History of Feminism Overview

The History of Feminism

• Feminism is a political movement focused on changing the social position of women and is rooted in the French word ‘feminisme’
• In the 19th century it was used to describe medical processes that feminized male bodies and women with masculine traits.
• The term ‘feminism’ was adopted to refer to a political stance in the 20th century.

Varieties of Feminism:

• Liberal Feminism: Believes in equal opportunities for men and women and is characterized by promoting education, social change, and meritocracy.
  • Key Figure: Mary Wollstonecraft
  • Key Events:
    • The Seneca Falls Convention of 1848.
    • Betty Friedan's "Feminine Mystique" in 1963
    • The formation of the National Organization of Women (NOW) in 1966.
• Marxist Feminism: Focuses on the ways in which capitalism and private-public duality maintain women's oppression.
  • Key Figure: Karl Marx
  • Key Concepts:
    • Capitalism benefits from the subordination of women.
    • Women are the second class workforce and are considered the "reserved labor force" in a capitalist system.
• Radical Feminism: Focuses on patriarchy as the root cause of oppression.
  • Key Event: The Women’s Liberation Movement (1967)
• Socialist Feminism: Aims to abolish capitalism and patriarchy.
• Third World Feminism: Centered on the unique experiences of women in the Global South.
• Ecofeminism: Combines feminist and environmentalist thought to address the intersecting issues of gender and nature.
• Postmodern Feminism: Challenges traditional feminist ideas and embraces diversity and individual subjectivity.

Feminism’s Influence in the Philippines:

• The first formal women’s organizations in the Philippines were Asosacion Feminista Filipina and Asosacion Feminista Ilonga, both founded in the early 1900s.
• The feminist magazine ‘Filipina’ was founded in 1909.
• Filipina women were granted the right to vote in 1937.
• Marxist feminism in the Philippines is linked to the National Democratic Front, specifically, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New People’s Army (NPA).

Key Criticism of Feminist Movements:

• Liberal Feminism is criticized for overlooking issues of racial, class, and national oppression.
• Marxist Feminism is critiqued for reducing gender oppression to solely class oppression.