The 3rd Wave: A Tide Shift

Where first and second wave feminism can be nudged into neat time frames third wave feminism is harder to pin to a confined set of dates. However, a sizable shift occurred in the early 1990s originating from thinkers, such as Kimberlé Crenshaw and Judith Butler, that redirected focus under the large umbrella of feminism toward women's intersectional identities. Crenshaw described how different forms of oppression intersect and Butler argued that gender and sex exist separate from one another and that gender is not innate but a learned set of performative characteristics. These strides in our understanding of identity changed the "tide" of feminism to be more inclusive and consider how race, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status and inform oppression and change the fight for equality.