Eli5 the different waves of feminism
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First wave feminism was largely before the world wars. It focused on getting women the vote and some very basic human rights. This wave was also called the suffrage movement. Key figures included Emmeline Pankhurst and Emily Davison.
Second wave feminism was the post-WW2 generation. Key figures include Germaine Greer and Gloria Steinem. This wave was focused on things like workplace equality, reproductive rights and dealing with sexual violence towards women.
Third wave feminism began in the 1990s and is really the current stage of feminism. In addition to continuing to fight for equality and a reduction in harms generally, third wave feminism talks about things like intersectionality, sex positivity and what it means to be a feminist in today’s world. Third wave feminism is mostly trans-inclusive, with the notable exception of the TERF movement.
There is some suggestion that we may be entering a fourth wave of feminism but I believe that’s a minority view at present.
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