The Suffragettes were fighting for women's rights in the UK, most specifically to vote. Their movement and protests allowed for the nationwide right for women to vote in 1920. Some of them were Mary Wollstonecraft, Susan B. Anthony, Alice Stone Blackwell, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Emmeline Pankhurst, Sojourner Truth.
Moving forward, Simone de Beauvoir was an outspoken activist, writer and social theorist. In 1949 she wrote The Second Sex, an ahead-of-it's-time book credited with paving the way for modern feminism. In the influential (snd extremely controversial) book, de Beauvoir critiques the patriarchy and social constructs faced by women. The Second Sex was banned by the Vatican and even deemed "pornography" by some. That was a fearless start to the fight for feminism.
The next important woman was Eleanor Roosevelt who became the first lady to take on responsibilities beyond merely hosting and entertaining in the White House. From 1935 to 1962, Roosevelt wrote "My Day", a newspaper column that addressed women's work, equality and rights before there was even a word for feminism. The social issues at that time were considered "controversial". After her time as the First Lady, she became the first US delegate to the UN(United Nations).
Lastly, Bell Hooks, the American author, was known for her social activism. Some of Bell Hook's most notable works include "Ain't I a woman?", "Black women and feminism" and "The Feminist theory" in which she declared, "Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation and oppression".
Feminist leaders such as these took head-on the social constructs of their time, making plain their demands and their will to relent till they achieved their goal. Recognising the value of each action and step taken towards the ultimate goal feminist leaders of the time made possible much of the accelerated work that took place in the latter half of the 20th century. Their works paved the way for a new generation of thinkers, those inspired by these women, forgotten by us.
This article is by a guest writer. While all articles are read by TBP before being published, we do not necessarily endorse the writer's opinions in any way.
Commenti