History of Feminism Essay Sample

Feminism is the term used to describe the belief in social, economic & political equality for women. Though largely rising from the west, feminism has its variations & exemplifications throughout the globe. The idea of feminism is the idea to put an end to sexism, sexist exploitation & to attain gender equality. Women throughout history have been subjected to the harsh reality of oppression, abuse, & alienation, being forced to live a life they loathe.

This disparate history began much before the emergence of records, i.e., during the pre-history era. Women were confined to a domestic sphere, whereas men enjoyed social life. Even by the end of the 19th century, in France, women were compelled to cover their heads in public & were denied fundamental political rights. This deprivation made its way even to their home life, where women were not allowed to have control over their children without the consent of their respective husbands. Education deprivation was another problem they faced, which continues even today in some parts of the world. The primary negligible prove of women’s activist dissent dates back to the 3rd century BCE. Roman women filled the Capitoline Hill Forum, forcing consul Marcus Porcius Cato to repeal the law limiting women’s usage of valuable goods. Cato stated that “As soon as they begin to be your equal, they will have become your superiors.” This rebellion, however, proved exceptional & found to have sparked the sentiments of feminism.  

Christine de Pisan, the first feminist philosopher, had called out for woman’s education during the 14th-15th Century in France. This challenged the world's attitude towards women, which was later taken up by a Venetian feminist woman. Though faced with vituperative treatment, women have shown resistance against sexism & partisanship. Abigail Adams, the wife & closest advisor of president John Adams, say education & property as the most vital supporting pillars to women’s equality. Through her letters, she warned her husband, stating that the lack of care & attention to ladies would give rise to a rebellion. She also declared disobedience towards any law, as non-give their voice. 

Feminism has affected the lives of billions, giving women the entitlements, they always deserved. In 1920, feminism held its first success, as the 9th amendment of the American Constitution, gave suffrage to women for the very first time. This was a stepping stone for women as equal, world citizens. And yet the problem persists. Even to this day, there are numerous regions of the world where women are denied abecedarian rights. Child marriage, lack of education, narrow-mindedness of the woman’s family, to name a few, are the main cause of inequality in the modern era. Feminism today is about empowering the rights, strengths, capabilities & knowledge of women and aiming towards authorizing all women of their rightful entitlements. The struggle for equality continues. 

One must keep in mind that the ideology of feminism is of equality, not of the superiority of women. Feminism opposes the concept of ‘Genders roles’, where each gender is expected to only a certain set of tasks, women doing all the ‘easy’ jobs. On the contrary, they believe in individualism, where every single human is allowed to live a liberal right, not burned by orthodox beliefs & curtailments. Feminism teaches us to respect all genders without any sexism, it teaches us to live in harmony and most importantly, it teaches us to be humans.