First Wave Feminism
The first wave took place in the late 19th century and ended in the early 20th century and was lead by middle class white women. The goal of this wave was to open opportunities for women, with a focus on suffrage and abolition of slavery. The movement began in 1848 when 300 men and women rallied toward the cause of gender equality. The continuous discussion about the right to vote and women's
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participation in politics lead to an examination of views between men and women. Select groups of people claimed women were more superior to men, so their presence in the civic sphere would improve political progress.
Two main organizations were formed during this wave. There was the National Women Suffrage Association, and the American Women Suffrage Association. Both groups were formed |
in order to assist with the progress of gaining women the right to vote. In 1890 these two groups merged to form the National American Women Suffrage Association.
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World War II
When World War II began, men were deployed fight. This gave women the opportunity to do different things including: joining the military, obtain positions of leadership, join the labour force, and many more.
Rosie The Riveter was a poster girl that came out during the war to encourage women to take on this roles that traditionally were men's jobs. She wore overalls, with her hair tied up under a bandana, and shortly became a national symbol of patriotism. During this time, the minorities benefited from the workforce shortage. With women entering the workforce they had more earning |
power and a stronger feeling of accomplishment. Although these women finally had jobs, the working conditions were unfavourable. There was a strong presence of sexual harassment, hostile environments, and very little daycare for their children.
When the war was over, women were then asked to leave their jobs, so the men could be employed again. In 1946, the postwar boom in the economy had an impact in the women's movement. Women began to marry earlier and had many |
kids. This time era was referred to as the Baby Boom. If a woman attended school, they were only looking for an MRS degree. A woman's main job was to keep the house tidy and care for her children.
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