Third-Wave: Post-Feminist Analysis

Feminism, a term often used to show a movement towards equal political, economic, and cultural opportunities for women is becoming widely used. This movement was supported by many females such as Betty Friedan, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Stanton, and many other ordinary women. It is universally known that the feminist movement came in three waves. The first wave’s purpose was to get equal political power by allowing women to vote. The second wave was more concerned about the differences between the genders, such their roles and working conditions. Last but not least, the third wave, is often regarded as a continuation of the civil rights movements. As this movement spread, a new way of analyzing literature came to live. This is known as seeing

Today, women in Canada earn about 72% of men’s wages for similar work: full-time, full year. Many doubters of the wage gap argue that women earn less than men mainly because they work fewer hours, as a group, then men do. However, the

Feminism can have a different meaning depending on who you are and what time of history you are speaking of. Most people think of the second-wave of feminism in the 20th century when women fought for their rights for equality not just in the workplace but also their right to vote. The movement for gender equality was originally viewed as a great effort by women for women. Today feminism is a subtitle of equality. Giving us the new definition of feminism called third-wave feminism or gender equality.

It has been a long and hard journey in Canada to attain gender equality between men and women. Today, most people are unaware of the discrimination in workplaces, schools, and everyday life. Due to the Famous Five who lead the Persons Case that stated women as official persons, and many heroic individuals who lead the Women’s Suffrage Movement, women now have more opportunities than ever before. The Canadian Labour Movement has helped improve many citizens’ careers including those of women, protecting them from discrimination, violence, and harassment at work. Saskatchewan feminism has followed a similar path to Canada concerning women’s rights, most often categorized into three influential periods of time. The gender pay gap is the difference of money that men and women make, that is a crucial example of gender inequality. Gender stereotypes have limited the ability of men and women, judging them with false ideas through the media. All of these have played a major part of women’s rights and gender equality today.

As Third Wave feminism is currently unfolding before us, and its aims encompass a wide array of complex issues, it is often hard to describe what Third Wave feminism is. The feminist theories, mainly associated with First and Second Wave feminism attempt to describe the power imbalances that are found in society, and while doing so expose other oppressions, such as discrimination based on race or sexual orientation. As this essay attempts to place a clear definition to Third Wave feminism, feminists are concurrently trying to deconstruct old definitions and open it up for women to determine what feminism means to them. In other words, no clear definition on what is meant to be a feminist is sufficient, as the Third Wave is about

Towards the end of the twentieth century, feminist women in America faced an underlying conflict to find their purpose and true meaning in life. “Is this all?” was often a question whose answer was sought after by numerous women reaching deeper into their minds and souls to find what was missing from their life. The ideal second-wave feminist was defined as a women who puts all of her time into cleaning her home, loving her husband, and caring for her children, but such a belief caused these women to not only lose their identity within her family but society as well. The emotions that feminist women were feeling at this time was the internal conflict that caused for social steps to be taken in hopes of

Intersectionality underscores that it is impossible to consider gender in isolation from other forms of difference. Critically discuss the significance of this, including its implications for feminism. Refer to at least 3 readings in the unit read from weeks 1-6.

Have you ever seen a slut walk? I mean women walk around naked saying that they are not asking for attention. Feminism originated in New York, 1848. “The first wave of feminism in the United States began with the Seneca Falls Convention, the first women's rights convention, held at the Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls, New York, on July 19 and 20, 1848.” (Encyclopedia of Women and Religion in North America:) Third Wave Feminism started in the mid-90’s. (“Four Waves of Feminism.”) More women hate third wave feminism than men. Third Wave Feminism claims that North America is a rape culture, that women are always right, and that all men are the same. We have no need for Third Wave Feminism. Although people may claim that we need Third Wave Feminism in the United States there are many reasons to prove that we indeed do not need this cancer in our country. “Feminism is Cancer” - Milo Yiannopoulos.

The Feminism Revolution developed during the previous decades and played an important role, in many places including Canada. However, as Katha Pollitt (2007) stated, “The feminist movement has done much for some women, but it has hardly turned America into a playground free of sex roles” (p. 543). Studies conducted by Statistics Canada show that 1976 to 2005, women have increased their labor force participation greatly, and men have increased their time spent doing housework over the same span (Marshall, 2006, p.7). I believe that the Feminist Revolution, in Canada, is unfinished because women continue to make advances in politics field.

For a decade now women of the 3rd wave have complained of male patriarchy having more opportunity laid out for them than a woman such as work, education

“You cannot be a humanist unless you are a feminist. You either advocate equality for all or you are a misanthrope” (Michael A. Sherlock). From women’s suffrage to abortion laws feminism has evolved with contemporary battles and a variety of approaches. The

In the arena of family planning abortion policies became another target for women's rights movements. Most states banned or restricted abortions to being only applicable if the mother’s health was at risk .In 1970 Linda Coffee and Sarah Weddington took a case on for Norma L. McCorvey ,”Jane Roe”, against a Texas law that legalized most abortions. They stated the Texas law banning all abortions except those necessary to save the life of the mother violated Roe's constitutional rights. Roe claimed her life was not endangered but she wanted to terminate her pregnancy and could not afford to travel out of state to do so.The lawsuit was filed against Henry Wade a Dallas County District Attorney.The case (Roe vs. Wade) in 1973 was eventually

According to Kinser, while Second wave feminism inculcated women the gender equality and their liberations as citizens and individual human beings, Third wave feminism focused on more subjects related to social change. For example, more women of color stood up for changing of cultural and political separations. The first and second wave feminist fought, third wave and post feminists are living the present where women are treating “almost” equal to men. Equality for women was not given as how young generations are believing. I was also a young woman uneducated about feminism who had stereotypes for being feminist. I misunderstood that feminists are women who are arguing women superiority until I learned about it because I never questioned about

When referring to the history of feminism in the manner of the first, second, or third wave, one is undermining the experiences that were ongoing during, in middle of, and before those waves that history defines. What ideologies of oppression were being spoken of to raise awareness and whose experience was being excluded/diminished? The articulation of feminism in using the metaphor of waves to describe how the ideologies peaked and rescinded, is incorrect because it focuses only on the voices of those who were able to bring their problems to the surface and excludes those who had a different experience or may have brought awareness in a quieter manner. There are many feminisms and each interpretation is defined by the collective oppression, rather than looking at the situation in an individual perception, which is what creates disagreements and division between feminists. Many definitions of feminism, feminisms, exist simultaneously because it is evolving as fast (or, well, as slow) as the world is changing and if one group of people are to speak of others experience of oppression (or lack of) in place of them, the result can be the glossing over of experiences and therefore, undermine experiences of others.

In 1776, the then First Lady of the United States was the first to raise her about women’s rights, telling her husband to “remember the ladies” in his drafting of new laws, yet it took more than 100 years for men like John Adams to actually do so. With the help of half a dozen determined, and in this case white upper-middle-class, women the first-wave feminism, which spans from the 19th century to the early 20th century, finally led to their goal after 72 years of protesting. The Nineteenth Amendment, which secured the rights for women to vote finally passed in 1920. This grand victory brought other reforms along, including reforms in the educational system,