The Feminist Movement:
Women Challenging Society
By: Kendra Charles
CENG WISE 106
Research Presentation
REASON FOR SELECTED TOPIC
(THE FEMINIST MOVEMENT)
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Interesting Topic
Something Different
Part of History
» 18th Century
» First conference held in Seneca Falls 1848 (help start the
movement)
» Belief and advocacy of equal rights for women
» 3 waves
˃ 1.) Late 19th Early 20th Century
+ goal of the first wave was to open up opportunities for women, with a focus on
suffrage.
˃ 2.) 1960’s and continued into the 90's
+ In this phase, sexuality and reproductive rights were leading concerns, and an
ample amount of the movement's energy was concentrated on passing the Equal
Rights Amendment to the Constitution assuring social equality regardless of
gender
˃ 3.) Mid 90’s
+ wave dealt with improved campaigning for women’s greater influence in politics.
RESEARCH QUESTION
In what ways did
the Women’s
Liberation
Movement help
mode and shape
the lives of
women of present
times?
Thesis Statement
It is evident that the movement
that ultimately encouraged
women to fight for what they
believed in or sought to happen
in the future was in essence the
Feminist Movement also known
as the Women’s Movement.
Significance to History
 Women’s right to vote, equal pay for work,, equal
access to educational opportunities
 Social, political, and economic equality of the sexes
 Support and inspire women to pursue their goals as
individuals who deserve equal opportunity.
Support/Evidence from Scholarly
Sources
• Feminism changed many women's lives and created new worlds
of possibility for education, empowerment, working women,
feminist art and feminist theory.... the goals of the feminist
movement were simple: let women have freedom, equal
opportunity and control over their lives (Napikoski).
• Many women went to college and worked professionally in the
early 20th century, but the mid-20th century myth of the middleclass suburban housewife downplayed the importance of
women’s education. Feminists knew that girls and women must
be encouraged to seek an education, and not just as
“something to fall back on,” if they were to become, and be
seen as, "fully" equal (Hannam 52).
• The feminist movement changed the traditional understanding
of certain aspects of society, such as marriage, education,
property ownership, professional ambitions and involvement in
politics (Freeman).
WHAT DID I LEARN?
I learned more about the feminist movement and
women’s rights.
I learned that because of the brave women in the
past, women today have more rights than the
women before the feminist movement had
SHORT FILM ON FEMINIST
MOVEMENT

Women's Rights in the 1920's - YouTube

Freeman, Jo. “Waves of Feminism.” JFC 120.
September 1996: 112. Print.
 Hannam, June. Feminism. New York: Pearson,
2007. Print.
 Napikoski, Linda. “Goals of Feminist
Movement.” August 10, 2009.
http://womenshistory.about.com/od/femi
nism/a/feminist_movement_goals_in_the_60s_
a nd_70s.htm.