Feminism

noun

/ˈfɛm.ɪ.nɪ.zəm/

A social, political, and intellectual movement advocating for equal rights, opportunities, and treatment for women across all spheres of public and private life.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

A truly transformative feminism in India must move beyond formal legal equality to dismantle the structural patriarchy that depresses female labour-force participation, normalises unpaid care work and silences women in panchayats and parliaments alike.

Synonyms

women's rights movementwomen's liberationgender egalitarianismwomanismgender equality advocacy

Antonyms

patriarchymisogynymale chauvinismsexism

🌱 Word Family

feminist (n/adj), feminise (v), feminine (adj), femininity (n), feminisation (n)

🔡 Root

French féminisme (c. 1837); Latin fēmina = woman + -isme = doctrine/movement

📜 Etymology

From French féminisme (coined c. 1837), from Latin fēmina ("woman") + -isme; entered English in the mid-19th century, initially meaning "the quality of being feminine" before acquiring its political sense by the 1890s.

🧠 Memory Hook

"FEMIN-ism" carries the Latin femina ("woman") at its heart; picture a system (-ism) built to win equal rights for women.

⚖️ Social Justice 📖 Seen in: Gender Issues, Women Empowerment & Soc...

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