Feminist ideals have greatly influenced and challenged traditional politics conceptions and made an impact on society but there are still further advancements to take place. Feminists have campaigned tirelessly for laws in favour of women, there is an increasing number of females holding high positions of power in politics and feminist ideology is seeping into political theory, changing the perception of certain political issues. For the purpose of this essay I will define traditional concepts as women being seen as inferior, not powerful and needing to have a job as well as being expected to be the only ones looking after the children.

Feminism can be defined as ‘ the advocacy for women's rights on the basis of equality of sexes’. Women have been standing up for their rights across history but little progress has been made. Liberal feminism has been the most effective way that change has been created through peaceful protests and campaigns. Radical feminism has made a mark but led to backlash as people thought the way they expressed their views was fairly extreme. However, such political action has led to certain acts being criminalised such as rape and domestic abuse against women which has changed the way people perceive these issues. This has led to women feeling much safer and broken the tradition of women having no voice and almost being dehumanised. Although incidents such as rape remain common, women are able to have the chance to receive justice. Feminism encourages women to be seen as equal counterparts thus giving women the chance to choose whether to have a baby or abort it, also a major improvement in women's rights. Despite Roe vs Wade being removed in the USA, other countries such as the UK have legalised it emphasising how women are given more control over their life and their future. Independent of how this just system works in practice, this is a major improvement in women's rights. It encourages them to see themselves as equal to men in terms of controlling their own life.

Sexism is a major factor in any place where a figure must hold a position of authority or leadership. Males have been favoured since the beginning of time as the most likely candidate due to their supposed universal characteristics of  emotionally strong, confident and intelligent. Whilst this can be true, women are also able to hold these characteristics and are slowly demonstrating this to the world. Across history there have been examples of women in positions of monarchical and political power, establishing dominance and making a great impact. From Elizabeth I to Margeret Thatcher females have challenged the authority of men by proving they are as capable and if not better than men at performing the roles they would otherwise lead. Females in positions of power have had the ability to change the societal taboo of men going to work and females remaining in the household aiding the progression towards equal rights. For example, when Eleanor Roosevlt held the title of First Lady of the United States , she used her platform to advocate for equal rights. She insisted that Kennedy appointed more women within his administration and created the first all female journalist conference, shocking the world but demonstrating her core belief in feminism. Thus half a century later Kamala Harris is appointed vice president of the United States in 2021 and is in the running for becoming the first female president of America. This highlights the impact feminism has had on political positions of authority as females as members of governments and as political leaders is becoming the norm. This shows how there has been substantial progress in women's rights.

However, while women are now more politically active this doesn't negate traditional views that women should remain in the house and not go to work. Linked to this women are seen as more caring and thus are expected, due to the 2nd shift, to now look after their children whilst also holding a job, part or full time. To support this maternity leave has been introduced alongside free hours of childcare for the first 2 children. Despite these being examples of great improvements in support for mothers, there is still more progress to be made. Mothers are being forced to maintain all the roles of a mother whilst also doing the same as that of a father. Men should be taking on some parental roles as well but in society this is still not widely accepted. Parental leave is being introduced but it is still not as long as maternity leave and childcare is still not free for the third or fourth child. This means that larger families struggle even more, putting further pressure on the mother, especially those who are from low income backgrounds and can't afford a nanny or have a lack of family to support them. Post Natal Depression is becoming increasingly common, affecting more than 1 in 10 women giving birth every year. More support should be provided for women as this traditional concept of mothers being the only ones looking after their children needs to be changed with further laws and regulations implemented to help alter the roles and get fathers more involved.

There are still traditional misogynistic ideals and other practices that discriminate against women such as the gender pay gap and women still expected to perform the role as a mother whilst having a job,  showing how there is still great progress to be made. However, feminism has been able to change people's values and make them more accepting due to the various laws implemented and the great effects of women in positions of authority. People have been standing up for women rights throughout history but little progress been made and some but not all traditional conceptions still remain.