In April 1991, I was eagerly preparing my first conference on women’s professional development. Little did I know that this marked the beginning of what is now known as the third wave of feminism. As with the previous “waves,” at the heart of our debates on gender roles was the question: how much does biology influence us, and how much is cultural conditioning? Although we have yet to reach a definitive consensus, we can confidently say both matter and significantly!
The real issue lies in the different paces of our evolution as a species. Biological evolution moves at a snail’s pace while our cultures race ahead on a high-speed train. In other words, the morphological characteristics that differentiate the sexes in our species have remained almost unchanged for hundreds of thousands of years, while our perspectives on gender roles have shifted dramatically in a much shorter time.
Technology: a new player in gender dynamics
A third dimension advancing at meteoric speed adds to this dynamic: technology. This human creation, whose evolution profoundly impacts our biology and society, introduces an additional temporal divergence.
Although technology has evolved more in the last 100 years than in the previous 5,000, our brains remain wired to seek security and resist uncertainty. Nevertheless, the exponential speed at which technology evolves can redefine the role of humans and gender roles. The relative scarcity of women in the tech world and concerns about algorithmic biases are part of today’s debate.
Faced with challenges such as climate change, resource management, demographic issues, geopolitical uncertainties, and the questions posed by the power of AI, we are left with the strength of the human spirit, collective effort, and inclusion.
The evolution of feminism
But let’s go back to the beginning. Let’s consider the relatively modest demands of the feminists of the “first wave” in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which at the time were considered radical: access to voting, education, and an end to legal discrimination in areas such as property management, employment, and marriage. This was the context for my grandmother in the 1920s. She considered herself fortunate to earn a university degree, work as a teacher, and vote, even though she accepted that marriage confined her role to family care.
Unevenly and partially, some of these goals were achieved, with significant differences across cultures and countries, in a world shaken by the collapse of empires, horrific world wars, and Cold War tensions. However, this context demonstrated that women could work in previously closed professions. Thus, this first stage laid the foundation for what would become known as the second wave of feminism, spanning the 1960s to the 1980s. You might recognise some of its advocates, like Simone de Beauvoir, Germaine Greer, and Gloria Steinem. This wave most influenced the baby boomer generation of women, especially in developed economies. Its agenda: ensuring women’s control over their bodies, increasing their presence and influence in politics, and achieving economic independence.
More recent developments
The third wave of feminism emerged in the 1990s, broadening the dimension of gender equality and acknowledging the diversity of women’s experiences in a complex and globalised world. It confronted not only gender discrimination but also added layers of discrimination based on race, culture, social class, sexual orientation, and physical ability. At its core were individual empowerment, women’s leadership in organisations, pay equity, and the fierce fight against gender-based violence.
This wave was championed by millennials, crowning the most significant cultural and social revolution of our era. And what about the fourth wave? I am left with an inspiring image: the embrace between Álvaro Martín and María Pérez, young gold medal winners for Spain in the innovative mixed relay walking event at the Paris Olympics.
Faced with challenges such as climate change, resource management, demographic issues, geopolitical uncertainties, and the questions posed by the power of AI, we are left with the strength of the human spirit, collective effort, and inclusion.
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