Feminist Activism Good fun for a good purpose

Activism Definition: Consistently expressing one’s values with the goal of making the world more just An activist is anyone who accesses the resources she has as an individual for the benefit of the common good

Justice-based Social Movements Multi-issue  Organizing on many fronts over a variety of different issues that include political, legal and social changes Multi-strategic  Relying on other like-minded organizations to temporarily band together around certain shared issues and involving different strategies toward a shared goal Protests, marches, vigils Boycotts & consumer awareness Petitioning elected officials & ballot initiatives

Pro-Women Activism Feminist consciousness  What is the difference between feminist consciousness and gender consciousness? Pro-feminist men  Who can be a pro-feminist man? What do they advocate & why? People with privilege becoming allies  How can people with privilege work as allies to overcome others’ oppression?

Activism across the waves 1 st Wave Feminism 2 nd Wave Feminism 3 rd Wave Feminism  rights of citizenship  equality under the law and in opportunities  individual power/responsibility Protests, Marches, Petitions Boycotts, Protests, Marches, Petitions, Awareness Raising Girlcotts & Boycotts, Protests & Parties, Voting with your dollar, your feet, your computer, Petitions & Public Events, Awareness & Consciousness Raising—teach-ins, poetry slams,, Blogs

What feminist activism has accomplished Economics  Married Women’s Property Act 1948  1963 Equal Pay Act Criminal Justice  1994 Violence Against Women Act Reproductive Rights  1965 right to contraception: Griswold v. Connecticut Military Service  1993 repeal of ban against women in combat Government  Civil Rights, no equal rights

Title VII of the Civil Rights Bill of 1964 Federal law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, or sex, in any terms, conditions, or privileges of employment  Illegal to discriminate in hiring, firing, compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment

The Equal Rights Amendment Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article. Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.

Title IX "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."

Small Group Discussion How do you think you can be an ally to those with less institutional privilege than yourself? What issues, if any, compel you to take an active stand?  What strategies could you see yourself using to correct systems of oppression in your own community? What might you personally get out of advocating for greater social equality?