The social movement of Women’s Rights was centered on the organizations of social, political and economic reforms that ultimately lead to women obtaining certain rights that traditionally pertained to men. For the past two centuries women promoted and fought in establishing legislative safeguards and social reforms against discrimination on the basis of gender. The women’s rights movement sought to change gender inequality by advocating for equal opportunities in education, employment and government representation. These feminist movements based on ideologies, activism, and political strategies are categorized through waves. The first wave of feminism that was formed during the 19th and the early 20th century was based on the suffrage movement,
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This wave emerged through social movements of gender equity. “In this phase, sexuality and reproductive rights were dominant issues, and much of the movement 's energy was focused on passing the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution guaranteeing social equality regardless of sex” (Rampton, 2015, para. 6). These two waves of feminism in the Women’s Rights movement, benefited women significantly as their efforts resulted in women’s legal rights and protection through the ratification of the 19th Amendment. There is also a third wave of feminism that dates from the 1990’s to present. In the article The Third Wave of Feminism, Brunell and Burkett (2016) stated these third wavers are “influenced by the postmodernist movement in the academy, third-wave feminists sought to question, reclaim, and redefine the ideas, words, and media that have transmitted ideas about womanhood, gender, beauty, sexuality, femininity, and masculinity, among other things” (para.6). The goal of this wave works toward gender, racial, economic and social …show more content…
In the 1800’s White American women were considered to be second class citizens, they were not encouraged to obtain an education and less to pursue a professional career. A low percentage of women who worked, where employed in jobs such as nurses, secretaries or teachers, needless to say women would routinely get paid lower salaries then men. At the time the perceived image for women were on the basis of “Womanhood and Motherhood”; the expected responsibilities were to get married, have children and devote their life to domestic work within the households. Women were not given the privileges that men had such as the rights to own their own property, have their own earnings or to even sign a contract. The article The 1960s-70s American feminist movement: breaking down barriers for women stated “they were legally subject to their husbands via "head and master laws," and they had no legal right to any of their husbands ' earnings or property, aside from a limited right to "proper support"; husbands, however, would control their wives ' property and earnings” (para.1). After the 15th amendment was passed granting all U.S citizens despite of race or color the right to vote, women were excluded from this right. The Seneca Fall convention of 1848 was inspired by four women who gathered in a conference to discuss the social injustice faced by women; under
This wave emerged through social movements of gender equity. “In this phase, sexuality and reproductive rights were dominant issues, and much of the movement 's energy was focused on passing the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution guaranteeing social equality regardless of sex” (Rampton, 2015, para. 6). These two waves of feminism in the Women’s Rights movement, benefited women significantly as their efforts resulted in women’s legal rights and protection through the ratification of the 19th Amendment. There is also a third wave of feminism that dates from the 1990’s to present. In the article The Third Wave of Feminism, Brunell and Burkett (2016) stated these third wavers are “influenced by the postmodernist movement in the academy, third-wave feminists sought to question, reclaim, and redefine the ideas, words, and media that have transmitted ideas about womanhood, gender, beauty, sexuality, femininity, and masculinity, among other things” (para.6). The goal of this wave works toward gender, racial, economic and social …show more content…
In the 1800’s White American women were considered to be second class citizens, they were not encouraged to obtain an education and less to pursue a professional career. A low percentage of women who worked, where employed in jobs such as nurses, secretaries or teachers, needless to say women would routinely get paid lower salaries then men. At the time the perceived image for women were on the basis of “Womanhood and Motherhood”; the expected responsibilities were to get married, have children and devote their life to domestic work within the households. Women were not given the privileges that men had such as the rights to own their own property, have their own earnings or to even sign a contract. The article The 1960s-70s American feminist movement: breaking down barriers for women stated “they were legally subject to their husbands via "head and master laws," and they had no legal right to any of their husbands ' earnings or property, aside from a limited right to "proper support"; husbands, however, would control their wives ' property and earnings” (para.1). After the 15th amendment was passed granting all U.S citizens despite of race or color the right to vote, women were excluded from this right. The Seneca Fall convention of 1848 was inspired by four women who gathered in a conference to discuss the social injustice faced by women; under