“Some people think that to solve the big problems, you always need to use violence -- like you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs. But when you look at history, it’s absolutely not true. You think for instance about the feminist revolution. After thousands of years of huge injustice, feminism made a huge change in the social structure of humanity without starting any wars, without assassinating anybody, no guillotines in city square. So, that’s one of the hopeful examples of how people can, just by changing the story, also change the world.”
That was Yuval Noah Harari giving an interview on the Daily Show hosted by Ronny Chieng. And what he said is true, feminism and the women’s rights movement shine throughout history as a beacon of change brought about using mostly peaceful methods. As a result, societal structures have changed dramatically since the First Wave of Feminism in the mid-nineteenth century, and they have done so for the better. Despite my refrain from hailing today’s society as ideal, there is no denying the progress made towards equality.
While women’s advocacy is what garnered the support, led the philosophies, and established the agendas of the revolution, men ultimately controlled the authority to grant power. And men know naught but war and money. With the growth of women’s movements around the world, the dangers to women also became more public as many protests had often been disrupted with violence. However, this link to violence is bigger than mere disapproval.
Although women were an integral part of the suffrage movement in the US, they were ignored in the 15th amendment in 1870 which granted rights to black voters. It wasn’t until 50 years later in 1920, that the 19th amendment granted the same rights to women. One of the key reasons being that then President Wilson acknowledged women’s essential contributions to WWI and rallied for their rights. This form of women’s empowerment was similarly seen across the Western world after the war. With so many men drafted overseas to fight the war, women stepped into conventionally “male” roles in order to support the economy and war efforts. One might even say, women were the true heroes.
Feminism has shown that through peaceful activism, empathy for one another can grow and change can be implemented, both legally and socially
Countries initially just utilized mothers’ and wives’ massive influence in providing moral support and recruiting troops by encouraging their sons and husbands. But eventually, with millions gone, the shortage of labour was inevitable. Women began fulfilling those labour roles in factories and plants to maintain the production of goods and food. They joined offices and assisted in military camps as clerks, operators, and translators. Their volunteer work in healthcare was essential in saving lives. Performing these jobs played an invaluable role in generating money to fuel the war and the local economy.
History repeated itself after WWII when the workforce and range of jobs available to women expanded -- women even provided miliary service. Upon establishment, the UN charter also included a commitment to promoting equal rights, and international efforts were on display on the East Asian front - Japan and South Korea, with their historically patriarchal traditions, started including women’s participation in the economy, though once again, to support war efforts.
The only way that the patriarchy at the time could recognize women’s capabilities was through the lens of war. And war has undoubtedly accelerated the change that was being pushed by women. However, this is not the only mechanism of change that was used in the fight for women’s rights, and is certainly not the only one available to us today.
Feminism has shown that through peaceful activism, empathy for one another can grow and change can be implemented, both legally and socially. While the fight may still be ongoing, women and their struggles deserve to be hailed for showcasing exemplary strength and resilience in the face of centuries of oppression.
Tasawar Sattar is an Editorial Assistant, Dhaka Tribune.
