Free Essay Example: Future of Feminism in the United States

The face of feminism has transformed along with the American face. Feminism involves advocating for political, social, among all others women's rights to be equal to those of men. Over the past century, feminists successfully strived for safer public zones, reproductive rights, voting rights, and improved equality in work environments, including other essential milestones to achieving equality (Martyris, 2015). Feminism has been undergoing constant transitions over the years, acquiring different meanings and addressing different issues for women.

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Marginalized groups such as women of color, women living in poverty, and gays have been at the forefront in advocating for feminism since they are the most oppressed by inequality practices in the US (Young, 2014). The marginalized groups experience intimidating policies, minimal economic benefits, and poor recognition leading to their significant uprise in fighting for their rights not only to gain equality with men but also with the haves in the society (Martyris, 2015). Other marginalized groups like gays have not yet been entirely recognized by social and political systems leading to greater inequality gaps.

Feminism in contemporary society is defined by using technology to fight for women's justice, and rigidly oppose violence and sexual harassment against women (Martin, 2010). Today's feminists mostly use social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs, and Instagram, to challenge gender equality and misogyny. The upsurge of modern feminism has been primarily driven by the increase in rape culture, workplace, campus, street sexual assault, and women's killings (Martin, 2010).

Despite the significant push for equality between both genders, it is argued that women are mentally better than men. Feminists believe that both genders can be intelligent, but women are more intelligent and friendly than men, who have narrow interests. On the other hand, modern feminism is criticized that women have less physical strength compared to men; thus, they can never be equal (Young, 2014).

The first and second waves of feminism were extremely successful in achieving the rights of women. The first wave effectively promoted equal marriage, property rights, contract, and parenting rights for women (National Organization for Women, 2020). The second wave enabled women to see and address the political and cultural inequalities as inextricably connected and motivated women to understand aspects of their individual lives as profoundly politicized and echo the power structures of sexists (Martin, 2010). The first and second waves' success has energized modern feminism to realize that no barrier of inequality can be broken, and women can completely stand against intimidation and triumph through.

Nonetheless, today's feminism has been somehow radicalized. Today, most women believe in their rights, and mostly, blame men for women's oppression. Therefore, contemporary feminism is a mean, nasty, vindictive, and hating philosophy. It is more triggered towards man-hating rather than anything to do with equalizing rights for both sexes.

References

Martin, E. C. (2010). This isn't her mother's feminism. Ted: Ideas Worth Spreading. https://www.ted.com/talks/courtney_e_martin_this_isn_t_her_mother_s_feminism#t-667535

Martyris, N. (2015). How suffragists used cookbooks as a recipe for subversion. The Salt. https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/11/05/454246666/how-suffragists-used-cookbooks-as-a-recipe-for-subversion

National Organization for Women. (2020) Core issues. https://now.org/issues/

Young, C. (2014). Stop fem-splaining: What 'women against feminism' gets right. Time. https://time.com/3028827/women-against-feminism-gets-it-right/