“Resistance is everywhere, it always has been and always will be.
Just because someone is not resisting in the same way you are does not
mean they are not resisting. Being told you are a worthless piece of shit
and not believing it is a form of resistance.”
–Kathleen Hanna
We are women and we have rights. Our sisters before us fought for those rights, the right to vote and the right not to be discriminated against simple because of sex. What is left to fight for now? There has been an feminist explosion over the past five to ten years. This ‘third wave feminism’ is working its way towards equal respect on a global scale. Even though the label “feminist” often has very negative connotations, young women today are embracing the term as a symbol of womanhood and as a common link between girls and women who are fighting for respect across the country and around the world. This new wave of feminism is also creating pride in a generation of younger women who are unaware of the centuries of oppression, it is trying to foster a healthy attitude towards being a woman and not simply the opposite of a man. This movement is assisted greatly by better communication technologies such as the internet where the term ‘grrl’ is becoming a symbol of the Third Wave. The term ‘Third Wave’ acknowledges that feminism has changed substantially over the course of the past hundred years but still references a longer movement in history.
The only way to understand third wave feminism is to look at its history. The first wave of feminism broke in the late nineteenth century during the woman suffrage movement. This crusade began with the Seneca Falls Convention which encouraged women to become suffragists. When the 15th Amendment was passed, many of the suffragists were disappointed and discontinued their support of President Lincoln while others were happy with the success of their efforts to emancipate slaves. Leaders of this movement separated into two women’s rights groups (NWSA and AWSA) which merged again in 1890. The suffragists did many things to win the right to vote: they protested wherever possible, held countless marches, wrote pamphlets and other materials and collected signatures for many petitions to the U.S. Congress. They fought for 52 years to earn the right to vote.
A second wave of feminism swelled during the 1960’s during the decade of love. In 1963, President Kennedy issued the Equal Pay Act which enforced that employers give men and women equal pay for equal work. In the same year, Betty Friedan published the Feminime Mistique, which was about the emotional and intellectual oppression of women. Friedan’s phrase “feminine mystique” refers to the idealization of the traditional female role (that of wife and mother). She contended that this idealization constituted a conspiracy to prevent women from competing with men. This book encouraged women to become active outside of their home and married lives. In 1966, the national Organization for Women (NOW) was organized. During this time, thousands of women on college campuses were organizing anti-war and civil rights movements. But many efforts were blocked by men who continued to hold beliefs that a woman’s place was in the home and serving men.
So what is left to fight for if women are now at a equal footing with men? This new wave of feminism does not seem to be fighting men but rather fighting injustices. These issues include racism, child abuse, rape, domestic violence, homophobia, heterosexism, environmental degradation, classism, healthcare, and reproductive rights. The new feminist also realizes her differences from others. During the prior waves, women were uniting to fight men. Because of their higher place in society, white women dominated the attacks; and accordingly race and class issues, often fell to the side. The diversity of feminists in the 21st century is being addressed and embraced as the divisions of feminism along political lines is becoming blurred.
Third wave feminism is fight a war on two fronts, domestically and internationally. Within our country there are invisible forces that are holding young women back. Popular culture has encourage the objectification of women to the point where girls are bombarded every day with terms such as ‘bitch’ and ‘ho’ accompanying half naked women shaking their bodies on screen to the amusement of men who continue to degrade them. This new wave of feminism is desperately trying to fight these images and beliefs by giving girls something to fight back with. There is a massive movement to encourage girls to be proud of their sex and to take the term ‘bitch’ and make it their own. These neo-feminists want to ensure that girls are aware that they do not need to be stereotypical helpless housewives who’s only position in life is to please their men.
The oppression of women in this country does not stop at the overt sexualization of women. Even if one is able to escape the negative erotic images of women in music an on the screen, we still must contend with the ever shrinking model. Presently, the average American model is 5′11 and weights 117 pounds while the average American woman is 5′4 and weights 140 pounds (EDAP). Organizations such as EDAP (Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention) and About Face (a San Francisco based company) are trying to encourage healthier body types in the media. Millions of girls around the nation are suffering from eating disorders. Many girls in high school and junior high claim that their sense of beauty comes from the women that they see on television, in magazines and in movies. 4 out of 5 American women are dissatisfied with their appearance (EDAP). Even though this statistic may be a psychological one, it is an example of how women feel nationwide about their bodies. There is no way to proudly unite if 80% of women are uncomfortable about the way they look.
Internationally, feminism is fighting an uphill battle. Even though in America we may receive the same rights and privileges as men, women are still oppressed in every way all over the world. Because we live in America, where our rights are awarded to us by virtue of being human, we often forget that around the world our international sisters are being destroyed for simply being born female.
Religious and social beliefs are destroying womankind. In India and China, female infanticide (the act of killing an unwanted female baby) is rampant. Girls can be a burden on their families and often it is easier to destroy her and try again for a boy. In countries with decent health care, the ratio of women to men is approximately 105:100. In India, however, the ratio is about 96 women for every 100 males (UN, 2000). Religious constructions such as the Taliban in Afghanistan have withdrawn the right for women to receive an education or to venture out of the house on their own. These injustices are not being fought by American feminists alone; there is an rising number of women within these societies that have organized themselves against their own rule. Third World Feminists is a general term for women who have taken action in developing nations to educate and progress outdated modes of thinking.
