Who I Am - Feminism Revisited: An Overview

Feminism is for women, what the Elizabethan age was for England, "...rousing herself, like a strong man after sleep, and shaking her invincible locks." (Milton) Although the struggle, significance and sophistication associated with the term is not of one age but of ages. Over the years women fought for what may be called the "renaissance" or rebirth of the new woman; who could be socially, politically, legally and economically independent. But all this was slow to come. The general outcry took the form of a powerful and magnanimous movement, which literally altered the face of patriarchal society. The present paper endeavours to investigate the origin and development of this movement; and also to pay a tribute to the inextinguishable and daredevil spirit of innumerable women who tirelessly contributed in making the "new woman" a reality. While doing research, one has to be duly conscious of all the facets and tenets governing the issue. To enumerate and illuminate upon a few aspects and leave alone the rest would be doing great injustice to the subject matter altogether, for each detail is imminent and inextricably linked to the foundation and formation of the aforesaid issue, in the absence of which the related discussion loses its strength and vitality. The current paper resolves to discreetly approach this problem. The chief purpose of this work is to voice the voiceless, to empower the muted and to lend vision to those who are shortsighted to the estimate of a woman and her worth.