Liberal feminism focuses on women’s ability to maintain their equality through their own choices and actions. Marxist Feminism is a form of feminism which believes that women's oppression is a symptom of oppression. Liberal feminists argue against society's false belief that women are, by nature, less intellectually and physically capable than men. Such false belief leads to discrimination against women in every sphere.
Liberal feminists believe that female subordination is rooted in a set of customary and legal constraints. The National Women's Political Caucus, National Organization for Women and the Women's Equity Action League are Liberal feminist groups created to further Women's Movements, Women's Liberation Theory and women's rights.
Issues important to liberal feminists include education, reproductive rights and abortion access, fair compensation for work, sexual harassment, voting, sexual and domestic violence. Radical Feminism is recent and differs from traditional Marxism in arguing that women's oppression is more widespread than class oppression. Socialist Feminism examines women's social situation as shaped by both patriarchy and and by the class structure of capitalism.
Mary Wollstonecraft, John Stuart Mill, Betty Friedan, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Gloria Steinem and Rebecca Walker are well known liberal feminist writers.
Mary Wollstonecraft - A Vindication of the
Rights of Woman commented on society's view of the woman and encouraged women to use their
voices in making decisions separate from decisions previously made for her. What
Wollstonecraft, a first wave Liberal feminist writer wanted for women was personhood.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton. An American social activist
and Liberal feminist writer, she was instrumental in orchestrating the first women's
rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York.
John Stuart Mill believed that men are not intellectually above
women.
Liberal feminism, as a study, allows too much of its focus to fall on a metamorphosis of
women into men
Lberal feminism over emphasises the rational above the emotional, while a human is
intrinsically both.
Liberal feminism focuses on the individual discrediting the importance of the community.
Liberal feminism reflects only the values of middle-class white women and has ignored
women of different races, cultures and classes.