Framing & Perspectives
The third wave of feminism began in the early 1990s as a response to the perceived shortcomings of the second wave, which focused on achieving legal and political equality (Evans, 1997; Freedman, 2002). Third-wave feminists aimed to challenge and expand upon second-wave ideas by addressing the intersectionality of race, class, and gender and working towards equal rights for all, regardless of race, religion, economic status, physical ability, or sexual preference (Baumgardner & Richards, 2000; Crenshaw, 1989).
Relevance
Third wave activists focused on issues such as reproductive rights, body positivity, and sexual violence, raising awareness through social media, grassroots organizing, and pop culture (Munro, 2013). The third wave sought to redefine the image of women as assertive and powerful, impacting popular culture with strong female roles in media, such as Madonna, “Sex and the City,” and Mulan (Heywood & Drake, 1997; Gill, 2007). Additionally, third-wave feminists challenged the notion of a single, unified feminist movement and a singular experience of oppression (Walker, 1992).
Keywords: Intersectionality, Race, Class, Gender, Physical Ability, Sexuality, Equal Rights, Reproductive Rights
Connected terms: Classical Feminisms, First Wave Feminism, Second Wave of Feminism, Waves of Classical Feminism, Fourth Wave Feminism, Benevolent Sexism, Hostile Sexism, Internalized Sexism, Reproductive Rights, Acronym “LGBTQIAPN+”,
References
Baumgardner, J., & Richards, A. (2000). Manifesta: Young women, feminism, and the future. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory, and antiracist politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989(1), Article 8.
Evans, S. (1997). Born for liberty: A history of women in America. Free Press.
Freedman, E. B. (2002). No turning back: The history of feminism and the future of women. Ballantine Books.
Gill, R. (2007). Postfeminist media culture: Elements of a sensibility. European Journal of Cultural Studies, 10(2), 147-166.
Heywood, L., & Drake, J. (1997). Third wave agenda: Being feminist, doing feminism. University of Minnesota Press.
Munro, E. (2013). Feminism: A fourth wave? Political Insight, 4(2), 22-25.
Walker, R. (1992). Becoming the third wave. Ms., January/February, 39-41.
