The article discusses “First wave of feminism. First wave feminism. First wave timeline CSS. Gender Studies. CSS Notes.”
First Wave Of Feminism
To secure more rights and political freedom for women, feminists initiated a movement in west that worked from late nineteenth to early twentieth century. It was first in the series of three consecutive movements and was named by Martha Lear in March 1968, in her article in The New York Times Magazine as the First Wave of Feminism.
Who Started The First Wave Of Feminism?
The history of first wave feminism goes as far back as to the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention. In 1848 some three hundred men and women gathered in New York City at the nation’s first women’s rights convention that declare natural equity of women and men and outlined a political strategy for gaining access to equal rights and opportunities. The declaration was named as Seneca Falls Declaration and it was outlined by Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902).
Seneca Falls Convention was organized in mere protest against the rude behavior of the members of World Anti Slavery Convention of 1840 that was held in London. During the convention Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott were denied seating. As most of the abolitionists were also feminist, so abolitionist movement fueled the first wave of feminsm and vice versa.
Women’s suffrage became the goal of the movement with the formation of American Equal Rights Association (AERA) in 1866, which was soon replaced with National Women Suffrage Association (NWSA) in 1869.
Prominent Leaders Of First Wave Feminism: Some of the prominent activists and leaders of the first wave of femnism were Alice Paul, Carrie Chapman Catt, Anna Howard Shaw, Rosa Luxemburg, Alexandra Kollontai and Emma Goldman.
Alice Paul, Carrie Chapman Catt and Anna Howard Shaw were Liberal Feminist while Rosa Luxemburg, Alexandra Kollontai and Emma Goldman were Socialist/Marxist Feminist.
The First Wave Of Feminism Goals
First wave of femnism largely revolved around gaining basic legal rights for women. Their demands included
- the right to vote (women’s suffrage)
- right of holding property
- right of divorce and
- right of keeping child in custody
End Of First Wave Feminism
First 1st Feminism in west ended when women gain the right to have a say with regard to their children’s custody and right to own and inherit property particularly in North America and the right to vote (women’s suffrage) between 1917-1920.
