Feminism And Women's Empowerment

Feminism and women’s empowerment may appear as fairly modern concepts that became prominent in the United States since the late 20th century. Few may discover, however, that those modern ideas actually stem from older philosophies and theories. Feminism permeates throughout history; even the ancient Greeks discussed the roles and positions of women. The term “feminism”, however, is considered to have first appeared around the Enlightenment Era of Europe. The thoughts generated during this revolutionary period survived throughout the ages to influence the modern society. Those innovative thoughts have faced strong oppositions at times, but continue to remain inspiring for others. The emergence of many advocates of feminism during the French …show more content…
During the Reign of Terror, which occurred during the end of the period of the French Revolution, “women joined men in writing political treatises, demonstrating, and rioting”. This could only have been the result of prominent feminist revolutionaries, for such acts were considered unnatural before the beginning of the French Revolution and the Enlightenment Era. These women revolutionaries were seen not only in France, which was home to many feminists, but also in other countries of Europe. Women in Belgium, for example, marched in demonstrations and “threw rocks at Austrian armies” while those in Spain “[demanded] recognition as patriotic citizens”. The ideas of Wollstonecraft, Condorcet, and few others also inspired women writers such as Olympe de Gouges, who published Declaration of the Rights of Women and the Female Citizen. Their ideas on redefining gender roles and universal rights for women were “omnipresent during de Gouge’s adult life in Paris”. Through her works, she was able to present her belief that “society was corrupt and…women particularly were the victims of oppression and injustice”. New legal reforms inspired by feminist ideas also facilitated the lives of women during the 18th century. Where, previously, the “women’s legal identity…was connected to their marital status”, after the …show more content…
Wollstonecraft’s push for equal education and Condorcet’s push for equal political rights for women both did not have significantly immediate effects but still laid out the brick path for the future generations. Despite many oppositions and disagreements of people such as Rousseau and Montesquieu, the revolutionary feminist thoughts preserved throughout the ages; Their ideas did not only influence the society during the French Revolution and shortly after, but still echo throughout modern feminist and women empowering