Feminist Movements

While researching the feminist movements, I found it interesting how different the attitudes of the women were in the three movements. In the first movement the women were first breaking away from the “average housewife” attitude by fighting for something more—equality—such as suffrage. The women were reserved and formal in their approach. In the later part of the second movement the women began to become more inventive with their protests and actions. For example, instead of holding a convention such as the Seneca Falls convention in the first movement the women held their own version of the Miss America pageant to express that it was a way to make women seem as simple as sexual objects. In this version of protest, the women threw objects that they believed made them sexual objects and crowned a sheep as the winner to express that it was like being judged as animals. This is interesting to me because it is a very different approach from that of the first movement. It also makes me think if this new approach receives better or worse results than that of the first movement. The new, direct approach continued to the third movement and seemed to grow. Instead of focusing on what has happened for women already, women were focusing on how small these improvements were and what a disgrace it was to not jump from little rights to all. I find this interesting because I believe progress comes in little steps. I do not believe that progress can be made in one big leap, which makes me believe that the third movement will have little results because the focus is unclear.

                With what I found interesting, it has changed my view of what I witness in terms of men and women. Realizing how little rights there were to begin with, I am thankful for those little progresses that were made in the past. I believe there is a lot to change in today’s society but looking at what happens in the current, third movement I wonder if the approach is too direct. It makes me wonder the impact that women are having on the view of society, the view of men. If women are too direct in their approach to changing today’s society I believe it could make women take a step back. It could bring more discrimination and more hatred if women are constantly aggressively attacking members of society, especially men. I understand that men would feel the discrimination and fight for their rights too if the patriarchy were to be reversed but I think that men will see this aggressive approach as an attack and come in with more hatred. I know that in some instances an aggressive approach is the best approach but sometimes I believe that approaches like that of the past two movements needs to be taken to be seen seriously as a member of society. I am not saying that because some women take an aggressive approach today that they deserve the discrimination and hatred. Women do not deserve discrimination or hatred. No one deserves discrimination. I am saying that compared to the past two movements, it seems as if the third has a possibility of providing less results.

However, this does not change what I read or experience. The experiences I have had because I am a young lady in society do not change. These experiences were undeserved, harsh, and invalid. It is for these experiences and what I read about others’ experiences that I see why women would take an aggressive approach. They are fed up and angry. Most of the time I do not believe the phrase, “You brought this on yourself” but I believe with this movement many will use this phrase towards women. In my opinion, fighting for rights is a worthy fight and inequality is not brought on by someone but by discrimination.

Sincerely,

A Girl and Her Heels