Feminism: It's all about a Woman's Rights

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There is a philosophy in which women are valued -- a movement that dreams of a world in which women and men are equal in social, political, and economic agendas. This movement is known as feminism. Feminism first started during the nineteenth and early twentieth century, when the U.S and UK experienced what is known as first-wave feminism, a legendary movement because it gave women suffrage and property rights. Second-wave feminism took place during the 1960’s and lasted through the 1990’s, crucial because it brought up issues such as family, the workplace, and reproductive rights. The second wave is why women now serve in the military and work for the media, it also established rape crisis centers and women’s shelters (Rampton). Third-wave feminism began mid-1990’s and is still going on to this day. However, society has its doubts on why we need the changes that the third wave is bringing, but the truth is that feminism is still relevant in this day and age because despite popular belief, men and women are not treated equally.
When we hear the word feminism, the most recurring issue is the gender wage gap. Farrell and Glynn state that women are paid 77 cents to every dollar their male counterparts earn. People who believe that this is not an issue will argue that women should be paid less because women take more time out of the workforce to start a family and indeed, recent research shows that the “median pay for a single, childless woman under the age of thirty is nine percent higher than their male counterparts”, this being because more women are going to college than men (Noguchi). Nonetheless, nobody should have to choose between being paid what they deserve to be paid based on job qualifications or starting a family -- those...

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...ren."Weblog post. WPSD Local 6. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.
Dictionary, Marriam-Webster. "Feminism." The Merriam-Webster Dictionary. New Edition ed.Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster, 2006. 265. Print.
Farrell, Jane, and Sarah J. Glynn. "What Causes the Gender Wage Gap?" Weblog post. Labor and Work. Center for American Progress, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Jerpi, Laura. "Male Nurses Defy Stereotypes." Weblog post. Male Nurses Defy Stereotypes. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.
Noguchi, Yuki. "50 Years After The Equal Pay Act, Gender Wage Gap Endures." Weblog post. NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2014.
Perry-Giles, Shawn J. "Hillary Clinton in the News: Gender and Authenticity in the News."UI Press. University of Illinois Press, n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
Rampton, Martha. "The Three Waves of Feminism." Web log post. Pacific. The Magazine of Pacific University, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.

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