Feminism By Nirali Shah Charlene Kamba Hiktam Magar

Contents • • • Feminism theory Types of feminism Bell hooks Critique Hooks confrontations How feminism has changed the world Campaigns Movements Conclusion References

Feminism Theory • British suffragist and journalist Rebecca West famously said, "Feminism is the radical notion that women are people. " In other words, feminism is a women’s movement to achieve equality in regards to both sexes.

Types of feminism: • Socialist feminism - traces the oppression of women to inequalities that developed in connection with the class system of private property. • Reformist feminists - believe that gender inequality can be eliminated through legislative or electoral reforms without the need to alter the capitalist system itself. • Radical feminists - target male psychology or biology as the source of women's oppression.

• Media has maligned feminism as a drive for selfish fulfillment by female professionals; those who stand to gain the most are actually those who have the least. The demand for full equality for all women is profoundly radicalizing when it addresses the additional layers of discrimination women experience because of class, race, sexuality, disability, and age, and also the heightened impact on women and children of war, poverty and environmental degradation. Multi-issue feminism quickly develops into a critique of the whole social system.

Hooks Bell: Women’s literacy • Hooks funded feminist- organized literacy program in poor and working class communities to be staffed by committed volunteers

Addressing popular culture and documented reality • Learning • Racial stereotype in a movie Smoke where a black man performed a theft role, Hooks challenge the racial stereotype since people have preconceive notion that black people are represented in a shady character through asking the movie director Wayne Wang, ‘why is it theft black in the movie? ’

Critique • ‘if we truly want to empower women and men to engage in feminist thinking, we must empower them to read and write’. (Bell Hooks)

Hooks confrontation • Powerful words • Private pain into Public energy

How has feminism changed the world? • Before Martin Luther Kind and Rosa Park fought for the women right, they were being raped. Especially white men raping black women or someone who is below their class. • Women are now allowed to vote. • No matter what they wear they don’t have to be scared

Campaigns • Recently there have been many campaigns around the world.

Waves of feminism • First wave u 19 th century u. Aimed to open opportunities and suffrage to women • Second wave u 1960 -1990’s u. Anti war and civil right movement u. Sexuality and rights

Waves of feminism • Third wave umid 90’s to current u. It widened the feminist movement and its idea beyond middle class, white women, addressing the different disadvantages women experienced because of their race, ethnicity and class

Post modernism • This is an approach to feminist theory that incoporates post modern theory. • The largest departure from other branches of feminism is the argument that gender is constructed through language. • Women are no longer sex objects • Make their own choices e. g. divorce

Conclusion • Feminists believe that women should enjoy and have equal rights

References