Nearly 100 years ago, women were marching the streets and demanding the right to vote. Forty years after that they would once again make their way to the streets to protest the lack of equal treatment for women in schools and in the workplace. Then, after another few decades, women once again fought against the way they were being sexualized.
Feminist movements are usually separated by “waves.” The first wave, from the mid 19th century to the early 20th century, focused in on pushing for equality in politics. The second wave, which started around the 1960s and lasted into the 70s, was centered around legal equality. Lastly, the third wave, which has been running on for the past few decades, has focused on pushing for social equality.
Around 2012 the third wave of feminism began to shift its focus to justice for women as well as opposition to sexual harassment and violence against women, thus creating what is now known as the fourth wave. The fourth wave in comparison to the others seems to be more open in terms of focus.
The central problems of the past feminist movements are now nationally and internationally covered and commonly discussed. It is no longer considered radical to talk about the societal abuse women go through, ignored rape allegations, unfair pay and work conditions, and the overall inequality of women and men. So now, instead of focusing on just one idea, this new wave has a sort of blanketed coverage of all of the issues women are suffering through.
As a woman, I completely support and advocate for these issues. I will argue until my last breath for equality among women and men. But I also tend to stray away from the idea of being labeled as a feminist. The label not only has the connotation of only being for women, but it also has become warped in terms of what exactly defines someone as a feminist.
Nowadays, it seems as if it’s okay for some feminists to degrade and belittle men online, just as long as they believe in the rights of women. It seems that the fourth wave of feminism is built around the extremists who advocate for the movement; these advocates are commonly known for being “man haters.” Equality among the genders should be the premise for feminism, but it seems as if that idea no longer exists among a critical mass. Instead, the aim is to empower women over men.
Because of this, I have decided not to call myself a feminist. This radical form of feminism that has taken over the movement has caused people to disassociate themselves from the title.
The current wave of feminism needs to refine its focus and define a clear path in terms of what it wants to accomplish.
Modern day feminists are being split because of the lack of a common goal, and in turn losing what it means to really be a feminist.
Since the first feminist movement took place, the divide between men and women has lessened considerably. Nevertheless, there is still a need for proactive feminism and the fight for equal rights. Feminism is supposed to stand for equal rights, not the empowerment of women over men. Until the followers of the fourth wave are able to understand this, many women as well as myself will continue to stray away from being labeled as a feminist.