8 Types of Feminism You should Know about

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In every group of conforming individuals, there is someone who chooses to defy the otherwise unquestioned ways of life as we know it. The way of the world isn't argued over by everyone― we believe what we see around us, and we live by it, even if it seems biased towards half of us humans, and unfair towards the other half. That is when that one individual defies these so-called customs, and paves a new, different way towards the future.
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Though most of us are very lucky to have escaped prejudices, biases, and unfair treatment based upon our sex, history (as well as our grandmothers, aunties, mothers, nannies) have all told us about how women were continually oppressed in society in the past. It wasn't something that was questioned― it was simply the way of the world. Men were superior, and women were weak, and inferior. Their rightful place was in the kitchen of their house. Is the mere thought of this angering you as much as it is angering me? And yet, this was the state of women till sometime ago.

Women, as well as some radical men bore this the best way they could, until they could stand it no more, and thus, feminism was born. Feminism is not limited to any one type, in fact, there are several types of feminism, with each kind having to focus on an individual point that it feels is the most important. Before we get into the types of feminism, let us stop to define feminism as a concept, along with its background.

Feminism: Meaning and Background

✦ Feminism is, in short, the theory of political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. (Merriam-Webster) However, it is not just a theory. It is a collection of various ideas and actions taken which have had a similar objective, which is to ensure equality between men and women. Even before feminism rose as a movement across the world decades ago, there have been women and men fighting for women to have equal rights and status in society.

✦ The term 'feminism' was first coined in 1837 by a French philosopher, Charles Fourier. Though the goals and ambitions for each movement depended considerably on society, culture, and the wants and needs of women in that region, historians believe that the main, common objective between all feminist movements was and continues to be trying to ensure equality between men and women as far as government, economic matters, socio-political matters, and all the different rights which were reserved for men, are concerned.
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✦ Feminist movements experienced three 'waves', or stages that dealt with the same problems and issues, but with a different perspective. The first 'wave' of the feminist movement observed in the 1800s and early 1900s concentrated on women's suffrage, equal property rights, parenting rights, rights related to marriage, and their right to vote. The second 'wave' advocated for legal equality between men and women, as also the women's liberation movement that was observed in the latter part of the twentieth century. The third 'wave' of feminism continues to work for correcting the mistakes made or failures faced during the second phase.