Susan B. Anthony: Feminism

Susan b. Anthony: Feminism

Introduction

The second wave of feminism covers the second half of the nineteenth and twentieth century, until World War II. If the first wave brought the improvements in education, the second wave bets to achieve the right to female vote. In 1843 the work "Obrera Unión" from Flora Tristán arose, which suffered threats and aggressions by her husband and decided to flee, thus enhancing her commitment to the labor and feminist movements. 

In this work he condemns everything that reduces women and in the work "Méphis" openly criticizes the use of corset. Five years later, Europe was shocked with a new revolutionary process that turned on several countries at the same time, since this year it was plagued with agitation and manifestos. Among them is the "Declaration of Seneca Falls", which was a text signed by seventy women and thirty men of various movements and political associations of liberal mood in which twelve decisions and two great sections were collected: on the one hand, the demandsTo achieve civil citizenship for women and on the other hand, the principles that must modify customs and morals.

Developing

 This statement was the spearhead of what became known as a suffragist movement. Those that would later be editors and compilers of a classic text of suffragism, "The Bible of Women", began their ideas in this statement. In 1867 the change of the word "man" was proposed to the word "person" in the second electoral reform, at the hands of John Stuart Mill and Henry Fawcett to promote the female vote previously proposed by Emily Davies and Elizabeth Garret Anderson.

However, both proposals were rejected. "The woman’s support", the work of Stuart Mill of 1861, became a reference book, which had a good reception from feminism. In 1870 a suffragist movement emerged by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and Lucy Stone, around the American National Association for the suffrage of women, which was directed by Carrie Chapman Catt and from which they defended the right to female vote without exceptions. 

The movement began in Wyoming, to continue by Utah, Colorado, Washington, etc. Until 1920, when all states were generalized the right to female vote with the approval of the XIX amendment to the Constitution. These women who claimed not only was the female law to vote, but also an improvement in professional education and training, an equalization of sexes in the family and the incorporation of women into the working world. It was in 1897 when the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies was consolidated, thus gathering all women’s female suffrage in English cities. 

In 1903, the most important suffragist group composed of socialist women of the Independent Labor Party of the Independent Labor Party was born around Emmeline. Thus, the social and political union of women, who claimed the female vote, which was rejected the following year, thus triggering a violent claim against Parliament, which left two deceased and numerous wounds. However, not all women were in favor of violent acts, so the Women’s Freedom League was founded, which organized street rallies.

But, it is in 1914, with the First World War. Another fact to emphas. 

In the same way that in World War I, in the second the men were called to rows and the women assumed the jobs in the industries and administrations, thus assuming a new female freedom. It is in 1884 when Friedrich Engels writes "The origin of the family, private property and the State", a work in which he speaks of historical materialism and power relations. Indicates that women are subject to these relationships, not by biological or physical condition, but for the social issues present. 

From this work, in addition, the idea that female economic independence will allow the emancipation of these relationships is derived. Engels together with Max Weber point out that the concept of ‘patriarchy’ is presented as a system of power and domain of men over women, which is why the concept of ‘patriarchy’ appears linked to socialism and Marxism.

 One of the fundamental figures of socialism of the early twentieth century was Clara Zetkin, a woman who participated as a leader in the German Social Democratic Party;She was the founder of the German Communist Party;She edited the newspaper "La Equality", which was a newspaper of socialist women;She was deputy of the National Socialist Congress of Women in 1920 and is considered the founder of the women’s socialist movement, advocating the capitalist system and economic exploitation as responsible for the female problem.

 In addition, in 1910, Clara participated in Copenhagen in the international conference between socialist organizations in the world, where she proposed the creation of a women’s day, which would commemorate worldwide. That is why, in 1975, the United Nations declared International Women’s Day on March 8. But this day was not randomly chosen, but dates back to March 8, 1857, when thousands of textile workers decideA cut of schedule and the end of child labor. 

conclusion

This is the most plausible explanation, since it was one of the first manifestations to fight for their rights. But the most violent chapter of the struggle for women’s rights occurred on March 25, 1911, when the Shritwaist Triangle Factory caught fire, which produced a total of 123 women who died between 14 and 23 years old. Also, purple color is the representative color of Women’s Day, since it was the color that in 1908 used the English votes and in the 60s, socialist women chose this color as a symbol of feminist struggle.

As for Russia, the most prominent figure is that of Alexandra Kollontai, who began to fight for the liberation of the working class and the rights of women, moving away from Marxism to bet on ideas closer to what would later be radical feminism. He defended free love, equal salary for women, the legalization of abortion, the change in the intimate and sexual life of women, the socialization of domestic work and minors care. In addition, the year 1917 stands out for Alexandra’s participation in Lenin’s government as the commissioner of the People, being the first woman in the history of Russia who achieved such a position.

The main changes of this second wave were: the vindication of the condition of free and equal for women, universal suffrage, higher education, access to working conditions and marriage rights and duties equivalent to men, declare themselves freeThinkers, change their clothing with short skirts and without corset, begin to drive, practice sports and visit leisure sites. They also write and exchange ideas and experiences and defend that without political rights for women there is no peace or democracy.