Essay on the Women’s Liberation Movement – Men and women are born equal and they should always be treated so. There should be no sexual discrimination. Treating women as inferior especially to men and considering them individuals of the “second sex”, is not fair. When one speaks of women’s duties, one should show equal respect to women’s rights. Providing equal rights, opportunities and statuses to women on par with men is essential and morally mandatory.
A powerful advocacy and justification of views such as these, is known as “feminism “. A social movement launched in support of these views under the leadership of women, can be regarded as feminist movement’ or ‘women’s movement’, or ‘women’s liberation movement’ [and briefly as ‘women’s lib movement’.]
Definition of ‘Feminism’ or ‘Feminist Movement’
ADVERTISEMENTS:
(i) N. Abercrombie:
“Feminism is a doctrine suggesting that women are systematically disadvantaged in modern society and advocating equal opportunities for men and women.”
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(ii) The New Encyclopaedia Britannica:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
“Women’s liberation movement also called feminist movement refers to a social movement that seeks equal rights for women, giving them equal status with men and freedom to decide their own careers and life-partners.”
(iii) Collins Dictionary of Sociology:
Feminism refers to “a holistic theory concerned with the nature of woman’s global oppression and subordination to men.”
Feminism is also referred to as “a sociopolitical theory and practice which aims to free all women from male supremacy and exploitation.” Feminist Movement – Not A Powerful Social Movement as Yet
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The feminist movement of the Western origin generally has followed the spread of the Industrial Revolution and the associated breakdown of traditional norms and the attainment of economic independence by women.
Although feminist movements existed much earlier in America, [that is, in 1850s referred to as the first phase of the movement] they lost most of their impetus after the voting right was granted to women. “In the West today, feminism having achieved its original objectives, has become more of a psychological state – a constellation of certain attitudes held by individual women than a social movement.
It remains a social movement in its traditional form in certain currently industrialising nations, particularly those in which women have traditionally held a subordinate position.
A Glance of the Growth of Feminism
The First Wave of Feminism:
Feminism as a social movement took its origins in the 18th century England which sought to achieve equality between the sexes by extension of rights to women. In the 1890s, radical women and men with liberal outlook campaigned for votes for women and women’s access to education and professions.
After the achievement of the voting rights [in 1920 in the USA and 1928 in England] the vigour of the movement was lost. Feminists then devoted much of their attention to assert their objective of equal rights with men in the public sphere, and to enhance their position in the private sphere of the family. The development is referred to as “the first wave” in the feminist movement.
The second wave of feminism emerged in the 1960s – 1970s onwards has many different strands. This has persisted as a social movement into the present. The structured inequality of the sexes, [which refers to the non-biological differences of gender, that is, notions of “masculinity ” and “femininity ” so long taken for granted is now being vigorously challenged.
What was once regarded as an unalterable fact of life is now seen by millions of people to be nothing more than a cultural product of human society. Although women still occupy a sub-ordinate status in almost all areas of the Western social life, there is a growing consensus that this situation is irrational and unjust.
In the American context, the second wave of feminism was inspired by the publication of the two pioneering books in defence of women’s rights:
(i) Simone de Beauvoir’s book “The Second Sex “, and (ii) Betty Friedan’s book “The Feminine Mystique.” In addition, the general political activism of the 1960s -1970s [a period in which many American women were working for Black Civil Rights or against the war in Vietnam] made many women decide that they needed to establish their own movement for “women s liberation.”
Further, studies of gender inequality conducted by social scientists like Alice Rossi (1964) and Jessi Bernard (1964), played a major part in creating an awareness among women. At the same time, another less formal network of women was developing.
Women who were experiencing sexism within other social movements – the anti-war movement, the civil rights movement, the environmental protection movement, and the labour movement – began to form small “consciousness-raising” groups.
Social awareness among women started growing in America especially regarding the gender discrimination. More and more women became aware of sexist attitudes and practices – [including attitudes they themselves had accepted through socialisation into traditional gender roles] – and began to challenge male dominance. A sense of “sisterhood” [much like “class- consciousness” about which Karl Marx had spoken of] became evident. Individual women identified their interests with those of the collectivity of women. Women made it known that they could no longer be happy in “submissive, and subordinate roles” [comparable to “false consciousness” in Marxist terms].
Women for the first time developed a new sense of group solidarity. As a result, loyalty was fostered within feminist consciousness raising groups. Women started sharing their personal feelings, experiences, and conflicts.
Many discovered that their ‘individual’ problems were shared by other women. Such awareness of common oppression is a pre-condition for social change. Consciousness or awareness is essential in mobilising a group for collective action.
The rising consciousness among the American women gave the feminist movement there a new strength. They became successful in bringing an amendment to the legislation on equal rights; obtaining greater representation for women in government; better facilities for the women of the minority groups; they also became successful in making federal governments to outlaw sex discrimination in education and obtained the right to legal abortions.
Feminists have also condemned the forced sterilisation of poor and minority women, sexist advertising, pornography and violence against women within and outside the family.
Creation of New Consciousness among Women by the Feminist Movement:
The feminist movement in the West is comparatively strong. A large number of women have now become aware of the sexist attitudes and practices of men. They have protested against the attempt to impose upon them through socialisation either traditional sex roles or male domination.
Women, especially in the urban set up, remain no more as individuals but as a united force. A new type of unity and solidarity is slowly growing among them. In many urban centres in the West, the feminist movement still continues to be a big force.
Varied Purposes of the Movement:
The feminist movement has not been able to get open support everywhere. In fact, men in some places and women in some others have often opposed it. The very purposes of the movement have also not been the same everywhere. For example; In some part of Africa its purpose may be to fight for the removal of the practice of paying heavy bride-price.
In Middle Asia, the movement may aim at obtaining greater freedom to women in dress matters. In some other nations, the movement may have to fight against a legal condition imposed on women which insists on obtaining the prior permission of their husbands to fight any legal battle in a Court.
In Western Europe, these feminists are busy in fighting against the misrepresentation of women in the media. In industrialising societies, the leaders of this movement may put forward a demand for paying equal remuneration for equal work. In a nation like India, leaders of this movement may have to fight for -social freedom and equal social status for women, and the establishment of socio-economic environment free from exploitation of all kinds.
The Feminist Campaign: Five Basic Approaches Proposed by Barbara Bovee Polk:
In connection with the feminist campaign for social change, Barbara Bovee Polk (1974) spoke of some basic approaches among which the following may be noted.
1. Attempts by women to resocialize themselves and overcome traditional gender-role conditioning.
2. Efforts to change day-to-day personal interactions with men and other women and to avoid conventional sexist patterns.
3. Use of the media and academic world to combat sexism and resocialize others to more egalitarian values and greater respect for women.
4. Challenges to male dominance of social institutions through demonstrations, boycotts, lawsuits, and other tactics.
5. Creation of alternative institutions, such as women’s self-help medical clinics, publishing houses, and communes.
Nowhere in the history of humanity were men and women treated alike and assigned statuses alike. Women have not been able to lead a life exactly on par with men in spite of their urge for equality. But women in ancient India, particularly during the Vedic period, enjoyed a position which was on the whole much more satisfactory than in the later periods.
Women underwent almost a kind of servitude during the medieval period and their position went on improving during the British period and after independence. Today, Indian women are almost assigned an equal status with men. All their political, economic, educational and other disabilities have been removed legally.