Feminism has gone through 3 major waves in history. Each period focused on important issues that women were facing at the time. And the "new" fourth wave still echoes some of these similar social problems.
This 4th wave is thought to have begun in 2012 & has sexual harassment, body shaming & social inclusion at its focal point.
However, this movement is different from the previous ones in its focus on intersectionality.
It stands for the overlap & connection of different individual characteristics, like gender, religion, race & sexuality.
In 2023, one of the major issues in the West is the Pink Tax. A study in the UK found that on average, personal care products targeted to women are 9% more expensive than that of men's products.
Comparisons between skincare products are even worse, with a 34.28% gap in prices. Gender-based price inequalities are still an ongoing issue for women, despite the UN calling for the elimination of pink tax.
Add this to the fact that women are paid 13% less than men per hour. These issues are the most worrying factors contributing to gender-based wealth inequality.
Unfortunately, despite the new movement aiming for inclusivity, feminism can still become selective at times, even from women.
Stigmatised groups tend to be more inclusive because they know what it's like to be marginalised. However, exclusion is bound to occur because of different values within the groups. This showed in the past feminist waves, which primarily focused on white women.
When talking about intersectionality, it's important to also consider characteristics of people of colour & members of the LGBTQIA+ community. In reality, minority groups like them face prejudices that aren't just gender-based.
However, it's not only global social issues like pink tax or the gender pay gap that are still causing inequalities between the genders.
It comes down to a unmeasurable amount of "small things" that may go unnoticed to a lot of individuals. Like not taking women's pain seriously during hospital procedures, or lack of inclusivity in skincare & makeup lines. Or even certain comment sections under our posts.
Yes, these issues aren't life-threatening when compared to what some women outside of Europe face. However, they ultimately contribute to global inequalities amongst genders, races & sexualities.
This year, the International Women's Day campaign theme is #EmbraceEquity. Equity recognises that individuals have different circumstances, so we must give them equal opportunities in proportion to that.
The aim of the campaign is to get the world talking about "why equal opportunities aren't enough." People come from different backgrounds & all share different injustices around the world.
To embrace equity means to understand the intersectional values of the new wave of feminism. Without collective activism, feminism will continue to be a need not just for women, but for people all across the world.
