Feminism is the belief in the social, cultural, political, and economic equality of the sexes. It is usually separated into three "waves", with the fourth wave currently in process. First wave feminism was closely associated with the Abolitionist Movement, which began in the 1830s. The main permissions women were fighting for at this time were the right to vote and property rights. Second wave feminism was in force during the 1960s and 70s. It came to be known as the "Women's Movement" or the "Women's Liberation Movement" and had close associations and overlapping demands with the Civil Rights Movement, focusing on anti-discrimination and equality. Third wave feminism began in the 1990s and was seen as a reprisal towards second wave feminism. The feminists of the 1990s were Generation X (people who were born in the 1960s and 70s). They enjoyed the expansion in professional and economic power that women had acquired, but rejected the issues of second wave's "privileging of white, straight women" (History.com editors, 2022).
The existence of a fourth wave of feminism is not entirely accepted by academics in the fields of Women's/Gender Studies. Generally, the fourth wave is understood to have began around 2012 and is focused on issues of body shaming, rape culture, and sexual harassment (see: #metoo movement). The existence of social media and the emergence of the internet in the 1990s has helped modern-day feminists to spread their stories and messages on a more widespread level, and has created huge support systems of like-minded people.
Political stickers from Germany. The image on the left features the "anarcha-feminism symbol", which is a combination of the symbol for anarchy ("A") and the Venus symbol, which represents the female sex.
Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by 
We Should All Be Feminists by 
Mass Media and the Shaping of American Feminism, 1963-1975 by 
Prime-Time Feminism by 
Feminism: a Very Short Introduction by 
"Shameless Agitator" red and black with female symbol button. From the Special Collections and Archives Repository, Trexler Library, Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA, USA. From the Papers of Dixie Dugan White.
"God Bless You, Title IX" black and yellow button. From the Special Collections and Archives Repository, Trexler Library, Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA, USA. From the Papers of Dixie Dugan White.
"We Have Been Too Nice Too Long" white and green female symbol button. From the Special Collections and Archives Repository, Trexler Library, Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA, USA. From the Papers of Dixie Dugan White.
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