In the 21st century, there is a blessing that exists for this new wave of feminism that is making communication and therefore the unification of women around the world a lot easier. The internet has connected millions of people and given them a forum to transfer ideas and ideologies without censorship. It provides an indifferent educational source such that injustices around the world cannot be ignored. As the internet becomes cheaper and more accessible, women everywhere have the ability to voice their emotions and experiences. Different web-friendly mediums have been employed to better communications between individuals. Music, movies, poetry, stories, and artwork are now available on the web. Often these mediums are much more powerful than pamphlets and other previously employed modes. Because of the internet, third wave feminism has become more personal. Its advocates are taking a genuine interest in different cultures around the world
Even with the option for new technology, magazines and renegade ‘zines are still very popular mediums. Magazines such as Ms., Bust and Bitch are promoting a healthier self image in women everywhere. On a smaller scale, ‘zines are mini-publications produced by individuals who believe that they have something to say, they can either be in print or online. Hundreds of online ‘zines are published regularly by everyday grrrls around the world.
Grrrl. It is a new word that has been conceived with assistance of the internet to describe no nonsense women who are prepared to tackle the world as they see fit. Kathleen Hanna, lead singer of the punk band “Bikini Kill” and an ex-stripper, coined the term. It is a spontaneous young-feminist reclamation of the world “girl” which is intended to recall the naughty, confident and curious ten-year-olds we were before society made it clear that it was time to stop being loud and playing with boys and concentrate on learning to be a lady (Garrison 2000). “‘Grrrl’ puts the growl back in our pussycat throats” (Garrison 2000). Websites such as riotgrrl.com and cybergrrl.com have nursed this new term. To me, grrrl is a female who has a strong self image; a woman who is ready to tackle everything that life throws at her with a healthy and youthful attitude and will not be bent by life’s tasks. The play on the word girl simply means that we (as a gender) don’t have to grow up. Similarly, some women have reclaimed the word bitch, using it to describe themselves in a proud manner. There is nothing wrong with being a ‘bitch’ as long as you know it and flaunt it.
Aside from print and online material, there is an attempt in popular culture to ensure that young women everywhere are aware of their rights as female. More characters on television and in the movies are throwing off the stereotype of the perfect housewife for a wide variety of professions. Although the physical portrayal of women in the media is less than perfect, there is no longer just one life choice for a woman to make. In music, figures such as Brittney Spears and Pink are showing young women everywhere that is ok to be proud of being a woman and that we as a gender need not be dependent on men for happiness. In this new century, women are also reclaiming their right to be sexual. Skimpy clothes and plunging necklines are no longer worn simply for the approving looks and comments of men. Feminism advocates the need to be comfortable and happy in ones clothing and every woman has the right to wear what she wants without an assumption of behavior or personality.
Organizations dedicated to the feminist effort today include Third Wave Feminism, whose goal is “to harness the energy of young feminists nationwide by sharing information and resources, thereby creating a community in which members can coalesce, network, strategize and ultimately take action around issues that affect us all (thirdwavefeminism.org).” Groups such as The Guerrilla Girls, a group of women artists attempting to improve the general outlook on feminism through parodies, humor, printed projects and actions, expose sexism and racism in the art world and the culture at large. In order to draw attention away from their individual personalities so that onlookers may define them only as women, they wear gorilla masks during their performances and appearances.
But how is this new wave of feminism affecting a younger generation? The intent is to foster self-confidence in young women and encourage them to be proud of who they are as women. Over the years, the term ‘feminist’ has developed a very negative meaning; it has become a dirty word. Some assumptions that are synonymous with being a feminist include man-hating, lesbianism, bra burning, hairy legs and a general negative attitude to all societal norms that may have been instituted by males. The term ‘feminazi’ encompasses the extreme image of feminists that are rampant in American culture. Many women fear being labeled feminists because of these negative implications. One of the goals of this third wave of feminism is to eliminate the stigma associated with being a feminist. There is no longer the need for a feminist to be anti-male or fulfill the stereotype of the unshaved, bandana wearing, militant lesbian feminist. Feminists come in all shapes and styles; the only major connection is that we are all women and need to unite against oppression of other women worldwide. There is no longer a sexual preference that is associated with the title ‘feminist’. This new wave of feminism also seeks to educate a younger generation about what their sister have endured in years past.
Every generation of young girls need to be aware of their history as a gender. Girls are growing up in homes that are not necessarily conducive to the development of a healthy proud woman; they must have a safe source to explore who they are and who they have the right to be. This third wave of feminism does not seem to have an end in sight. We are now just trying to inform women worldwide what their rights are as human beings, the movement cannot die because there are females being born everyday that will need the help of millions of unified women to fight the injustices that they will live through.