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Importance of First Wave of Feminism (Feminist Theory)

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Volume 8, Issue 5, May – 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology

ISSN No:-2456-2165

Importance of First Wave of Feminism


(Feminist Theory)
Aarti
Jamia Milia Islamia University
Department of English (Delhi)
Net Qualified

Abstract:- Today information in relation to feminist The term Wave then became so much important which
movements . The first wave of feminism, also known as helped in connecting the different eras of feminism and
the suffrage, we will talk about the four Waves of different groups. The first wave allowed women suffrage
Feminism. This is one of the most important and and struggle in many ways that women have thought about
historical movement, which was a social and political themselves and their place in the world is very long. So,
movement that took place in the late 19th and early 20th wave then produces, a seeming notion of togetherness and a
centuries in Europe and North America. The movement seeming notion of universality. These are also the reasons
sought to achieve women's suffrage, or the right to vote, why the term wave has been critiqued. Some of the key
as well as other basic rights and opportunities that were events or figures related to first wave of feminism was led
denied to women at the time. This article will examine by a diverse group of women, including suffragists, social
the concept of the first wave of feminism, its historical reformers, and political activists. Some of the key figures of
context, key figures and events, and its legacy. It is that the movement include:
feminist movements in different parts of the world seem  Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906): An American suffragist
to be so different, but also similar in many ways. What and abolitionist who played a key role in the women's
do we mean by first wave and why it is important and suffrage movement in the United States. Anthony co-
what are its factors related. founded the National Woman Suffrage Association in
1869 and worked tirelessly for women's right to vote
I. INTRODUCTION until her death in 1906.
 Emmeline Pankhurst (1858-1928): A British suffragette
The first wave of feminism emerged in a time of great who founded the Women's Social and Political Union in
social and political change in Europe and North America. 1903. Pankhurst and her followers engaged in direct
The Industrial Revolution had transformed the economy, action, including hunger strikes and window-smashing,
leading to the growth of cities and the rise of the middle to draw attention to their cause.
class. Women played a significant role in the new industrial  Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902): An American
economy, working in factories and mills alongside men. suffragist and women's rights activist who co-founded
However, women's legal and social status remained largely the National Woman Suffrage Association with Susan B.
unchanged, and they were denied basic rights and Anthony. Stanton was also a writer and philosopher, and
opportunities that men took for granted. her work helped to establish the intellectual foundations
of the women's rights movement.
At the same time, new ideas about equality and  Millicent Fawcett (1847-1929): A British suffragist who
democracy were emerging. The French Revolution of 1789 founded the National Union of Women's Suffrage
had proclaimed the principles of liberty, equality, and Societies in 1897. Fawcett and her followers used
fraternity, but these principles were not extended to women. peaceful protests and lobbying to campaign for women's
In the 19th century, movements for social and political suffrage.
reform gained momentum, including the abolitionist
movement to end slavery, the labor movement to improve New Historicism and the idea of experience in feminist
working conditions, and the temperance movement to end theory, we spoke about women’s roles and where is it that
alcohol abuse. Women played important roles in these women actually exist in history and Waves become an
movements, but they were often excluded from leadership important way to recover these voices and to recover ways
positions and denied the right to vote. in which women have been thinking about themselves in
relation to the movement of nations, worlds, politics, law,
There are many ways to understand the historical sexism, cultural movement and a whole gamut of things that
movement of feminist theory. When they were fighting for testify to the fact that woman have, and will always be
suffrage, they were suffragettes but, what Martha Lear is active participants in public debate, and the shaping of
saying is that the Second Wave comes after the first. So public narrative and discourse.
there are several ways in which we will going to talk about
the feminist movements and feminist theory in relation to
past events and legacy.

