Maternal Feminism

Maternal feminism bases its claims for women's full social and political participation in public life on their roles as mothers. Because of this, many feminists do not see maternal feminism as feminist. Like other specialized areas of feminism, maternal feminism is not static, but changes with time. Early maternal feminism came from the 20th century's first women's rights movement. First wave feminists argued that women should be granted voting rights not because they were human beings who should have those rights automatically, but so they could be better wives and mothers. Today, contemporary versions of maternal feminism view motherhood as a unifying force that empowers women not only to achieve their individual goals, but also to effect social change.