[pullquote]People think feminism is a bunch of crazy women who have an agenda. – Ms. Weber[/pullquote]
Six MAKERS documentaries, released throughout the months of September and October, continue to not only prove people wrong about ideas and stigma surrounding feminism but to also teach all people, regardless of gender, about what it means to be a woman and what obstacles were overcome by women historically. The films, titled Women in Comedy, Women in Hollywood, Women in Space, Women in War, Women in Business, and Women in Politics, aim to provide insight into the lives of women who have succeeded in male-dominated fields and activities.
When I sat down with Ms. Weber, who spearheaded the organization of the Upper School’s MAKERS Day last year, she continued, “[Makers] not only tells the story of the women’s movement, but it also traces where it has gone, how it has morphed and changed, how it has stuck with its original intention, and how it’s changed according to the times and the women who have taken over.”
It is our job as viewers and supporters to pay tribute to these women who have helped us get to where we are today. Feminism has been defined as “a movement that advocates for social, political, and economic equality for women.” The first wave of feminism can be traced to the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention where a group of Quaker women, along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, met to discuss women’s role in society. Jumping forward to the 1950s, many American women were unhappy with gender equality after World War II. Women were either stuck in very low paying jobs, or they took on the role of the happy homemaker and caretaker. By the late 1950s, many small groups of women formed to take action against social inequality and the use of birth control, which was approved by the FDA in 1960 as the birth control pill. Women wished for work outside of the house and childcare, so they were going to do something about it. In 1968, sex-segregated help wanted ads became illegal, making women able to apply for better and higher paying jobs.
Throughout history, women have had to fight passionately for their rights so that one day women would not be discriminated against or looked down upon. Today’s society is far from perfect when it comes to women’s rights, and we still have a long way to go. However, we have all of the women who came before us to thank for getting us to where we are today. These documentaries bring awareness to girls everywhere. As Ms. Weber told me, the series explains, “Women are taking more of a role in politics. Here is what its taken to get there, and here is where it makes a difference. Here is how it is changing how politics in this country work and how it is changing the definition of leadership.”
As MAKERS tells us, feminism is not just about women; it is a human rights issue. And we need to accept it and learn how to show people that women are intellectual, creative, powerful, and just as important as men in all aspects of life. MAKERS gives us the history and the stories from the past that not only raise hope for women, but impact our lives in the present and give inspiration for the future.
