FEMALES AND FEMINISM
Development of science and technology has reached such heights that it is almost impossible to return back anymore. We have developed from taking horses as our transportation mediums to those automobiles that now travel through air, spreading its wings and carrying passengers in them. Despite such development, the world has not yet been able to completely accept the fact that females and males are equal be it in their respective positions or roles.
I read an article just a few days back written by Martha Rampton, a professor in the Pacific University. In the article, the writer has been able to portray the waves of feminism and women status in such a way that it seems like it has been marking its role to stop women inequality in an effective manner. However, pragmatically speaking these movements have only resulted to ephemeral results or in some cases superficial consequences.
In the article, she mentions the three waves of feminism as : the first 'wave' for political equality, the second 'wave' for social equality and justice and the final one as the development of women equality along with personal development. These three waves, according to her, has been existing since the late 19th century till date.
However, despite the long and exhausting activities of feminism, women have been much more capable, successful and respected for as compared to the archaic period. With establishments of femal-only organizations such as "NOW", "SHE", etc they have been able to put a mark of their success in the society. Despite the slow-paced activism of females, it has been recorded that women have been able to rightfully justify sayings such as " A world without women is like a lake without water", or " In the absence of women and women power, the world exists only partially."
The existence of the terms such as "patriarchy" or "matriarchy" is not a division among the two sexes of the world but rather a respectful existence of the two such groups that are responsible in their own positions in the society. Female activism does not demand for female's dignity to be higher than those of males but rather only as equal to them. They demand for absence of indignant feeling among women, a similar leveled platform and respect for both sexes and the prevalence of equal opportunities for both the sexes in all fields of life including politics and administration.
Such activities in support of feminism has grown worldwide. With a small protest of 300 men and women for 'Women Equality' in 1948 to the presently world famous '16-days activism', females have been able to establish themselves as equal to males in rather slow yet a peaceful meander. However, these activists have seemed to be taken wrongly when non-practical and ambiguous protests come up.
The second 'wave' of feminism, as Martha Rampton mentioned, started their desire for revolution with the protests against the " Miss America pageant" in which they mentioned it as a process of objectifying women. Similarly, the 'third' phase of feminism got its equal yet individual form of objection in which the older feminists became enigmatic towards the younger generation's re adoption of feminism with high heels, lipsticks and proud cleavage exposal. To this Pinkfloor responded as "It is possible to have a push-up bra and a brain at the same time."which resolved the reaction of the older feminists towards the newer ones.
It is still a matter of ambiguity if females will achieve what they have been fighting for since centuries. However, as generations develop the cogent, satisfying yet thriving involvement of women in these movements is reaching its crescendo. This has resulted to a faster-paced success which has not only kindled the fire of equality among women but rather within the entire mankind.
