amy walker consultant

The Fourth Wave of Feminism

Feminism is a hot topic right now, especially in my circles. It’s also a topic that gets people very emotional. I recognize in writing this that many people will disagree. Some will be angry. Others will discount what I have to say because I am not an active member of any feminist communities or an academic. I have members of my own family that will disagree on both sides of the issue with what I have to say.

I may not be an active feminist, I am however an active proponent of women and passionate about assisting them to love themselves and reach their fullest potential. My life’s work is to strengthen women. I was recently invited to a feminist group and joined thinking that it would be a great fit because I am all about empowering women. It wasn’t a great fit. I left the group a few days later. But it really did get me thinking about feminism, what it has given us and how it has hurt us. And I do see that it has done both. The truth is many of us don’t know a lot about feminism. Whenever we have strong opinions on something we know very little about, it is never a good thing.

Here is my VERY simplified description of the 3 waves of feminism.

The first wave was primarily focused on suffrage, the right to vote, marriage laws, and property laws. The second wave started in the 60’s and 70’s. This wave fought for social equality for women and men, equal rights and equal pay. The third wave of feminism started in the 80’s and 90’s and integrated different cultures and socio-economic standards.

I am all for the first wave of feminism. I am grateful to my sisters who sacrificed their time and energy so that I have the rights I have. I am grateful for parts of the second wave and third wave. I am grateful that we are closer to equal pay. I am grateful that women can use their time and talents in many professions that were not options previously. I am grateful that marriage rape laws have been changed. I am grateful that there are women fighting against human trafficking, child marriage laws, and other important women’s issues.

If you look around in the world, there are a lot of pendulum moments. We swing really far to one side and then when we see the shortcomings, we swing really far to the other side. When I look at the feminists of the 60’s and 70’s fighting for equality, it seems like we started chasing masculinity. Equality meant the same instead of equally valuable and different. When women started to want to be recognized for their femininity, we swung the other direction. I hate the double standard of sex as much as anyone. There was a time when a sexually active girl was a slut, and a sexually active boy was a hero. That still exists in many parts of the world. However, sexual freedom has led to a culture where a woman’s sexual appeal is often considered her most important feature. We are so primed for this. I actively promote healthy body image in women and girls, and yet when I look at Hillary Clinton, I am likely first to look at how wrinkly she is looking and second I wonder what she is talking about.

There are books written on the ways feminism has helped us and the ways it has hurt us. But I want to focus on a few that I see. For more details: amy walker personal coaching.