in that difficult time.

St. Petersburg, 1917. Rally on International Women's Day, women protested against the First World War.

Feminism was supported in the USSR, but in the interests of the state. In an effort to remove women from the subordination of men, the state turned them into a political and economic unit.

Stages of development

The development of feminism in the world occurred in leaps and bounds. It is difficult for contemporaries to imagine the difficulties that the first feminists faced. The issue of voting rights for women or permission to have their own housing is not even discussed now. The right of women to marry or not have children. Women can get an education, work, and have the right to divorce if they want.

It’s hard to imagine that just 200 years ago everything was different. Women were essentially slaves to their fathers, husbands, brothers or guardians. It is now customary to divide the development of feminism into three waves. Each of them focused on a specific problem that had been solved for more than one year.

First wave feminism

The first wave of feminism was sparked by women in the United States, organizing an event in 1848 called “All women and men are created equal.” At the congress, a “Declaration of Sentiments” was adopted, which outlined the main problems of society. In particular, women demanded the opportunity to receive an education, the right to choose a profession, and the right to property.

In 1860, the New York State Legislature enacted a property law for women. Now a woman could own property equally with her husband. This was a huge breakthrough for the women's movement, but they didn't stop there.

In 1857, on March 8 in New York City, women tailors staged a strike and protest, demanding higher wages, decent working conditions and a ban on child labor. The police brutally dispersed the protesters, but this action was not forgotten.

Many years later, in 1910, Clara Zetkin, speaking at the International Conference of Socialist Women, proposed celebrating Women's Day on March 8 annually to remind world society of women's rights.

Following the example of the United States, where they first started talking about the right to vote for women, in Great Britain, around the same time, the Women's Political Union was organized. Emmeline Pankhurst, the founder of the party, debunked sexism in her reports, demanding that women be given the right to take part in politics. Such women were called “suffragettes”, from the English suffrage (the right to vote).

To summarize, it becomes clear what the first wave feminists fought for. These are quite reasonable demands and having achieved its goal, it would seem that feminism should disappear, but this was only the calm before the second wave.

Second wave feminism

What did second wave feminists achieve and when did it start? According to the official version, the second wave began in 1960 and lasted about 30 years. There were several prerequisites for the activation of feminists. In post-war America, most women were forced to quit their jobs and return to housekeeping. In fact, only a few could afford to work even in the lowest paid positions.

Women were trusted with assembly line work, without any prospects for career advancement.

In 1963, Betty Friedan, an American writer, published the book “The Feminine Mystique,” in which she raised the issue of gender inequality. Her idea appealed to housewives tired of forced self-isolation.

Betty Friedan (top row, fourth from left) with feminists at her home on June 7, 1973. The meeting was described as a session of the International Feminist Conference

Young people demanded free love, information about contraception and preventive measures to prevent sexually transmitted diseases. Along the way, the problem of “non-white” women in America was revealed. If white American women wanted open relationships and safe abortions, then African American, Indian and Latin women demanded an end to the practice of forced sterilization.

The movement of women for equal rights with men was led by radical feminists, who sometimes acted quite aggressively. Some of them called for the physical elimination of men as “subhumans.”

The whole point of the wave was that there is nothing personal about discrimination against women. Everything happens because of government policies led by sexist men.

Third wave feminism

3rd wave feminism arose in 1992 after an article by American writer Rebecca Walker. The daughter of an African-American woman and a Jew was repeatedly discriminated against, which prompted her to establish a foundation to combat gender, racial and queer injustice. The fight against sexual harassment has unfolded around the world. Women who experienced violence in the family or at work supported feminists en masse, demanding punishment for rapists.

Rebecca Walker

Activists made strong statements demanding a ban on advertising or any other exploitation of women's sexual image. Organizers of sporting events where “grid girls” or beauty pageants took part were attacked. According to feminists, female sexuality is a figment of the imagination of men who force women to be sexual. They also promoted body positivity and maximum naturalness.

According to third-wave feminists, hair removal, makeup, long hair and clothing that emphasizes femininity are the demands of men who want to see a woman only as a sexual object. They note that the third wave ended in 2010, but experts predict a new wave soon and are trying to predict the next goals of the movement.

Who are feminists?

These are women, participants in the feminist movement, fighters for equal status with men in society, and ardent opponents of gender discrimination.

Tools used by feminists:

Organization of marches and protest movements;
Mass media (press, television, radio, etc.);
Performances.

