What Is the Importance of Feminism?

In reality, feminism strives for equality of the sexes, not superiority for women. And one of the main aims of feminism is to take the gender roles that have been around for many years and deconstruct these to allow people to live free and empowered lives, without being tied down to ‘traditional’ restrictions.

New feminism, as a form of difference feminism, supports the idea that men and women have different strengths, perspectives, and roles, while advocating for the equal worth and dignity of both sexes. Among its basic concepts are that biological differences are significant and do not compromise sexual equality.

Gloria Steinem

Aptly referred to as the “Mother of Feminism,” Gloria Steinem led the women’s liberation movements throughout the ’60s and ’70s—and continues to do so today.

Traditionally feminism is often divided into three main traditions, sometimes known as the “Big Three” schools of feminist thought: liberal/mainstream feminism, radical feminism and socialist or Marxist feminism.

The wave formally began at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 when three hundred men and women rallied to the cause of equality for women. Elizabeth Cady Stanton (d.1902) drafted the Seneca Falls Declaration outlining the new movement’s ideology and political strategies.

Mary Wollstonecraft

Although writings that could be characterized as “feminist” or embodying the perspectives and experiences of women have appeared throughout time, the history of Western feminist theory usually begins with the works of Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797), one of the first feminist writers in the liberal tradition.

Feminism as a practice and an ideology provides both analytic and hands-on tools for understanding how patriarchy and notions of being a ‘good woman’ and ‘real man’ perpetuate violence. Feminists have also pioneered ‘power analysis’ as a means to understand and transform unjust social arrangements.

The major goals of the feminist movement include creating equal opportunities and new freedoms for women. The purpose of the feminist movement has shifted over time. However, in all four waves, feminists have sought to end discrimination and violence by pursuing social and legal reform.

On the other hand the biggest strength of feminism is that in many ways it is self-critiquing. Feminist theory is pliable and accommodating when it comes to an oppressed group that feels unrepresented within another oppressed group. Feminism is not static but fluid in many ways.

When women are given equal power due to feminism, they develop a self of belongingness which encourages them to contribute more to the people around them both personally as well as professionally. Negatives of Feminism: Feminism is often considered to be an influence of the Western world and culture.

Feminism has provided Western women with increased educational opportunities, the right to vote, protections against workplace discrimination, and the right to make personal decisions about pregnancy. In some communities, feminism has also succeeded in challenging pervasive cultural norms about women.

In a way, feminism is carving discrimination between men and women by demanding for equal rights for them, hence portraying that men are dominant in the society. It also segregates men and women. Feminism leads to the undermining of traditional values and power of a woman which is her family and loved ones.

Feminist movements have campaigned and continue to campaign for women’s rights, including the right to vote, run for public office, work, earn equal pay, own property, receive education, enter contracts, have equal rights within marriage, and maternity leave.

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