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Volume 8, Issue 5, May – 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
The first wave of feminism was marked by a number Major Achievements The first wave of feminism was
of important events and milestones. Some of the key events marked by a number of major achievements, many of which
include: had far-reaching implications for women's rights and gender
 The Seneca Falls Convention (1848): A gathering of equality. Perhaps the most significant of these was the
women's rights activists in Seneca Falls, New York, achievement of women's suffrage, which was secured in a
where attendees drafted the Declaration of Sentiments, a number of countries during this period.
document calling for women's right to vote and other
basic rights. Other important achievements included the
 The Suffrage Parade in New York City (1913): A establishment of women's organizations and advocacy
massive parade in which thousands of suffragists groups, the promotion of women's education and
marched through New York City to demand the right to employment opportunities, and the recognition of women's
vote. The parade was a turning point in the suffrage legal rights in areas such as property ownership and divorce.
movement and helped to build momentum for the These achievements laid the groundwork for future
passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. generations of feminists, and helped to establish a new
 The Representation of the People Act (1918): A law paradigm for gender relations and women's rights.
passed in the United Kingdom that granted women over
the age of 30 the right to vote. II. FACTORS

The first wave of feminism, which occurred during the The first wave of feminism, which took place during
late 19th and early 20th centuries, was a significant the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was a crucial
movement in feminist theory and activism. This movement movement that paved the way for subsequent feminist
was primarily concerned with women's suffrage, or the right movements. This essay will examine the key factors that
to vote, and was marked by a series of protests and contributed to the emergence of the first wave of feminism,
campaigns across the Western world. In this essay, we will as well as the major achievements of the movement.
explore the importance of the first wave of feminism in Specifically, this essay will discuss the political, social, and
feminist theory, looking at its historical context, key figures, economic factors that led to the emergence of the first wave
and major achievements. of feminism, and the ways in which the movement sought to
address issues of gender inequality and discrimination.
Historical Context The first wave of feminism emerged
in a time when women's rights were severely restricted. Political Factors One of the most significant political
Women were denied the right to vote, and were excluded factors that contributed to the emergence of the first wave of
from many aspects of public life, including education, feminism was the movement for women's suffrage. Women
employment, and political representation. At the same time, in many countries were denied the right to vote, which
women were expected to fulfill traditional roles as wives prevented them from having a voice in political decisions
and mothers, and were often viewed as inferior to men both that directly impacted their lives. Women's suffrage became
intellectually and socially. a central issue for the first wave of feminism, and suffrage
campaigns were organized across the Western world. In the
In this context, the first wave of feminism represented United States, suffrage activists such as Susan B. Anthony
a major challenge to the status quo. It sought to address and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were instrumental in advocating
issues of gender inequality and discrimination, and to secure for women's right to vote, and their efforts ultimately led to
greater rights and opportunities for women. This movement the passage of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution
was fueled by a growing sense of feminist consciousness, as in 1920, which granted women the right to vote.
women began to question and challenge the prevailing
social norms and expectations. Another important political factor that contributed to
the emergence of the first wave of feminism was the
Key Figures The first wave of feminism was led by a progressive movement. This was a broad-based social and
number of prominent figures, many of whom played a political movement that sought to address a range of social
significant role in shaping feminist theory and activism. and economic problems, including poverty, labor
These included Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, exploitation, and political corruption. Many feminists saw
and Lucretia Mott in the United States, and Emmeline the progressive movement as an opportunity to advance
Pankhurst and Millicent Fawcett in the United Kingdom. their own agenda, and worked closely with progressive
activists to promote women's rights and gender equality.
These figures were united in their commitment to
securing women's suffrage, and used a range of tactics to Social Factors Social factors were also important in the
achieve this goal. These included organizing rallies and emergence of the first wave of feminism. The Victorian era,
protests, lobbying politicians, and engaging in civil which preceded the first wave of feminism, was
disobedience. Their efforts were often met with hostility and characterized by rigid gender roles and a strict moral code
resistance, but they persisted in their efforts to secure greater that placed a premium on female virtue and chastity.
rights and opportunities for women. Women were expected to conform to these ideals, and were
often subject to social ostracism or even legal penalties if
they failed to do so.

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Volume 8, Issue 5, May – 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
These social norms and expectations contributed to the women were not qualified to participate in the political
emergence of the first wave of feminism by creating a sense process.
of discontent and frustration among women who felt trapped
by these strict gender roles. Feminists such as Mary The medical profession also played a role in opposing
Wollstonecraft and John Stuart Mill argued that women's feminist demands. Many doctors believed that women were
oppression was not only unjust, but also detrimental to physically and intellectually inferior to men, and that they
society as a whole, as it prevented women from contributing were not suited for certain types of work or activities. This
fully to the social, political, and economic life of their belief was used to justify the exclusion of women from
communities. many professions, as well as to justify their exclusion from
higher education.
Economic Factors Economic factors also played a
significant role in the emergence of the first wave of Internal Divisions within the Movement The first wave
feminism. Women's economic opportunities were severely of feminism was not a monolithic movement, but was
limited during this period, and they were often excluded characterized by a range of different perspectives and
from many professions and industries. Women were also priorities. This diversity led to internal divisions within the
paid significantly less than men for similar work, and were movement, which sometimes made it difficult for feminists
often subject to exploitation and abuse in the workplace. to present a united front.

