The 4 waves of Feminism (and what is claimed in each one)

There is no doubt that, Throughout the history of women, they have had to fight and mobilize to achieve the rights that belong to them. Feminism appeared as a social and political movement defending equal rights between men and women. From this perspective, it is understood that no human being should be deprived of property or rights by reason of her sex.

The birth of this political theory arose in the 18th century, in a context in which there was strong domination and violence by men over women. The central critique refers to patriarchy, a system of social organization that assigns the primary power and the roles associated with authority, privilege, control and control. leadership.

Feminism conceives this system as the cause of unequal relations between both sexes, due to a that establishes an androcentric vision of the world in which women are relegated to a second flat. For all this, the ultimate goal of feminism is to achieve an equal and just society for all people regardless of their sex.

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What is feminism?

Feminism is believed to have started with a work known as Vindication of Women's Rights (1972), by author Mary Wollstonecraft. Since then, this movement has undergone enormous development, progressively reaching important advances for women. Among the civil and political rights that have been conquered throughout its history, feminism has enabled women to vote, hold public office, receive an education, obtain remuneration equal to that of men for the same activity and have control of their life reproductive, among others.

Similarly, feminism has worked to stop violence against women, both produced in the domestic sphere such as that which takes place in public spaces, such as harassment sexual. In addition to all this, this movement has also contributed to fighting against gender stereotypes. These consist of ideas or beliefs rooted in society, which have to do with the roles that men and women should assume respectively. An example of this is the assumption that the woman must dedicate herself to the home and the children, while the man is the one who must work to obtain a salary.

The history of feminism has gone through different stages, often referred to as "waves.". Each of these phases has focused on different issues and has applied different strategies to achieve its objectives. In this article we will talk about each of the waves that have occurred in this movement and what each one has claimed.

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In what waves is the history of feminism divided?

Feminism has undergone many changes over time and has achieved different achievements. It is true that progress has not been the same in all countries, as there are great differences between them. However, we will try to review in a general way the stages of this social and political movement.

1. First wave

This first wave developed between the 18th and 20th centuries approximately. The pioneer countries in this regard were the United States, England and some Latin American countries. This stage began with debates about the nature of women and the hierarchy of the sexes.. Among the issues that most concerned feminism at the time were rights related to marriage, suffrage and education.

These first moments of the movement appeared as a questioning of male privileges, which until then had been assumed as something biological and natural. In 1848 the first convention on women's rights took place in New York, which was called the Seneca Falls Convention. A declaration signed by a hundred women was derived from this convention, which marked a first step in the feminist struggle.

In addition, at the beginning of the 20th century, the suffragettes movement originated in the United Kingdom, women activists who began to propose an active feminism with effects on politics. Among its main objectives was to achieve the right to vote for women. Among the most prominent authors of the first wave are Poullain de Barre, Olympe de Gouges and Mary Wollstonecraft.

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2. Second wave

This second wave began in the middle of the last century, lasting from the 1960s to the 1980s. The fundamental difference compared to the first wave is that the second one broadens the gaze on its objectives. Rather than focusing exclusively on civil rights, additional needs begin to emerge at this stage that need to be addressed. Among the aspects that this feminism brings to the table are sexuality, women's work outside the home and reproductive rights, among others.

Historical events in the 20th century largely determined the course of this second wave of feminism. During World War II, it was necessary for women to fill the jobs that men had left when they went off to fight. Governments, especially the United States, campaigned to encourage women to go to work in factories.

However, once the conflict ended, the women were forced to resume their former lives as housewives and mothers. However, this fact gave rise to a desire to obtain a working life equal to men, renouncing the classic stereotype of a woman who lives to take care of her children and clean the home. Therefore, feminism put all its efforts to achieve the incorporation of women into the labor market.

In this second wave, movements in favor of female sexual freedom also began to appear.. In the 20th century, important works were published such as The Second Sex (1949) by Simone de Beauvoir o The mystique of femininity (1963) by Betty Friedan.

3. Third wave

The third wave has its beginning in the 90s and continues to this day. However, there are authors who consider the current moment as a whole paradigm shift in the process of consolidation. The third wave begins to go further than the previous ones and begins to defend issues related to diversity. In this way, the different existing models of women begin to be explored.

Feminism begins to reflect and make self-criticism and becomes aware that not all women have been able to receive the advances of this movement with the same intensity. Thus, more attention begins to be paid to certain groups of women and feminism and its relationship with aspects such as transsexuality or race begins to be discussed.

Another important milestone of the third wave has to do with the concept of patriarchy. At this stage, a more in-depth analysis of inequality between men and women begins, understanding that this asymmetry of power is not something new but has very deep roots that go back to centuries ago.

4. Fourth wave

As we already mentioned, there are people who defend that, at present, the third wave of feminism is still being lived. However, in recent years there have been major changes that could indicate that we are indeed going through a fourth stage. This movement is characterized by a higher degree of popularity at a general level. The population has acquired a greater feminist awareness and many men are beginning to actively support the cause.

As important events, the massive demonstrations of March 8 around the world stand out, a day in which women cease their professional work in protest. Similarly, movements such as #Metoo develop, related to raising one's voice in response to known sexual abuse events in the entertainment industry.

This movement started as a viral hashtag, which was popularized by an American actress in order to to raise awareness about how widespread sexual abuse is in the high spheres of entertainment. The movement spread to many countries and has aroused an intense response in the population. Since this fourth wave, gender violence has also been repudiated and the premise that all violence towards women, whether or not it occurs at home, constitutes a crime and an inadmissible fact that must be eradicate.

Therefore, it breaks with the old idea that violence that occurs within the home is a private matter in which no one should interfere. The interruption of pregnancy will also be a central issue, defending from feminism the right to a legal, safe and free abortion. The interruption of pregnancy is conceived from feminism as a health right for every woman.

Similarly, the concept of sisterhood is discussed, related to fostering collaboration between women and mutual support, especially in sexist situations in which a woman's rights are impaired. In this fourth wave, the feminist movement is also beginning to relate to the LGTBI movement., in order to favor women members of this group.