The History of Feminism

The History of Feminism with Dr Lara Owen.

What is feminism? Where do its ideas come from? Why does it have internal contradictions that make it vulnerable to critique such as "if you want equality, you can't also ask for special treatment." And why, despite over two centuries of feminism, do women still do more labour than men and get paid less? Part of the answer to these questions lies in the history of feminism.

In this lecture, Dr Owen shows that while we tend to use 'feminism' as a blanket term, in reality there is not one 'feminism' but several distinct streams birthed by different philosophies with different agendas. She traces the development of modern feminism from the late 18th century to the current day, at each stage explaining the key people, ideas, demands, and motivations at play. She explores how these various streams of ideas and identities are still with us today, and how new phenomena such as 'trad wives' and 'Trump women' are part of a continuum of contested concepts of womanhood and female embodiment.

Dr Lara Owen is an academic and author who specialises in the culture and politics of women's reproductive health and experience. She has a particular interest in the relationship between feminism and capitalism, and a hope that the former can help us create a more humane version of the latter. Her latest book, "Reorganizing Menstruation: Menstrual innovations and the redistribution of boundaries, capitals and labour", was published by Oxford University Press in 2024.