The first wave of feminism sought to address these One of the major divisions within the movement was
economic issues by advocating for women's right to work between suffragists and anti-suffragists. While suffragists
and for equal pay for equal work. Feminists such as sought to secure women's right to vote, anti-suffragists
Florence Kelley and Alice Paul were instrumental in argued that women's suffrage would undermine traditional
organizing labor unions and advocating for better working gender roles and the family structure. This division was
conditions for women. They also campaigned for the right to particularly acute in the United States, where anti-suffragists
own property and to control their own finances, arguing that were often wealthy and influential women who saw
economic independence was essential for women's freedom themselves as defenders of traditional values.
and autonomy.
Another major division within the movement was
Achievements of the First Wave of Feminism The first between "radical" and "moderate" feminists. Radical
wave of feminism achieved a number of significant feminists argued for a more sweeping transformation of
successes, many of which had far-reaching implications for society, advocating for the elimination of all forms of
women's rights and gender equality. One of the most gender-based discrimination and the complete equality of
significant achievements was the attainment of women's men and women. Moderate feminists, on the other hand,
suffrage. Women in many countries were granted the right sought more incremental change, focusing on specific issues
to vote during this period, including the United States, the such as suffrage, education, and employment.
United Kingdom, and several other European nations.
Lack of Support from Some Women Finally, the first
The first wave of feminism, which took place in the wave of feminism also faced a lack of support from some
late 19th and early 20th centuries, was a time of significant women, particularly those who were wealthy or privileged.
social and political change. However, the movement also Many of these women saw themselves as benefiting from
faced a number of challenges and difficulties, including the traditional gender roles that feminists were seeking to
opposition from social and political institutions, internal challenge, and were resistant to the idea of women's
divisions within the movement, and a lack of support from liberation.
some women. This essay will examine the various
difficulties faced by the first wave of feminism, and the In some cases, wealthy and influential women actively
ways in which feminists responded to these challenges. opposed feminist demands, using their social and political
power to block the progress of the movement. For example,
Opposition from Social and Political Institutions One anti-suffragists in the United States formed powerful
of the major difficulties faced by the first wave of feminism lobbying organizations and worked to influence public
was opposition from social and political institutions, opinion against women's suffrage.
including the church, the state, and the medical profession.
Many of these institutions were deeply invested in Feminist Responses to These Challenges Despite the
maintaining traditional gender roles and were hostile to the challenges and difficulties faced by the first wave of
idea of women's liberation. feminism, feminists were able to make significant progress
in advancing women's rights and gender equality. One of the
The church, for example, saw women's role as key strategies used by feminists was the development of
primarily that of wife and mother, and opposed feminist effective political and social networks, which allowed them
demands for women's suffrage and greater educational and to organize and mobilize support for their cause.
employment opportunities. The state was similarly resistant
to feminist demands, and governments in many countries
resisted granting women the right to vote, arguing that

