Male or Female?

• If given the chance, would you be rather a male or

a female? Explain your answer.
 FEMINIST THOUGHT
• In order to understand the motivations behind the feminist
thought, and the feminist movement, it is necessary to look at
some of the concepts and circumstances that have influenced it.
 The Situation
• Most societies in the world are patriarchal – that is, the institutions
that constitute these societies are headed by MEN. (Ex: the
church and government)
• Male dominance result:
• to the absence of women’s voice
• Influence of masculine knowledge
 The Concept of Sex and Gender

• Sex refers to the biological • Gender refers to the

distinction between females
and males (sex organ,
mustaches, Adam’s apple,
breast, menstrual cycle)
significance attached by
society to males and females.
(ex: short hair for males, long
hair for females; skirt for girls,
pants for boys etc.)
 Sexual Orientation

• Gender is different from Sexual Orientation. Sexual

Orientation is manner in which people experience
attraction or sexual pleasure. It includes the following:
• Heterosexuality – attraction to the opposite sex
• Homosexuality – attracted to the same sex.
• Bisexuality – attracted to both sexes
 Patriarchy And Sexism
• In history, men are accorded higher status over women, because they
are seen to provide the material resources necessary for the
sustenance of the of the household or the society while women are
seen to have a supporting roles.
• Patriarchy – a form of organization in which females dominate
males.
• Matriarchy – a form of organization in which males dominate the
females.
• This unequal perception towards men and women
resulted to sexism. Sexism is the belief that one sex is
innately superior to the other. This is the ideology
responsible for the perpetuation of patriarchal structures.
This resulted to unequal distribution of wealth, power,
and privileges.
 Gender Stratification

• Gender stratification divides the sexes into unequal

groups, where men get more wealth, power, and privilege,
compared to women. This is evident in many situations in
politics, economy and many other aspects.
 WHAT IS FEMINISM

• It is an ideology and a movement that advocates for equal

rights between the sexes.
• Belief in the social, political, and economic equality of
the sexes.
 The Goals of Feminism

• To demonstrate the importance of women;

• To reveal that historically, women have been subordinate
to men; and
• To bring about gender equality.
 History of Feminism and Feminist Movement

• During the Age of Enlightenment (16th-17th century),

women:
• Had no participation in public sphere
• They could not vote
• Had no say in political activities
• Were relegated to domestic duties
Jeremy Bentham (1748 – 1832)

• An English philosopher
who believed that men
and women should be
politically equal, and that
women should have the
right to vote.
 Mary Wollstonecraft (1759 – 1797)
• She wrote the “Vindication of
the Right of Women”
• She said that women deserve
equal rights as men, because are
the ones who educate the
children. That they are
“companions” to the husbands
and not simply “wives”
 3 Waves of Feminism
• The modern feminist movement is often seen by
scholars to have come about in three waves. These
are:
• First Wave
• Second Wave
• Third Wave
 First Wave Feminism (1800s-1900s)

• It started in 1800s to the early 1900s in the United States

and the United Kingdom.
• The goal of feminism during this period revolved around
the fight for equal opportunities for women .
• Campaigns were focused on women’s right to vote
(suffrage)
• In 1919 in the United States, the right to vote was granted
to all women.
• In 1928 in Britain, women over the age of 30 who own
houses were allowed to vote.
 Second Wave Feminism (1960s – 1990s)
• It is popularly known as Women’s Liberation during which
supporters called for equality between men and women in social and
cultural life.
• They demanded a change in the structures that perpetuate inequality
such as sex discrimination in employment.
• Activists worked for peace, eradication of racism, fight against
poverty
 Third Wave Feminism (1900s – 2000s)

• Advocated the right of all women. (women of color,

immigrant women, and poor women)
1. Sex refers to the biological distinction between females and males (sex organ,
mustaches, Adam’s apple, breast, menstrual cycle)
2. Gender refers to the significance attached by society to males and females. (ex: short
hair for males, long hair for females; skirt for girls, pants for boys etc.)
3. Sexual Orientation is manner in which people experience attraction or sexual pleasure.
4. Attraction to the same sex.
5. A form of organization in which females dominate the females.
6. It is the belief that one sex is innately superior to the other.
7. It divides the sexes into unequal groups, where men get more wealth, power, and
privilege, compared to women.
8. It is an ideology and a movement that advocates for equal rights between the sexes.
9. It is known as the women’s liberation.
10. It a period of advocating the right of women to vote.