A Brief History of the First Wave of Feminism
“A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.” — Gloria Steinem
Human beings have been on this planet for thousands of years but it’s hard to believe that the concept of equality is less than two hundred years old.
The first wave, the first fight, the first uprising for women’s rights refers to the mid-nineteenth and early twentieth century in the western world. In this article, I’m going to look at the first wave of feminism in the United States but I will also highlight the contributions of early feminists across the world.
It was the time when politics and businesses were completely dominated by men. They still are today but at that time no one could’ve imagined having a woman as a CEO or a leader of a political party.
Women were considered the property of their fathers and husbands. They were confined to their homes and didn’t even have the authority to file for divorce or appeal for the custody of their children. Women were treated as objects and not as living beings. The concept of marital rape was unheard of.
The first wave of feminism generally revolved around having basic legal rights for women. It was connected to the abolishment movement in…
