How has the perception of women and women’s rights evolved over the last century? In the early 20th century, women obtained the right to vote. The women’s suffrage movement fought for the vote using direct action. Other institutions that were challenged included marriage, an idea challenged by the woman’s liberation movement. This conservative ideology limited women’s opportunities. Marriage was seen as women being subordinate. Issues such a marital rape reinforces the prejudices against women Attitudes towards education also changed rapidly, with some women attending university However, advertising in the 1960s were typically sexist. “That’s what wives are for”, suggests that there is no equality between the sexes Bra burnings were common in the 60s and 70s to challenge patriarchal hegemonic standards of beauty. Women were not taken seriously, and even the women’s liberation movement was joked about in mainstream media and advertising The pay gap between men and women used to be significant. Now it is less significant. The emergence of feminism in the early 20th century led to first wave feminism, for example in the UK, the suffragettes performing direct action to achieve vote equality. In the 60s and 70s, the Women’s liberation movement demanded equality with men in terms of pay, employment opportunities and also bodily autonomy. Bra burnings were common, as bras were seen as an uncomfortable symbol of sexualisation As time has shifted, attitudes towards marriage and premarital sex have changed. Transportation: going out for leisure during the day. Independence! Increasingly women were working and attending university Around the time in which this edition of Woman was released, sexism in advertising Approaches to feminism 1st wave - the suffrage movements. Votes for women 2nd wave - the women’s liberation movement. Equal rights, equal pay. Critical of the institution of marriage. Liesbet Van Zoonen Representations of men and women are constructed through media language. This central argument is shared by Stuart Hall and Roland Barthes. Men and women are constructed in completely different ways in media products Women are presented as spectacle: objects to look at by the audience. A voyeuristic mode of address is constructed. The male gaze: media is constructed for the perceived gaze of heterosexual men bell hooks We should all be feminist, as it is a human right and a political ideology. We should advocate for equality for all genders. Intersectional feminism: we must take into account wealth, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality. Certain groups in society are more discriminated against than others Feminism is for everybody. The patriarchy is damaging for everybody, including men. For example, expectations of men lead to conforming to damaging masculine stereotypes. Feminism is an active process, and we must always challenge the patriarchy Problematising is process of actively looking for problems in a media product