Feminism is both a movement and an ideology. Its definition may differ in scope depending on those defining it. However, feminism has influenced generations of women, has changed the role of women both culturally and politically, and has sparked several movements aimed at bettering the conditions of women and gaining them equal rights and equal access to government. Far from forgotten, feminism remains relevant even today.
Defining feminism can be difficult as the goals of feminism evolve and as proponents disagree on scope. However, according to Ferree and Mueller, feminism is the “goal of challenging and changing women’s subordination to men” (2004). This definition focuses on the actions of challenging …show more content…
It verbalizes the goals of the movement. This ideology, specifically, the feminism of equal rights, epitomized the goals of suffrage. Voting is the primary right and duty in a democracy. “Participation in selecting government officials is one of the most obvious ways in which people can be connected to their government” (Grigsby, 2014). Yet this form of participation was denied to women. The discrepancy was even more blatant after having engaged in the abolitionist movement and having fought the Civil War, a war, in part, waged to battle against the absolute control of one person by another person. The Suffragist Movement ended with the passing of Nineteenth, granting women the right to …show more content…
It criticizes laws, policies, traditions, etc. that disadvantage women or keep them from being on equal footing with their male counterparts. Legislatively, there have been successes and losses. Among the successes are the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and the inclusion of sex as a category of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The most notable loss is the Equal Rights Amendment which wa first introduced in 1923 and almost passed in the 1970s. However, it failed to be ratified by enough state legislatures.
The goals of feminism are ‘justice for women’ and the ‘end of sexism.’ Justice for women includes equal rights under the law, equal pay, etc. Globally, goals such as equal access to education and ending sexual trafficking are imperatives in terms of justice for women. The end of sexism is a more lofty goal. It stems from women’s standing and worth socially, culturally, and at times religiously. It requires changing perspectives versus changing laws; a much more difficult