The idea of women’s rights shockingly did not really exist until the uprise of feminism in the late 19th and early 20th century. Known as “first wave” feminism, it argued that women should have equal rights to men in general. For the most part, “first wave” feminism was focused on women’s suffrage, the changing of marriage laws to be fair to both men and women, and a reduction in the income gap by creating more equal opportunities in the workplace. This “first wave” was followed by a “second wave” in the 1960s. This focus was different in that it focused on not the women themselves, but the restrictive system that was in place. The goal of “second wave” feminism was to get rid of the oppressive systematic restrictions that control what women were able to do and how they were able to do it. “Second wave” feminism also distinctly turns men into the enemy, creating the idea that these are “man-haters”. In this sense, Pussy Riot is very much a group rooted in “second wave” feminism.

Pussy Riot is a Russian feminist fundamentalist group made up of roughly 11 women who organize guerrilla concerts in hopes of raising awareness of legislation that discriminates against women. By doing this, they appear to be attempting to bring down the structure that is currently in place, and as such may be labelled “second wave” feminist thought. Three of the members have been imprisoned for staging one of their signature concerts, and this has been met with almost universal condemnation by other states.

This sort of injustice is exactly what the Pussy Riot movement is trying to eliminate, and the actions taken by the Russian government in this situation emphasize just how far society has yet to advance in some parts of the world. While it is the actions of the prosecution and government that sent these women to jail, ultimately, it is the failure of systematic processes that discriminate against women. With the backlash Russia has faced from this event, and subsequently with their backwards “anti-gay” legislation, there is obvious evidence that most of the world believes this sort of discrimination to be wrong. The question is, what can we do to alter the systems and thinking processes in places like Russia that refuse to respond to the need for equality? Is there anything that can be done, or must we let time (hopefully) change the thought processes in Russia like it has in other parts of the world? There is certainly still much gender bias even in the western world, but it is not as defined as Russia’s current practices. These practices must be stopped.