-
Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen published
The Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen, by Olympe de Gouges, was modeled after the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and tried to raise awareness of the deplorable female position, illustrating how women were denied the basic rights men were promised. -
First Wave Feminism
During the 19th to early 20th century, feminist activity increasingly focused on legal issues, such as sufferage. -
Seneca Falls Convention
Elizabeth Stanton and Lucrecia Mott (pictured) coordinated this early women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York, in which the Declaration of Sentiments, modeled after the Declaration of Independence, was drafted to show greivances men had committed against their female counterparts. -
19th Amendment Ratified
An amendment was added to the constitution allow women to participate in elections. -
World War II Begins
As men headed overseas and into batle, high demand for war necessities caused new occupations to open to women for the duration of the war. -
World War II Ends
As men return home and the programs which had bolstered the economy during the war were suddenly ended, many women either quit or were fired allow men to return to their previous occupations. -
Second Wave Feminism
Stretching from the 60s to the 80s and emcompassing much of the Western world, this wave of feminism focused on unofficial inequalities, such as sexuality, reproductive rights, and the workplace. -
The Feminine Mystique Published
This nonfiction book by Betty Friedan focused on the widespread depression among women in the 1950s and 1960s. It is credited with inciting the second wave of feminism. -
National Abortion Federation
In 1977, the National Association of Abortion Facilities (NAAF) and the National Abortion Council merged to increase access to safe clinics to women and promote the prochoice argument. -
Third Wave Feminism
The current wave of feminism focuses upon the failures of the second and tries to overcome cultural boundaries that earlier waves failed to address.
