In the last post about the waves of feminism we saw the very beginning of feminism, but it doesn’t bring us to the place that we are at in 2022. So what comes next? The third wave of feminism, obviously. But what did it bring?
The third wave of feminism was brought about by the Generation Xers - Americans born between 1965 and 1980 - who benefitted from the rights brought on by the first two waves, but also criticized the ‘unfinished work’ of the two waves. They grew up with examples of female success around them, and an era of media saturation. The third wave direct action corporation became the third wave foundation in 1997. It supported groups working for gender, racial, economic, and social justice, founded by Rebecca Walker. Also important during this era were Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards, who, raised by second wavers grew up as self-aware, empowered, articulate and high-achieving women, wrote “Manifesta: Young Women, feminism, and the Future”. Women in this age were aware of the barriers of racism, sexism, and classism. They chose to battle such obstacles by inverting sexist, racist, and classist symbols, fighting patriarchy with irony, answering violence with stories of survival, and combating continued exclusion with grassroots activism and radical democracy. Rather than becoming part of the “machine,” third wavers began both sabotaging and rebuilding the machine itself. For the third wavers, ‘sexual liberation’, was expand to mean a process of first becoming conscious of one’s gender identity, and then freely expressing one’s authentic gender identity. In expressing their concerns, third-wave feminists actively subverted, co-opted, and played on seemingly sexist images and symbols. This was evident in the double entendre and irony of the language commonly adopted by people in their self-presentations. The Vagina Monologues, an exploration of women’s feelings about sexuality that included vagina-centered topics as diverse as orgasm, birth, and rape; the righteous anger of punk rock’s riot girls movement; and the playfulness, seriousness, and subversion of the Guerrilla Girls, a group of women artists who donned gorilla masks in an effort to expose female stereotypes and fight discrimination against female artists. The third wave was much more inclusive of women and girls of color than the first or second waves had been. In reaction and opposition to stereotypical images of women as passive, weak, virginal, and faithful, or alternatively as domineering, demanding, slutty, and emasculating, the third wave redefined women and girls as assertive, powerful, and in control of their own sexuality. In popular culture this redefinition gave rise to icons of powerful women that included the singers Madonna, Queen Latifah, and Mary J. Blige, among others, and the women depicted in television series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sex and the City, and Girlfriends. The fourth wave of feminism waws majorly centered around the ‘Me too’ movement. It began around 2012. It focused on the empowerment of women, use of internet tools, and intersectionality. It also seeked for greater gender equality, focusing particularly on gendered norms, and marginalization of women in the society. But even as we grow further, women are still victims to inequality, and we shall be truly successful, when the mindset of all the people around the world considers women equal to men!
About the Author
Prisha Gohil, a member at PsyCreative Column
Psychology Committee, SDSOS, NMIMS
Prisha Gohil, born and raised in Rajkot, Gujarat, is a 17-year-old, full of youth and quirky enthusiasm, something clearly visible in her writing. She is currently studying psychology at SDSOS, Mumbai. Her biggest achievements are her family and friends, who have always been an inspiration to her. She is full of energy when she is awake, which she rarely is. Her dream is to sleep but does some productive work in between here and there while reaching her final goal. Communication is one of the best skills she possesses, that she has nurtured over time. Confident, charismatic, hard-working, and passionate are words that would appropriately describe her.
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