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Volume 8, Issue 5, May – 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
Feminists also used a range of tactics to challenge movements, which helped to build a sense of shared purpose
opposition from social and political institutions. They and common goals.
organized protests, rallies, and marches, and used the media
to raise awareness about the issues facing women. They also Challenge3: Lack of Support from Some Women A
worked to build alliances with other progressive third major challenge faced by the first wave of feminism
movements, such as the labor movement and the civil rights was a lack of support from some women, particularly those
movement, which helped to strengthen their political power who were wealthy or privileged. Many of these women saw
and influence. themselves as benefiting from the traditional gender roles
that feminists were seeking to challenge and were resistant
The first wave of feminism, which began in the late to the idea of women's liberation.
19th century and lasted until the early 20th century, was a
period of significant social and political change. Women's Strategies Used: To address this challenge, women's
rights activists during this period fought for a range of rights activists during the first wave of feminism sought to
issues, including the right to vote, access to education and build broad-based support for their cause. They worked to
employment, and the abolition of gender-based create alliances with other progressive movements, which
discrimination. Despite the significant progress made during helped to broaden the appeal of the feminist movement
this period, the first wave of feminism faced a range of beyond traditional women's issues. They also sought to
challenges and obstacles. This essay will explore the various create spaces for dialogue and engagement with women who
challenges faced by the first wave of feminism and the were skeptical or resistant to feminist ideas, in the hope of
strategies used by women's rights activists to overcome winning them over to their cause.
these challenges.
Challenge 4: Lack of Unity Across National
Challenge1: Institutional Resistance One of the major Boundaries A fourth major challenge faced by the first wave
challenges faced by the first wave of feminism was of feminism was a lack of unity across national boundaries.
institutional resistance. Social and political institutions, such Women's rights activists in different countries faced
as the church, the state, and the medical profession, were different challenges and obstacles, and the strategies that
deeply invested in maintaining traditional gender roles and worked in one context did not necessarily work in another.
were hostile to the idea of women's liberation. For example, This made it difficult for the movement to present a unified
the church saw women's role as primarily that of wife and front on global issues, such as women's suffrage or the
mother and opposed feminist demands for women's suffrage abolition of gender-based discrimination.
and greater educational and employment opportunities. The
state was similarly resistant to feminist demands, and Just sort of information, let us go through a list of
governments in many countries resisted granting women the countries and see when is it that they gave women the right
right to vote, arguing that women were not qualified to to vote. We start with New Zealand in 1893, Finland 1906,
participate in the political process. Denmark 1915.In Iceland in 1915 only women over 40 were
given the right to vote. Think about that woman can be
Strategies Used: Women's rights activists during the rational beings allowed to choose how they are governed,
first wave of feminism used a range of strategies to but, only after the cross the age of 40, not at age of 20, 19
challenge institutional resistance. They organized protests, into adulthood same way as men. And contrast this with the
rallies, and marches, and used the media to raise awareness ways in which in current day narrative, women are
about the issues facing women. They also worked to build considered to have a capacity to mature much faster than
alliances with other progressive movements, such as the men. Russia 1917, Germany: 1918, UK 1918, Brazil 1932,
labor movement and the civil rights movement, which Turkey 1934.Lo and behold France only 1944.Clearly, it is
helped to strengthen their political power and influence. only in the early in the twentieth century, that one begins to
see first wave efforts bearing fruit across the world. This is
Challenge2: Internal Divisions within the Movement not to suggest a direct connection between first wave
Another major challenge faced by the first wave of movements and first wave activism in the US and the rest of
feminism was internal divisions within the movement. This the world, but, there are ways in which feminist theory
diversity led to internal divisions within the movement, begins to have the visibility and legibility across the world
which sometimes made it difficult for feminists to present a in different political context. Japan 1945, India comes into
united front. One of the major divisions within the in being in 1947 and gives women the right to vote along
movement was between suffragists and anti-suffragists. with the men at the same time. Greece 1952, China 1953,
While suffragists sought to secure women's right to vote, Mexico 1953, Egypt 1956.Canada and Australia first nation
anti-suffragists argued that women's suffrage would women and indigenous Australians won the right to vote in
undermine traditional gender roles and the family structure. 1960 and 1962 respectively. Recall then, the ways in which
age works in Iceland, these are the same ways in which
Strategies Used: Feminists used a range of strategies to ethnicity, ethnic identity, average null identities seem to
address internal divisions within the movement. They work for women. That until 1960, 1962 they were not
sought to build bridges between different factions, for considered to have enough political acumen to be able to
example by organizing joint events and meetings. They also vote. At the same time, we continue to hear narratives about
worked to create coalitions with other progressive women not having the capacity to wield power, to wield

