Talking about feminism, let us make one thing clear that feminism does not promote hatred towards males or does not imply that women must be given some extra provisions. True feminism demands equality of all genders. Though all types of feminists keep this concept of equality in their minds and promote this very idea to the core, feminism can be segregated into a few categories depending on the situation or the present goal that the particular feminist movement is trying to achieve.
The past few decades have seen a rise in feminist movements due to all sorts of reasons. If one wants to segment these movements, one can do so by dividing the rise of feminism into 3 waves.
* The first wave of feminism was during the late 18th century and the beginning of the 20th century. This was a rebellious phase where women made their point that they were not just confined to their homes and could play major roles in society. They fought for equal rights and allowances, which include the right to vote amongst other major rights. This wave laid the pillars of what is now a full-fledged movement of feminism.
* The second wave could be pointed to have risen during the ’50s and led its way into the ’80s. This phase of feminism was backed up by pop culture and the artists of the era. Women were now competing with men shoulder to shoulder in every sector, from science to business. They demanded equal pay and equal opportunities which is their right. The legalization of abortion was one of the major changes that this wave brought.
* The third wave started gaining momentum during the mid-’90s and is still ongoing. This wave fills the little gaps left by the previous waves and has a more centered and well-directed motion. The feminists now are raised by the ones who themselves played an important role in the 2nd wave and therefore the virtues are instilled in them since childhood. Movements have gained huge traction due to the rise of social media and the internet which helps people share their views quickly throughout the globe.
Those were the various waves of feminism. Feminism can also be categorized into multiple segments depending on their immediate objective and goal.
* Classical Feminism: This branch of feminism is very simple and just demands equal rights for all genders and wants to bring an equilibrium in the world.
* Factual Feminism: They too believe that men and women should be governed by equal rights but also demand some separate rights to get a balance in the unbalanced gender paradigms we are facing currently.
* Religious Feminism: This is one branch of feminism that serves little purpose. It promotes feminism linking itself to one of the major religions. Some of its movements and ideas even counter many feminist movements.
* Radical Feminism: Though many folks look down upon this side of feminism, this is the one that brings about major noticeable changes to society. They believe that patriarchy is the reason why there is a barrier between the male and female do’s and don’ts. They take concrete steps to bridge this gap and demolish the patriarchal society.
* Separatist Feminism: This branch of feminists do not work on the proper definition of feminism but instead believe that men cannot be true feminists as they belong to a different gender and will not support their cause.
*Liberal Feminism: One of the best forms of feminism, this branch tries to bring around reforms using peaceful protests and by taking legal actions.
There are many other variations of feminism – so many, that you will probably lose count. But they all promote the same message and the same reforms. Every form of the feminist movement is very important to bring about a substantial change in our society.
