Glossary
Birth Control Pill
An oral contraceptive that revolutionized family planning by giving women unprecedented control over their fertility.
Example:
The widespread availability of the Birth Control Pill in the latter half of the 20th century significantly impacted women's social mobility and educational pursuits.
Bodily Autonomy
The right of an individual to make their own decisions about their body and health, free from coercion or external control.
Example:
The fight for bodily autonomy was central to feminist movements, encompassing reproductive rights and control over one's own sexuality.
Double Burden
The phenomenon where women are expected to fulfill both paid employment outside the home and unpaid domestic and caregiving responsibilities within the home.
Example:
In Eastern Europe, women often faced a double burden, working full-time jobs while also being solely responsible for household chores and childcare.
Equal Pay
The principle that individuals should receive the same remuneration for performing the same job, regardless of gender.
Example:
A core demand of second-wave feminists was equal pay for equal work, aiming to close the wage gap between men and women.
Feminism
A range of social movements and ideologies that share a common goal: to define, establish, and achieve political, economic, personal, and social equality of sexes.
Example:
The rise of feminism in the 20th century challenged traditional gender roles and advocated for women's rights across Europe.
High Political Office (women in)
The attainment by women of top leadership positions within national governments, such as prime minister or president.
Example:
The election of women to high political office in several European nations signaled a profound shift in gender equality and political representation.
In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
A medical procedure where an egg is fertilized by sperm in vitro (outside the body) and then implanted into a woman's uterus.
Example:
For many, In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) became a pathway to parenthood, offering a solution when natural conception was not possible.
Margaret Thatcher
The first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, serving from 1979 to 1990, known for her conservative policies.
Example:
Margaret Thatcher's tenure as Prime Minister, though controversial, demonstrated a woman's capacity to hold the highest political office in a major European power.
Patriarchal Systems
Social structures in which men hold primary power and predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege, and control of property.
Example:
Feminists aimed to dismantle patriarchal systems that historically limited women's opportunities and subjected them to male dominance.
Reproductive Technologies
Medical advancements and methods that assist in conception or allow for greater control over family planning.
Example:
The development of reproductive technologies like IVF offered new hope for couples struggling with infertility.
Second-Wave Feminism
A period of feminist activity from the mid-1960s to the late 1980s that broadened the feminist debate to include issues beyond suffrage, such as sexuality, family, the workplace, reproductive rights, and de facto inequalities.
Example:
Second-Wave Feminism pushed for radical changes in societal structures, challenging the idea that a woman's primary role was domestic.
Simone de Beauvoir
A prominent French existentialist philosopher, writer, and feminist, whose work significantly influenced feminist theory.
Example:
Simone de Beauvoir's philosophical insights laid much of the groundwork for modern feminist thought, particularly her analysis of women's societal position.
Suffrage
The right to vote in political elections.
Example:
After decades of activism, women in many European countries finally gained suffrage in the early 20th century, marking a significant step towards political equality.
The Second Sex
A 1949 book by Simone de Beauvoir that analyzes the oppression of women and is considered a foundational text of second-wave feminism.
Example:
The Second Sex famously argued that 'one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman,' highlighting the social construction of gender.
Workforce (women's entry)
The large-scale integration of women into paid employment outside the home, particularly accelerated during and after World War II.
Example:
During WWII, the urgent need for labor led to a massive workforce entry for women, fundamentally altering societal expectations about their economic roles.