The advocacy for women rights, affirmative action, suffrage rights and economic equality to their male counterparts has been a dominant discourse across the world since the 18th century. The fight and campaigns for the women’s rights have been organized either by single influential female figures or by groups of women with feminist agenda. These are referred to as feminist movements and have been in existence since the early 1800s to date when we observe several feminist movements and campaigns. This paper looks at the timeline of feminist movements, the critical and profane events of these movements since the late 1800s. The reasons for the movements were varied depending on the location of the movements and the treatments that the women in that particular movement were subjected to. Although most feminist movements are currently fighting for equality, previous movements aimed at advocating for a fair and appropriate treatment of women in the society (Pedwell, 2006).
In early 1800, the Black Feminism Movement was active in the West, during this time; there was rampant and widespread racial discrimination in the western countries. Most feminist groups in these countries advocated for the rights of white women only. This made the black women in the countries to stand firm and advocate for their rights too. Their slogan was that the black women also deserved fair treatment just like the white women(D`Anieri Paul 2012). This movement faced a lot of challenges in the western countries but later achieved quality results. They were able to gain rights that other white women were enjoying, and it is reported that they managed to rise against racial segregation. This social movement has led to black women in the western countries to enjoy the rights and privileges that were initially meant for the white women. It also reduced the cases of racial discrimination against black women in the society and thus they can live in peace (Law, 2007).
During the mid-1800s, women were not entitled to employment opportunities in most western countries. In regions where women had gained employment opportunities, they did not get paid or were paid much less than their male counterparts. This saw the emergence of feminist groups such as the Women’s Liberation Movement of 1965 and The Feminist Movement of 1980’s demanded equal employment opportunities for both women and men. Besides, they demanded that female workers get a quality salary that merged with their work just as male workers were paid(Pedwell, 2006). Later women got a boost when the government entitled them to equal treatment in the workplace as their male counterparts. Further, the number of female workers in the United States and Europe increased significantly. The rights of employment that were fought by the feminist groups are being enjoyed by women in the current times and have been even much better (Ritzenhoff & Hermes, 2009)
The Suffragettes Movement was another female feminist group that was active in 1866 and extended to 1888, the movement aimed at gaining the voting rights for women in the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Initially, only men were allowed to participate in the voting process in these countries. This led to the emergence of the feminist group that demanded the right to vote for women. The women underwent several demonstrations that caused them suffering and even resulted in the death of some of the participants, later the women aged above 21 years were allowed to participate in the voting processes in these countries. Women in the United Kingdom and the United States of America are enjoying the suffrage rights procured by the feminist movements in the current times (Law, 2007).
When the supreme court of the United States of America enacted laws that restricted abortion in the country, feminist groups advocating for the rights of women in exercising their reproductive rights emerged; however, there was considerable drift between those who advocated for abortion and those who used Christian fundamentalism to oppose abortion (D`Anieri Paul 2012). These movements such as Abortion Rights Movement and the United States Pro-life Movement are seen as sociopolitical movements that aim at making the women decide on when to perform an abortion and when not to. If allowed it will see more women conducting abortions in the times that they feel they need (Law, 2007). In some cases, abortion may be the only option to save the life of a woman and thus this case should be allowed. The feminist groups that advocate for the legalization of abortion should not have been given a mandatory right to free abortion. The Supreme Court later granted a right to abortion to women in America. It means that a woman can decide on whether she carries her pregnancy until she gives birth or terminate the pregnancy at her will. This is a right that is being enjoyed by most women in America, and it came about because of the feminist movements in the 1970s (Ritzenhoff & Katherine 2009).
In most countries around the world, women were initially not entitled to own property of their own. This was a significant cultural and social belief in larger communities and still holds a place in most male chauvinistic societies(Pedwell, 2006). This led to the emergence of feminist movements that demanded equal rights to own property for women. Most countries have granted women rights to own property and have even stated clearly that married women should take half of the property that they own as a family with their husbands. These rights are still not available in some countries, and there are women worldwide that are advocating for the equal rights to own property (Law, 2007). Besides, the right to girl child education was as a result of feminist groups that advocated for this right. Most societies, especially in Africa and Asia, did not allow girls to access education until the feminist groups engaged in protests and demanded the education of all children (D`Anieri 2012).
In the Arabian countries, women were not entitled to driving rights. Only men in the Arab nations were allowed to drive vehicles around the country. This made women feel like modernity had been locked away from them. There emerged feminist groups such as Women to Drive Movement in Saudi Arabia in 2012 (Pedwell, 2006) that advocated for equal treatment of female and male in these countries when it came to the rights to drive. The feminist group was able to gain the rights to drive in the Arab countries. Women who have embraced modernity and are privileged to own cars in Arabian countries (Law 2007) are enjoying these rights.
In conclusion, women feminist movements have been at the forefront advocating for an equal and fair treatment of women in the society. The international women’s day that is celebrated annually has been seen as a day that women come and celebrate the rights that they have gained since the 18th century where women had no rights to equal treatment in the society. As it has been noted, the rights that women feminist groups were demanding were much basic and they deserved to have an entitlement to them. Since they were granted, feminist groups can be seen as having been influential in the fight for these rights (D`Anieri Paul 2012).
WORK CITED
Pedwell, C. (2006). Third-wave feminism: a critical exploration. Feminist Review, 82, 138-140.
Ritzenhoff, K. A., & Hermes, K. A. (2009). Sex and sexuality in a feminist world. Newcastle, UK: Cambridge Scholars.
D’Anieri, P. (2011). International politics: Power and purpose in global affairs. Cengage Learning.
Law, C. (2007). Suffrage and Power: The Women's Movement 1918-1928. IB Tauris.