A world-famous feminist is Clara Zetkin. It was thanks to her that International Women's Day was established in 1910 - March 8th. This date is associated with the events of this day back in 1908, when a march took place in which more than ten thousand women took part, demanding equal rights with men and allowing them to take part in elections.

Initially, March 8 was supposed to be the day when women would go to rallies in order to attract public attention to their problems (infringement of rights, gender discrimination, inability to participate in politics, occupy leadership positions, etc.). Today we imagine the events on International Women's Day in a completely different format - this is the day when men give flowers to women, take care of them, recognize their equality and carry them in their arms in the literal sense of the word. And feminists achieved such an attitude towards the female sex in their time.

Feminism in Russia

The feminist movement in Russia, legalized by the Bolsheviks, was banned when Stalin came to power. Abortions were again banned, the divorce procedure became more complicated, and women's sexual freedom was regulated by the family code.

During the Khrushchev period, women's councils began to appear. They did not call themselves feminists, and they were led by men. Few activists collaborated with Western ideological partners, as they were immediately accused of dissent.

Finding understanding with Western feminists was difficult, due to differences in the religious sphere, and the definition of the ultimate goal of the struggle. Russian women are loyal to men, and radical feminism has not taken root in Russia.

How to feel about feminism?

To figure out how to feel about this women's movement, you can take a simple feminism test on the Internet.
The questions there are somewhat strange from the point of view of the traditional mentality (for example, who should take maternity leave), but the tests can be used as entertainment. Thematic groups on social networks are also unlikely to contribute to obtaining reliable information about what feminism is. On the Internet (and in real life) you can run into women “with a spasm of the soul” who, under the guise of feminism, realize their women’s grievances.

Feminists, of course, played a big role in the formation of society and one cannot say that it was destructive. Such a movement was necessary, although it is difficult to assess it unambiguously. You can approach this issue rationally, study

Modern feminism

What do feminists do in the modern world if they have already achieved everything? It turns out that not everything. There are many problems that women face. In particular, this is abuse and domestic violence. The tyrant can only get away with a fine, and the rapist can declare that the victim is “to blame.” Without support, women often hide their plight, hiding the facts of violence. In theory, the law is designed to protect all its citizens, regardless of their gender, but in fact, women often find themselves defenseless against the threat.

If we talk about what feminists are fighting for now, then the agenda is male sexism. According to feminists, men consider women inferior, mentally retarded, weak, and this gives them the right to control them. Of course, not all men speak disparagingly about women. However, those men who pay for a lady in a cafe or give up their seat on public transport are also considered sexists, only “benevolent”. By showing their concern for women, they demonstrate their dominance, which is offensive to feminists.

Feminism has not taken root in Islam and there are a number of reasons for this. We can start with the fact that Muslim women received the right to inheritance, marriage and divorce back in the 7th century. Throughout the history of Islam, women have been able to work, study in madrassas, and even become scholars (ulama).

Historically, spheres of economic activity have been distributed, where each occupied its own niche, without pretending to do anything else. The media often portrays Muslim women as downtrodden, mute slaves wrapped in burqas. Western feminists regularly make attempts to liberate Muslim women, but so far have been unsuccessful. Muslim feminists are in no hurry to accept Western help, calling it “cultural colonization under the guise of liberation.” The vision of freedom between the West and the East is significantly different, which makes any intrusion into the culture of Islam unacceptable. Muslim women believe that the Koran already states the equality of men and women, and the only trouble is that some imams interpret the Holy Book incorrectly.

How it all began…

The term itself originates in the 19th century.
Initially, feminism designated certain qualities inherent in the female sex. Just as males are characterized by masculinity, so females are characterized by femininity. However, by the end of the century the term had changed its meaning. A certain suffragist movement was formed, which painted the term “feminism” with completely different colors. In fact, history remembers manifestations of feminism since Antiquity. Plato, in his fifth book of the Republic, openly admitted that a woman could well take the place of a ruler if she had enough intelligence and talent to do so. The very first famous feminists, Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Estelle, considered the restoration of justice to be the main goal of the movement. They believed that men deliberately belittled the role of women, giving her a place in the kitchen or at the baby's cradle.

Mary Estelle even tried to operate with the philosophy of Descartes. He didn't see any difference between a man and a woman at all. There was also a man among the supporters of equality. John Stuart Mill even published a treatise in defense of women's rights. However, most men negatively perceived the demands of the fair half of humanity.

Feminism - what is it? Feminists - who are they?