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Volume 8, Issue 5, May – 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
political citizenship to understand what is going on, being enlist religion and public opinion on their behalf. What are
infantilized continually even in the contemporary world and the ways in which they had to persuade, to push, to break
then think about the ways in which we discussed the First open the boundaries of understanding in order to further the
Wave as encompassing a set of ideas and narratives and not feminist movements and its goals.
necessarily relating to a particular set of political goals,
starting in 1848 ending in 1920 and then we are done. I I want to move on different text which argues very
would suggest that we continue to think about the goals of differently than the Declaration Of Sentiments and
the First Wave as important even in the present moment. Resolutions for why is it that women need full rights in
What were these goals and issues? Equal political rights for society. This is the “Vindication of the Rights of Woman”
women, equal opportunities for education and employment, from 1792, where Mary Wollstonecraft goes on to say the
right to own property, right to be financially independent following. “Contending for the rights of woman, my main
and right to own property even as first wave borrowed argument is built on this simple principle, that if she be not
energy from, and also competed with the anti-abolitionist prepared by education to become the companion of man, she
movement. Often women, and these were white women in will stop the progress of knowledge and virtue; for truth
the US made the argument that what kind of a political must be common to all, or it will be inefficacious with
milieu is this in which even African and American men get respect to its influence on general practice. And how can
the right to vote but white women do not. There was woman be expected to co-operate unless she know why
opposing of gender against race as opposed to making ought to be virtuous? Unless freedom strengthens her reason
certain actions with the movement that was anti-slavery. till she comprehends her duty, and see in what manner it is
And this is problematic for a number of reasons because it is connected with her real good? If children are to be educated
an exclusionary set of possibilities being suggested were to understand the true principle of patriotism, their mother
feminist theory that goes against the core of how we are must be patriot; and the love of mankind, from which an
understand the role of exclusion in the world. And therefore, orderly train of virtues spring, can only be produced by
first wave of feminism has been also being critiqued for this considering the moral and civil interest of mankind; but the
idea of political freedom, only for white women. education and situation of woman, at present shuts her out
from such investigations. The main argument is meant to
The first wave is fairly easy to understand, but, the support women’s rights in order that women can become
thing to remember is that the things people were suggesting effective companions. Women will only co-operate with a
during the time were very revolutionary. Women had been larger endeavor for truth, if, they know why they ought to be
writing about the rights of women, their capacity to be virtuous. Freedom strengthens reasons and if the goal is for
realized beings, their capacity to be publicly responsible a reasonable companion to man then women deserve
people for a very long time. However, if it is only during freedom. Children must be educated by women, by mothers
this period there was sustained political movement to give who are patriots in order to produce patriotism, and such can
them the rights, the way that women had been imagining only be produced by considering the moral and civil interest
themselves. Let us look at with an examples of a few key of mankind. But, the education and situation of woman, at
text during this time. Let us start with the “Declaration of present shuts her out from such investigations. So,
Sentiments and Resolutions” prepared by Elizabeth Cady Wollstonecraft is suggesting here that women are valuable
Stanton. We will then go on to another important text from entities, but not in their own right as individuals but, as
1792 that poses the rights of the woman in a slightly companions, wives, and mothers. In other words, in their
different vein but still an important precursor to First Wave capacity to further the education of the child and the
feminist theory and lastly, let us read some very important existence of man. She goes on to say, “Let there be then no
and interesting passages from Virginia Woolf’s, A Room of coercion established in society, and the common law of
One’s Own. If you recall, there was a throw away reference gravity prevailing, the sexes will fall into their proper
to Virginia Woolf in relation to New Historicism Or places. And now that more equitable laws are forming your
recovering women’s history, where we had spoken a very citizens, marriage may become more sacred. Your young
briefly about the Wolf Saying, what about Shakespeare men may choose wives from motives of affection and your
sister? Why is it that we never hear about any kind of maidens allow love to root out vanity. ”In other words, there
women from the era of Shakespeare? Did women not have is a broad moral project to Wollstonecraft’s text.
imagination? Did they not have the capacity for genius? Vindication of the rights of woman, but woman, as
Could they not write? How is it that in the Elizabeth in era, necessary companion to man were of course the sexes will
we only hear about men? So, we will go through this fall into their proper places.
wonderful text called A Room of One’s Own.
Think of vindication of the rights of women as a
There are no possible ways according to this modification of that, where Wollstonecraft argues that such
Declaration for women to be realized beings in society. And capacities of women are important in public space as a
the Declaration also clearly points to the fact that it knows counter and as a foil to men’s capacities; they will only feed
that this is an uphill task. They are suggesting that they into the larger project of patriotic, moral, mankind. the
understand fully well what is it they seeking to change, and present moment but, also from the point of view of 1792,
you can see that it takes them some time 1848 to 1920 is not that from 1848 to 1920 is when women are even able to
small. However, clearly there is also a plan: employ agents, make the argument the women can be politically
circulate tracts, petition State and National Legislatures, and responsible.1792 is further back from that. Perhaps one of

