For centuries, women have been fighting for gender equality. Feminism is often referred to in waves. First wave was during the late 19th to the early 20th century. The second wave was between the 50s to the 80s. The third wave was between the late 80s to 90s. And the current wave began in the 2010s. The feminist movement is the advocacy for women’s rights on the basis of gender equality. Western University Professor Monda Halpern makes it clear on what the feminist theory really is.
“It offers a critique of patriarchy. But you have to make the distinction between critiquing the system and critiquing individual men and feminism isn’t about critiquing individual men, unless there are some men who deserve that. It’s about critiquing a system that privileges men, and that renders women as inferior so that they’re treated in an inferior way, they’re paid less, they’re seen as less rational.”
The fourth wave of feminism rose with the popularity of the internet. It builds on the third wave’s focus on intersectionality, with the fourth wave becoming even more inclusive. The internet made it a lot easier for feminists alike to connect with each other. A new focus started emerging justice for survivors of harassment, assault and rape. The #metoo movement is a feminist movement that focuses on sexual violence. The purpose is to show empowerment through empathy by showing how many people are experiencing the same things.
Taylor Begbie
Taylor Begbie is a Fanshawe student who wants to share her story. In November of 2021 she had gotten a new job at a small clothing store in the mall. She enjoyed her employment there for the first few weeks. It wasn’t until the second boss came back from a work trip when she started feeling uncomfortable. He began working the exact same nights that she had been working.
“It’s like he would choose when he would come into the store. And it was always when I was closing and when I was alone. He had brought wine in on our very first shift together to celebrate some random business opportunity he had gotten. And he told me to never tell anyone about his several illegal businesses that ran overseas.”
In return, the boss would shower Taylor with gifts, complements, alcohol and marijuana. He would even promise her dinners and vacations that he offered to pay for. On their third shift together, there was a customer who appeared to be intoxicated, and had also seemed to be interested in her.
“They both started showering me with sexual compliments. My boss had told me to turn around and I thought he was just trying to get me to move out of the way. He had me turn around to show off my behind to him and as this customer that was the first instance of sort of sexual harassment within that workplace. The comments and personal questions became more sexually related, as well as comments about my body and promises of bringing me to the top of the company, giving me a long time career, referring to me as his girl, calling his friends FaceTiming and showing me off while I was on shift.”
This went on for about three weeks before she decided to email her other boss to tell him what was happening. She decided that was her letter of resignation officially before she received an email from the boss.
“He was harassing me, calling me crazy, telling me I had made all of this up and that this was my fault because I was conversing and I didn’t directly say no, and I just kind of laughed nervously whenever he would make comments. And that was the end of that work experience.”
Unfortunately, women everywhere have encountered workplace harassment and it is so much more common than what the public is aware of.
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