Gender and Social Work

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Aditi Mahavidyalaya

University of Delhi
Department of social work
Assignment-1 Gender and social work
Historical overview of feminist movements : welfare to rights and empowerment
approach
The first wave of feminism took place in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries,
emerging out of an environment of urban industrialism and liberal, socialist politics. The goal of
this wave was to open up opportunities for women, with a focus on suffrage. The wave formally
began at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 when three hundred men and women rallied to
the cause of equality for women.
The second wave began in the 1960s and continued into the 90s. This wave unfolded in the
context of the anti-war and civil rights movements and the growing self-consciousness of a
variety of minority groups around the world. The New Left was on the rise, and the voice of the
second wave was increasingly radical. In this phase, sexuality and reproductive rights were
dominant issues, and much of the movement's energy was focused on passing the Equal Rights
Amendment to the Constitution guaranteeing social equality regardless of sex.
Because the second wave of feminism found voice amid so many other social movements, it
was easily marginalized and viewed as less pressing than, for example, Black Power or efforts to
end the war in Vietnam. Feminists reacted by forming women-only organizations (such as NOW)
and "consciousness raising" groups. In publications like "The BITCH Manifesto" and "Sisterhood
is Powerful," feminists advocated for their place in the sun. The second wave was increasingly
theoretical, based on a fusion of neo-Marxism and psycho-analytical theory, and began to
associate the subjugation of women with broader critiques of patriarchy, capitalism, normative
heterosexuality, and the woman's role as wife and mother. Sex and gender were
differentiated—the former being biological, and the later a social construct that varies
culture-to-culture and over time.
Whereas the first wave of feminism was generally propelled by middle class, Western,
cisgender, white women, the second phase drew in women of color and developing nations,
seeking sisterhood and solidarity, claiming "Women's struggle is class struggle." Feminists spoke
of women as a social class and coined phrases such as "the personal is political" and "identity
politics" in an effort to demonstrate that race, class, and gender oppression are all related. They
initiated a concentrated effort to rid society top-to-bottom of sexism, from children's cartoons
to the highest levels of government.
The third wave of feminism began in the mid-90's and was informed by post-colonial and
post-modern thinking. In this phase many constructs were destabilized, including the notions of
"universal womanhood," body, gender, sexuality and heteronormativity. An aspect of third wave
feminism that mystified the mothers of the earlier feminist movement was the readoption by
young feminists of the very lip-stick, high-heels, and cleavage proudly exposed by low cut
necklines that the first two phases of the movement identified with male oppression. Pinkfloor
expressed this new position when she said that it's possible to have a push-up bra and a brain at
the same time.
The "grrls" of the third wave stepped onto the stage as strong and empowered, eschewing
victimization and defining feminine beauty for themselves as subjects, not as objects of a sexist
patriarchy. They developed a rhetoric of mimicry, which appropriated derogatory terms like
"slut" and "bitch" in order to subvert sexist culture and deprive it of verbal weapons. The web is
an important tool of "girlie feminism." E-zines have provided "cybergrrls" and "netgrrls" another
kind of women-only space. At the same time — rife with the irony of third-wave feminism
because cyberspace is disembodied — it permits all users the opportunity to cross gender
boundaries, and so the very notion of gender has been unbalanced in a way that encourages
experimentation and creative thought.
The fourth wave of feminism is still a captivating silhouette. A writer for Elle Magazine recently
interviewed me about the waves of feminism and asked if the second and third waves may have
“failed or dialed down” because the social and economic gains had been mostly sparkle, little
substance, and whether at some point women substituted equal rights for career and the
atomic self.
However, the second wave only quieted down in the public forum; it did not disappear but
retreated into the academic world where it is alive and well—incubating in the academy.
Women’s centers and women’s/gender studies have became a staple of virtually all universities
and most colleges in the US and Canada (and in many other nations around the word).
Scholarship on women’s studies, feminist studies, masculinity studies, and queer studies is
prolific, institutionalized, and thriving in virtually all scholarly fields, including the sciences.
Academic majors and minors in women’s, feminist, masculinity and queer studies have
produced thousands of students with degrees in the subjects. However, generally those
programs have generated theorists rather than activists.
Modern Western feminist history is conventionally split into three time periods, or "waves",
each with slightly different aims based on prior progress:[7][8]