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Volume 8, Issue 5, May – 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
the things to consider is that women had to find different III. CONCLUSION
route to make the argument for equality and this may have
been the only possible route available during that time. The First Wave is a chronicle of a women campaigning
in multiple ways for women's public rights. It reinterprets
A Room of One’s Own, Virginia Woolf. In chapter Renaissance thought: the idea of liberty and the right to
three if I remember correctly, Woolf suggest this: “It would happiness; argues for inclusion and political, civil, and
be better to draw the curtains; to shut out distractions; to economic rights. It is often associated with primarily
light the lamp; to narrow the enquiry and to ask the women's suffrage. First Wave was borrowed from ongoing
historian, who records not opinions but facts, to describe movements for man’s equality and rights, therefore,
under what conditions women lived not throughout the ages, liberalism and liberal feminism as well. Their platforms may
but in England, say, in the time of Elizabeth. In the text vary but they campaigned for women as equal and rightful
Woolf is investigating the question of what it takes for inhabitants of the world, and therefore its governance.
women to write fiction. What does it require in a woman’s Limitations of First Wave Feminism are often suggested to
life for her to be able to produce fiction as a larger genre, be around its race politics. First Wave Feminists furthered
and as a writer of worth in the world? And the answer of this kind of focus on women and their identities. the first
course in the title is, A Room of One's Own, but, in the wave of feminism was a critical movement in feminist
process even as she suggests this, gathering together all theory and activism. It represented a major challenge to the
other kinds of ruminations and thoughts, she asks the prevailing social norms and expectations, and sought to
question of where is it that women were in Elizabethan secure greater rights and opportunities for women. Through
England. Why is it that we have no records of their lives? the efforts of key figures such as Susan B. Anthony and
What were the conditions in which women lived? I asked Emmeline Pankhurst, the movement achieved a number of
myself; for fiction, imaginative work that is, is not dropped significant successes, including women's suffrage and the
like a pebble upon the ground as science maybe; fiction is establishment of women's organizations and advocacy
like a spider’s web attached ever so slightly perhaps, but still groups. These achievements laid the foundation for future
attached to life at all four corners. Often the attachment is feminist movements, and helped to establish a new
scarcely perceptible; Shakespeare’s plays for instance seem paradigm for gender relations and women's rights that
to hang there complete by themselves. But, when the web is continues to shape feminist theory and activism today.
pulled askew, hooked up at the edge, torn in the middle, one
remembers that these webs are not spun in mid-air by REFERENCES
incorporeal creatures, but, are the work of suffering human
beings, and are attached to grossly material things, like [1]. Virginia woolf 1929 A Room Of One’s Own.
health and money and the houses we live in.” [2]. Mary Wollstonecraft1792 A vindication of right for
women.
So at the end the First Wave, and I want to make a [3]. Simone Beauvoir 2010 The Second Sex.
quick reference to one another figure before we move on to
a summary of the First Wave. Margaret Sanger is another
important figure to emerge at the edges of the First Wave.
Nurse by training, who herself came from a large working
class family, and she witnessed her mother’s 18 pregnancies
and 11 births. Having seen this for herself, she was
convinced that women’s rights were also inextricably tied
up with women's control over their own reproductive
capacities. She opened the country’s first Family Planning
Clinic in New York in 1916, even as provision of
contraception was a criminal offence. Five years later she
founded The American Birth Control League, culminating
in her co-founding the International Planned Parenthood
Federation in 1952.Her work, along with the work of Maria
Stopes in the UK, is always quoted and often spoken about,
as one of the first kind of important movements in
reproductive rights for women, which we will also go on to
discuss in relation to Second Wave. However, the thing to
also remember is that both Margaret Sanger and Maria
Stopes are controversial figures because of their associations
with eugenics.

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