The rise and effects of first and second wave feminism
First wave feminism
First wave feminism occurred between
the 19th and 20th century. It particularly affected the United
Kingdom, Canada, Netherlands and the United States. It focussed mainly on legal
obligations and changing the law so that women had the right to vote. In 1918 women over 30 with a property were
allowed to vote, this meant that women had a say over political affairs and had
the opportunity to have a say in how their country should be ran. One of the
first laws passed was the right to property and children if a marriage was to
break down and the men no longer had rights over their wives. This meant that
for the first time ever women had the opportunity to be free and not have to
stay in an abusive marriage just because they were scared to lose everything. The
main victory for women was getting the vote and by 1928 women over 21 was
allowed the vote so laws were being changed however women were still being
treated very differently to men and that is why second wave feminism occurred.
Second wave feminism
Second wave feminism occurred
between the 1960s and 1970s. It focussed on ending discrimination and was
concerned about the inequalities that women were still facing. In the 1960s the
pill was invented which opened up many opportunities for women as they were
able to choose how many children they wanted and therefore this meant that
women had the freedom and control of having a career. The divorce and marital
rape law was founded during second wave feminism meaning that women no longer
had to be abused by their husbands and even if a woman was married rape was not going to be accepted
anymore. This gave women a chance to rebuild their lives and ensure that they
were being treated in the right way. Women also wanted the right to be equal in
politics, social economics, education, jobs and pay for work. They wanted the
same rights which men had and therefore to make men understand certain jobs
were not ‘woman’s work’ they took a step back from their domestic duties and
told people that everybody should take responsibility for the family unit. Even
though new laws were passed between the 1960s and 1970s without a social
revolution they will not be able to change everyone’s views of women in
society.
