Framing & Perspectives
The first wave refers to the period of feminist activity during the late 19th and early 20th century, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdom. The movement was predominantly focused on women’s suffrage, or the right to vote, and on achieving other political and legal rights for women (Evans, 1997). Key figures of this movement include Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Alice Paul (Flexner, 1996). The movement was successful in achieving many of its goals, including the passage of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution, which granted women the right to vote in 1920. In the UK, women gained the right to vote in 1928 (Freedman, 2002).
Relevance
The phrase “first-wave feminism” was first used by journalist Martha Lear in an article she wrote for the New York Times Magazine in 1968 (Freedman, 2002). This type of feminism is primarily focused on achieving political equality for women and addressing official discrimination. However, the use of the term “wave” to describe the different stages of feminism has been criticized because it can obscure the contributions of many activists and limit our understanding of the broader movement for women’s rights (Freedman, 2002).
Keywords: Feminist Activity, Women’s Suffrage, Political and Legal Rights, Political Equality
Connected terms: Classical Feminisms, Waves of Classical Feminism, Second Wave Feminism, Third Wave Feminism, Fourth Wave Feminism, Benevolent Sexism, Hostile Sexism, Internalized Sexism, Reproductive Rights, Acronym “LGBTQIAPN+”,
References
Evans, S. (1997). Born for liberty: A history of women in America. Free Press.
Flexner, E. (1996). Century of struggle: The woman’s rights movement in the United States. Belknap Press.
Freedman, E. B. (2002). No turning back: The history of feminism and the future of women. Ballantine Books.
