feminism

the origins of feminism

largely fragmentary evidence of a growing female consciousness and opposition to a male-dominated wolrd
the Amazons- semi-mythical tribe of fierce women warriors; feminist ideas must have flourished in ancient greece
Aristophenes' play about Lysistrata- metaphor for the potential power of women from the same era; woman who organised the other women of Greece to withhold their sexual favours until the men brought war to an end
French revolution and the enlightenment- inspiration for early ideas that women might enjoy equal rights with men
a vindication of the rights of women (1792), Mary Wollstonecraft- first well known and rigorous work on women's rights

doesn't go as far as to advocate equality for women
urges that they be offered a good education and they assert their right to be considered useful members of society
being a good wife and mother was a worthy aspiration
at the same time women should become independent from their husbands and should develop their minds to the fullest extent

Wollstonecraft was not a feminist in the modern sense of the word
was a pioneer of the movement
much of the attention on the issue of the inferior position of women was to move to the USA in the 19th century

these early signs are merely fragments
feminism as a serious political and social movement did not emerge until the middle and 2nd hald of the 19th century
there were some concerns about the legal and social position of women
John Stuart Mill campaigned for the passage of the Married Women's Property Act 1882- allowed women to keep their own property after they married
Charlotte Perkins Gilman was writing extensively about the lack of opportunities for independent women; argued that the inferior position of women in the home was a model of their subordinate position in wider life
it was the issue of the franchise that attracted most attention

1890- the National American Woman Suffrage Association founded; followed by the National Woman's Party
1920- the 19th Amendment to the US constitution passed; guaranteed equal voting rights for women
1903- WSPU founded and run by the Pankhurst family; led the suffragette movement that was ultimately to secure votes for married women over the age of 30 (1918)
1928- secured equal voting rights with men
the suffragettes and their american counterparts formed the earliest example of a well organised women's movement
suffrage movement came to be known as first wave feminism

the assumption of the suffrage movement was that once women were granted voting rights and could stand for election to representative bodies, 2 developments would followed
many women would quickly seek election to office
parliament and government would pass legislation to improve conditions for women and establish equality in all kinds of economic and social fields
neither occured
little impact at all

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