● First-wave feminism of the 19th and early 20th centuries focused on overturning legal
inequalities, particularly addressing issues of women's suffrage
● Second-wave feminism (1960s–1980s) broadened debate to
include cultural inequalities, gender norms, and the role of women in society
● Third-wave feminism (1990s–2000s) refers to diverse strains of feminist activity, seen by
third-wavers themselves both as a continuation of the second wave and as a response to its
perceived failures.
“The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man
toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her. To
prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.” Then it went into specifics:
● Married women were legally dead in the eyes of the law
● Women were not allowed to vote
● Women had to submit to laws when they had no voice in their formation
● Married women had no property rights
● Husbands had legal power over and responsibility for their wives to the extent that they could
imprison or beat them with impunity
● Divorce and child custody laws favored men, giving no rights to women
● Women had to pay property taxes although they had no representation in the levying of these
taxes
● Most occupations were closed to women and when women did work they were paid only a
fraction of what men earned
● Women were not allowed to enter professions such as medicine or law
● Women had no means to gain an education since no college or university would accept women
students
● With only a few exceptions, women were not allowed to participate in the affairs of the church
● Women were robbed of their self-confidence and self-respect, and were made totally
dependent on men
The emergence of Verna system introduced by Manu led to the rise of supremacy of some
Verna men over the other members of the society as well as women. Though women had given
respect in family, several restrictions were imposed on the rights of women and other members
of society out of these Varna's. Some Verna's were excluded from society they were give the
status of slaves to the upper Verna's. Then these Verna's fell in the fold of they were supreme
than the other fellow beings, they were given special privileges, and rights, they monopolize
certain profession which were treated as high position in the society. Many people were denied
to get education , education was the only privilege of few Verna's, women were not allowed to
get education , her duties were specically mentioned she begot the children and patronized
them , serve men and fulll his desires , she was not allowed to come out of the house . During
Gupta period, the status of women immensely deteriorated. Dowry becomes an institution.
During the Muslim period evil practices crept into society, to protect the child from the
atrocities of Muslim invaders child marriage, and sati system, parda system, came into being.
Women were restricted to the kitchens; they were not allowed to wonder in the public without
the support of male members. Untoucability crept into society they were not allowed into the
main village. But during the British period, many social reformers such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy,
Eswara Chandra vidyasagar , and jyothiba phule ,veerasalingam, Gurajada apparao started
agitation for the empowerment of women. The efforts of raja Ram Mohan Roy led to the
abolition of sati. By the efforts of vidyasagar , and Veerasalingam and Gurajada Apparao widow
remarriage act was passed. Later on Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru advocated for the women
rights. As a result of their concrete efforts, the status of women in social life, economic and
political life began to elevate in the society. The efforts of the constitutional makers for the
empowerment.

In India The principle of gender equality is enshrined in the Indian Constitution in its Preamble,
Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties and Directive Principles. The Constitution not only
grants equality to women, but also empowers the State to adopt measures of positive
discrimination in favour of women.
The constitutional fathers based on certain ideals championed the women empowerment;
many social, economic and political provisions were incorporated in the Indian constitution. The
Constitution of India guarantees to all women, Equality
Within the framework of a democratic polity, our laws, development policies, Plans and
programmes have aimed at women’s advancement in different spheres. From the Fifth Five Year
Plan (1974-78) onwards has been a marked shift in the approach to women’s issues from
welfare to development. In recent years, the empowerment of women has been recognized as
the central issue in determining the status of women. The National Commission for Women was
set up by an Act of Parliament in 1990 to safeguard the rights and legal entitlements of women.
The 73rd and 74th Amendments (1993) to the Constitution of India have provided for
reservation of seats in the local bodies of Panchayats and Municipalities for women, laying a
strong foundation for their participation in decision making at the local levels.

Submitted by- Kanika


Final year (bsw)
Roll no. 1904038

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