In honor of International Women’s Day, this article will take you back to the contribution some female authors have made to feminism through their literary works. Literature is a form of resistance and fight. Their words were their weapon.
1. Mary Wollstonecraft
"I do not wish [women] to have power over men; but over themselves."
Dubbed as the Mother of Feminism, Mary Wollstonecraft was a philosopher who voiced the radical ideas for women’s rights. She published her pamphlet titled A Vindication of the Rights of Woman in 1792, which fought for women’s education and empowerment in society and politics. She pioneered the movement and fight for women’s rights and equality, as her ideas laid the groundwork for feminism.
Source: ebsco.com
2. Virginia Woolf
“As a woman I have no country. As a woman my country is the whole world.”
As one of the most notable 20th-century modernist authors, Virginia Woolf contributed to feminism by advocating for women’s intellectual, financial, and creative independence through her essay A Room of One’s Own. She argued that for women to unleash their creativity, they must have money and a room of their own. Woolf’s works focus on criticising women’s limited place in society. She fought for women’s freedom in education, rights, and well-being, making her another pioneer of feminism.
Source: trinitytripod.com
3. Simone de Beauvoir
"One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman,"
Through her work, The Second Sex, Simone de Beauvoir made a significant contribution to the French feminist and existentialist movements. She focused on women’s oppression in society, the very idea that women were the lesser sex compared to men, the Other. Through The Second Sex, she criticized the patriarchal society and argued that gender is a societal construct, instead of a biological identifier. Her other work, Manifesto of the 343, discussed the importance of women having access to birth control and reproductive rights. She helped build the path for legal and save birth control and abortions in France.
Source: thedecisionlab.com
4. Intan Paramaditha
“Women do not have many options but to seek happiness in a heteronormative relationship, or be punished for their ambition, jealousy, desire. Women must fit into ill-fitting shoes, and even when they try really hard to do so, they will discover that they are easily replaced and disposed of.”
Through works that focus on feminism, intersectionality, and queer politics, Intan Paramaditha uses gothic and horror fiction to challenge patriarchal and religious structures. Her writings constantly feature subversive and rebellious female protagonists who challenge traditional gender roles. Paramaditha approached feminism from a decolonial lens, where she connects Indonesian traditions with a bigger global, anti-capitalist, and feminist movements. As the co-founder of Sekolah Pemikiran Perempuan and Etalase Pemikiran Perempuan festival, she created a space for women to discuss feminism in Indonesia.
Source: intanparamaditha.com
5. Maya Angelou
“Each time a woman stands up for herself … she stands up for all women.”
Maya Angelou’s works show intersectionality, resilience, and the celebration of Black womanhood. She challenged the patriarchal structure in society and racial discrimination. She emphasized the dual oppression as a woman of color in America, in both being Black and female. Angelou rewrote what it meant to be a woman; she redefined femininity and beauty, focusing on confidence and personal strength, far from the existing standards.
Source: mnnow.org, media.neliti.com
6. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
“I have chosen to no longer be apologetic for my femaleness and my femininity. And I want to be respected in all of my femaleness because I deserve to be.”
In the major modern feminist discourse work, We Should All Be Feminists, which was taken from her 2012 TEDx talk, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie stated feminism as a belief where social, political, and economic rights must be equal between all sexes. She rejects gender roles created by society and argues that feminism is a basic human right. She emphasized feminism as a form of equality between women and men, instead of believing women to be superior to men. Adichie also fights for gender roles, where she stated that society must stop raising girls to lessen themselves and boys to suppress their vulnerability.
Source: awpc.cattcenter.iastate.edu