Feminism

Feminism is a philosophy granting equal rights and opportunities to women. The mainstream often embraces a unisex current with asserts that men and women should share all roles equally, in marriage as well as in society at large. This element also provides support for the gay rights movement.

Roots of the movement in the United States and the United Kingdom include the Women's Suffrage movement of the early 1900's and the Women's Liberation (or "Second Wave Feminist") movement of the 1960's and 1970's.

An Equal Rights Amendment was proposed in the US in 1972, but was unratified. Opponents of the amendment cited the following problems: the integration of single-sex schools; the possible recognition of homosexual marriage; and the revocation of laws that protect women in dangerous jobs, like factory or mining work.

The feminist movement in the West evolved in the 1980s with the rise of Post-Feminism which stresses that women have many choices.

Second Wave Feminism has made a resurgence in 1990s and early years of 21st century as the movement is spreading internationally in Asia and the Middle East.

External Links

• The Feminist eZine Archive of articles about Feminist History.