FEMINISM – Theory, Waves & Political Relevance
UPSC PSIR – Political Theory | High Scoring Topic
1️⃣ INTRODUCTION
Feminism is a political movement and theory that challenges patriarchy.
Patriarchy = System where men dominate political, economic and social structures.
Feminism argues that traditional political theory ignored women.
2️⃣ THREE WAVES OF FEMINISM
🌊 First Wave (19th – early 20th century)
- Focus: Voting rights
- Key Idea: Legal equality
- Achievement: Women’s suffrage
🌊 Second Wave (1960s–1980s)
- Focus: Workplace, family, sexuality
- Slogan: “The personal is political”
- Critique of domestic patriarchy
🌊 Third Wave (1990s onward)
- Focus: Identity, race, intersectionality
- Recognizes diversity among women
3️⃣ TYPES OF FEMINISM
🔹 Liberal Feminism
- Equality through law
- Education and employment rights
- Reform, not revolution
🔹 Marxist Feminism
- Women’s oppression linked to capitalism
- Domestic labour = unpaid exploitation
🔹 Radical Feminism
- Patriarchy is root problem
- Male dominance in family & sexuality
🔹 Socialist Feminism
- Combines Marx + Radical feminism
🔹 Postmodern Feminism
- Gender is socially constructed
- Questions universal category of “woman”
4️⃣ KEY THINKERS
- Mary Wollstonecraft – Education & equality
- Simone de Beauvoir – "One is not born, but becomes a woman"
- Kate Millett – Sexual politics
- Judith Butler – Gender performativity
5️⃣ IMPORTANT CONCEPTS
- Patriarchy
- Gender vs Sex
- Glass ceiling
- Intersectionality
- Care ethics
6️⃣ FEMINISM & THE STATE
Traditional state is male dominated.
Feminists demand:
- Political representation
- Equal wages
- Reproductive rights
- Gender sensitive policies
7️⃣ FEMINISM IN INDIA (VERY SCORING)
- Reservation for women in Parliament
- Self-help groups
- Gender budgeting
- Domestic violence law
- #MeToo movement
8️⃣ CRITICISM
- Western bias
- Over-generalization
- Identity politics concerns
📝 MAINS QUESTIONS
- Discuss the evolution of feminist political thought.
- Is the personal really political? Analyse.
- Compare Liberal and Radical feminism.
- Examine the relevance of feminism in Indian democracy.
📌 QUICK REVISION MAP
- Feminism = Challenge to patriarchy
- Three waves evolution
- Liberal vs Marxist vs Radical
- Personal is political
- Intersectionality
- Indian relevance
Democracy without gender justice is incomplete.
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