The Future of Feminism

What does #feminism mean to you? As a man, I find it eye-opening to have a deeper understanding of feminism. I see it as a general societal attitude that can be embraced by everybody, independent of their gender. Not only empowering women but also liberating men – from the blindness of privilege, limiting male stereotypes, and ultimately from toxic masculinity and systemic pressure. For me, the only sustainable path into the #future.

At the core of feminism stands the idea that everyone, regardless of gender, should have equal opportunities and a fair share of societal equity. From the origins of a formal feminist movement to the present day that core idea hasn’t changed.

But our understanding of what it means to be equal or oppressed has changed over the years.

While Olympe de Gouges in 18th century France was one of the first people to fight for equal rights for women, publishing her Declaration of Women's Rights in 1791, modern-day feminism became a movement per se only about a good century ago. Within that relatively short timeframe, the feminist movement has undergone four relatively distinct waves, meaning different things to different people. European scholars often combine waves 3 & 4 into one, with the 'digital age' as an extension of the third wave.

So, what were the four waves of feminism? The following clustering is only a very crude overview, and I can only encourage my community to read deeper into it:

First-wave feminism, from the late 19th to the early 20th century focused mainly on political equality. Establishing human rights for women instead of criminalizing their bodies, and questioning the rigid Victorian-era gender roles and legal precedence of "coverture" which treated women as the property of their husbands. Led by countries like New Zealand and the British suffragettes this wave also fought for women’s right to vote.?

Second-wave feminism, from the early 20th century to the 1970s focused more on economic equality. As World War II shaped European reality, women fought for their right to earn and contribute to the workforce. Until 1962, women weren’t allowed to open or manage a bank account without their husband’s approval. Meanwhile, in the US, the landmark 'Roe V. Wade' supreme court ruling gave women greater reproductive freedom.

Third-wave feminism, from the 1970s to the early 2000s, pushed for cultural equality. This wave opened the discussion of intersectionality, e.g, highlighting the oppression of women of color and embracing the multi-dimensionality of equality, socio-economic dependencies, and a multitude of subcultures. Especially in Europe, questions around marriage law and responsibility came to the forefront. Laws pertaining child custody, marital "obligations" and marital rape saw reforms in some countries.

The current wave, the fourth wave of feminism since the early 2000s, has seen the flourishing of women’s voices in a digitized society, especially in social media. One could call it "intersectional feminism in the digital age", as the rise of social media has provided a powerful and globally interconnected public platform. This has shifted the power dynamics and enabled women to call out predatory and discriminating behavior. The increased awareness and fast-changing-terminology, fueled by social media, has also led to increased tribalism and a at times less clear agenda of feminism in public perception today.

One thing is clear:

Feminism has changed society for the better. It is a driving force for transformation, not just for women, but for the whole of humanity. It is a crucial building block for designing a desirable, sustainable future. Shareholder economies and social equity is impossible without feminism.

And as our society is evolving, so is the feminist movement. Today, only about a third of STEM workers in the US are women. Though that’s quite the progress from 8% in 1970, we still have a long way to go. And as we saw with this year's Supreme Court ruling, the pendulum swings back and forth.

?What will the 5th wave of feminism look like? What will a future society, a future civilization co-created and equal look like?

?What does feminism mean to you? And how has that changed over the years?

A selection of resources for further reading:

https://www.unwomen.org/en/annual-report/2022

https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/commission-on-the-status-of-women-2012/facts-and-figures#:~:text=fare%20much%20better.-,Education,urban%20boys%20(60%20percent)

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/07/07/61-of-u-s-women-say-feminist-describes-them-well-many-see-feminism-as-empowering-polarizing/#:~:text=About%20six%2Din%2Dten%20U.S.,party%2C%20according%20to%20the%20survey

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/08/why-we-must-act-now-to-close-the-gender-gap-in-ai/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminism

We will discuss the history, present, and future of gender equality on October 13th, 2022 as part of our inspirational 'Journey to the Future' series.

Join us: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_z72mqVfRQwujh0W4XuzOIQ

#genderequality #diversity

think.speak.transform.