[JSR] What is Feminism?

Starting from the nineteenth century, feminism became a big deal for women. Although women have more access and freedom in rights than before, there is a continuation of discrimination in many countries. Feminism is the advocacy of women’s rights based on the equality of sexes.

In the 1800s, the Women’s Movement was motivated by social reform groups such as Temperance Movements, Anti-slavery Movements, and Religious Movements. Women were limited from rights such as the right to vote and the right to owning land. Women’s suffrage movements started before the Civil War and continued on for nearly 100 years.

Women’s suffrage is women’s right to vote. Women constantly fought for their rights, referring to the Declaration of Independence: “all men and women are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” After many years of fighting, the nineteenth amendment, the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex, was ratified on August 18, 1920.

The fight for women’s rights and equality continues on today with the #MeToo Movement. #MeToo started in October 2017 when the hashtag “MeToo” inspired many females to come out with their experience of sexual assault or rape.

Additionally, some countries such as Yemen, Pakistan, Syria and Iran have been marked as the top worst when it comes to gender equality. An example is in Korea, many are anti-feminists because of misunderstandings of the definition of feminism and the origin of values they have. Some people use the word “kkolpemi” which is a derogatory term used for feminists. The thoughts “women shouldn’t go out at night” or “women shouldn’t do this kind of work” are what Koreans grew up with. However as many attend women’s studies classes or hear about feminism through social media, women realize the importance of feminism in their own life and start to advocate for feminism. Recently, there has been an increase in dramas and shows that relate a lot to feminism.

Although the start for gender equality started many years ago, it is still continuing on as many face discrimination and unfair treatment.