Classical feminism's fight for equality clashes with modern movements

Imagine being a girl born in 1951 in Spain, coming of age during the Franco era. Your education would differ from boys', your legal age of majority would be later (21 compared to their 18), and you couldn't open a business or inherit property. Furthermore, you could face prison for adultery or abortion, offenses exclusively applicable to women. This scenario illustrates the concept of gender: the cultural constructs society imposes on biological sex, shaping expectations of womanhood.

“

One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.

Simone de Beauvoir famously stated, “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.” While biological sex is immutable, gender evolves across eras and cultures. Being a woman in Spain in 2026 differs vastly from 1974, just as it differs between Sweden and Afghanistan. Gender is not neutral; while its impositions can harm men and women, it specifically subordinates women to men.

Feminism's roots extend beyond mid-20th century thinkers like Beauvoir. Its consciousness began during the French Revolution with the "cahiers de doléances" (grievance notebooks). Here, women, regardless of social class, recognized shared inequalities and discrimination based solely on their sex. Feminist theory also emerged from the Enlightenment's emphasis on reason and empirical evidence, leading to the conclusion that all citizens are equal. However, achieving equality for women, who constitute 51% of the population, proved a much longer struggle.

“

Gender is not neutral. While it harms men and women with its impositions, it also subordinates women to men.

This historical trajectory, from the 18th century to the present, defines classical feminism. Its primary agenda has consistently focused on securing social, civil, and political rights. Key goals include abolishing restrictive gender norms and ending the commercialization of women's bodies. The central political subject has always been the woman, aiming for equality between the sexes. Today, various movements, such as decolonial and intersectional feminism, exist alongside classical feminism. However, significant confrontation arises with transfeminism, rooted in queer theory, which directly challenges the core tenets and agenda of classical feminism, leading to its rejection by the latter.

“

The equality of women (51% of the population) took considerably longer, but eventually took hold.