Fiveable
Fiveable

Women's Liberation Movement

Definition

The Women's Liberation Movement was a political alignment of women and feminist intellectualism that emerged in the late 1960s and continued into the 1980s primarily in the industrialized nations of the Western world, which effected great change (political, intellectual, cultural) throughout the world.

Analogy

Think of it like a massive group project where all the girls in class band together to challenge and change unfair rules set by an old school principal. They work tirelessly to ensure equal rights for everyone in school.

Related terms

Feminism: The belief in social, economic, and political equality of the sexes. It also refers to a sociopolitical movement aimed at achieving such equality.

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA): A proposed amendment to the United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex; it seeks to end the legal distinctions between men and women in terms of divorce, property, employment, etc.

Second-wave feminism: Period of feminist activity beginning in the early 1960s and lasting through the late 1980s. It was a worldwide movement that was strong in Europe and parts of Asia, such as Turkey and Israel.

"Women's Liberation Movement" appears in:

Practice Questions (2)

  • What spurred a comparable wave of social reform as Women's Liberation Movement in late twentieth century?
  • What was the principal outcome of the Women's Liberation Movement in post-WWII America?


© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.


© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.