HOW FEMINISM CHANGED GENDER BIAS

🖎: Danna Mikaella Siago

     The advocacy for women’s rights started way back around the 18th and 19th century. It took activists and reformers a long time to win and for their cause to be welcomed not only in their country, but the world as well. Movements such as the women’s suffrage movement and the rise of feminism shaped the world we have today, where more women are seen in power, such as business and politics. 

    Such acts changed gender biases as women became more involved in having a broader role in our society, such as being able to work in a male dominant workplace (construction, military) , the right to vote, access to education, issues of domestic violence, and more.

    Feminism is defined as the advocacy of women's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes. Although it’s a misconception that feminists dislike men or it is a fight for power and forming the matriarchy, feminism is about all genders having equal rights and opportunities. Since the rise of feminism, issues such as reproductive rights, voting rights, domestic violence, the wage gap, parental leave, basic needs security, and more have been addressed (some issues are still being addressed in modern times) which leads to a different society compared to the past.

    It started out as a political ideology, during the women’s suffrage movement, however somewhere in between, the rise of feminism occurred. During the first wave of the feminist movement, advocates also addressed issues like temperance and other topics concerning the domestic sphere. On the second wave of feminism, civil rights and discrimination was discussed due to black people being discriminated against and having unequal rights as white people. It was also the time when the transgender rights arose, and transwomen often dealt with both misogyny and transphobia. Feminists aided both in their cause, paving the way to the Montgomery Bus Boycott. It cannot be said the same to members of the transgender community, as there are countries that are highly conservative. This is why in current times, trans rights are still fought for against discrimination, violence, etc.

    The third wave was in a much more modern setting, in this phase many constructs were destabilized, including the notions of "universal womanhood," body, gender, sexuality and heteronormativity. 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 or as they call ‘the male gaze’. Feminists today are in the fourth wave, and feminism is still a silhouette. Feminism no longer just refers to the struggles of women, but is a call to gender equity.

    In the Philippines, before the concept of feminism and the pre-colonial era, women had big roles in their community, such as the babaylan or the spiritual leader, to being involved in a resistance during the colonial periods, and to the first female president of the Philippines. Women had an important role in our society, however, misogyny restricted the rights and freedom of women to express their opinions as well as their involvement in society.  

    Feminism changed gender bias in a way that people started to view differently or have a new perspective on men and women’s roles in society. Most stereotypes were proved wrong because of this movement, and women have bigger roles than being a house-wife and a secretary at a corporate office.