The world we thrive in isn’t perfect! It is a subject of constant change and upgrades. But have you ever wondered what brings big changes into reality? Without a common goal and objective, none of the big reformations would have been possible. Enter social movements! 

In simple words, social reformations or activities are collaborative efforts by the people of a particular city, country, or region. Generally, these movements have a big goal to fulfill and include organizations, individuals, or both. 

Today’s article is all about the 51 greatest movements in the history of the world. These movements had an impeccable effect on the 21st century- thus creating huge changes. So, if you are upto reading something that would be your eye-opener for this week, here’s a guide for you!

Understanding Social Movements: What Causes Their Emergence?

A study conducted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace points out that more than 700 significant antigovernment movements have taken place across the world. A maximum of 147 countries have taken part in these movements, and they indeed share their dominance over the world. 

Every single definition of social movement focuses on the fact that they have a large impact on social changes. These mainly include the activities of protestors as members of a stable social group. These members have a specific behavior that aims to change a particular law or get justice for a specific topic. 

A lot goes on in the society in which we thrive, and in order to curb the negative impacts of some of them, social movements emerge on the surface. The primary motive of these movements is to cause a change in the society. The behavior of social movement members does not reflect the assumption that all social orders will keep evolving. 

51 Greatest Social Movements Of The 21st Century

Rights might be hard to win, but they are easily lost. Luckily, the world has determined personalities who rise up, organize, and take thoughtful action. It would be tough to imagine a world where everything is perfect. 

But thankfully, we have activists who are working for a change. Here are some of the most remarkable social activism that transformed the look of the 21st century:

1. 6B4T Movement

This movement took place in South Korea and was extended to China by online radical feminists. The members of this movement organized it to oppose patriarchal structures as well as sexism. 

The 6B4T movement can be regarded as an initial movement that spurred the fourth feminism wave taking place in Korea. A noteworthy aspect of the movement is that the members are very committed to remaining unmarried forever and having no children. 

Beginning around 2019, 6B4T gained massive attention from people outside Korea, and most of them renounced child-rearing marriage or dating men. It had an impeccable impact on the world. 

2. Arab Spring Movement

2010 and 2011 saw some massive turns in the history of North Africa and the Middle East. The Arab Spring movement challenges some entrenched authoritarian bodies in the regions. 

The movement began due to the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouaizi, who was a street vendor. He was protesting against the way local officials treated him and demanded justice. 

The Arab Spring protest grew so much that it forced President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali to resign from his designation and flee his country. According to a study, Tunisians took part in a free election in 2011 to select members of a council. 

3. Affirmative Repositioning Movement

In the list of social movements, the next one we have is the affirmative repositioning movement, which is a leftist political movement. It took place in Namibia, and the leaders were George Kambala, Job Amupanda, and Dimbulukeni Nauyoma. 

The goal of the movement was to use the social media platforms of users to mobilize residents and make them apply for small land titles for residential purposes. Tons of youth submitted their forms on a single day, and the activity grew quickly!

4. Alabama Together

The Alabama Together movement was founded in 2016, shortly after the presidential election took place. Initially, it was a private group on Facebook named Pantsuit Nation and held its very first meeting in 2016’s December. 

As per an editorial published in The New York Times, Alabama Together supported some females who were, for the very first time, running for office. Later, in 2018, Bob Parson, a member of the movement, was elected to the Auburn City Council. 

On August 16, 2018, the movement hosted a collective Civic Forum that gave voters an opportunity to learn more about state office candidates. Most of the movement’s members spend months communicating with world leaders and making their social cause global. 

5. Animal Rights Movement

The AR or animal rights movement is also known as the animal liberation, animal advocacy, or animal personhood movement. Social movements like these aim to mitigate the legal and moral distinction between animal and human rights. 

There is no particular start date for the movement because activists have been demanding justice for animal cruelty since its inception. Animal rights believers stressed the basic interests of animals. As an example, they put forward the exemplary works of Tom Regan.

6. Anti-Gender Movement

As the name pretty much implies, this social movement found its course in late 2016. Anti-gender revolution aims at opposing “gender ideologies” or “genderism.” Members of the movement primarily included people from the right-wing as well as Christian fundamentalists. 

Further, they also opposed a few LGBT rights, government gender policies, and reproductive rights. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service links this movement to the possibility of tremendous violence against communities like LGBT+.

In non-English nations, several anti-gender activists are avoiding the use of vernacular translations like “gender.” Some believers also link the concept of gender idealogy with moral panic or conspiracy theories for a “particular” group of people. 

7.  Anti-Nuclear Movement

The anti-nuclear social reform opposed nuclear bombs and other technologies. A few direct action groups, along with environmentalists, joined the cause and protested against nuclear. 

The actual objective of the reformation was the disarmament of nuclear, and the opposition began in the late 1960s. 

Ever since the anti-nuclear movement came to light, various diplomats and scientists have debated its policy. As a result, anti-nuclearism prevailed in several places.

8. Anti-Austerity Movement

The mobilization of grassroots campaigns and street protests, which shook several nations, including Europe, is the anti-austerity movement. It began when the Great Recession started worldwide. 

Since the movement is still ongoing, chances are it will either have a sporadic organization or a stringent and long-term arrangement. The anti-austerity revolution is one of the rarest movements to date. 

Ireland was among the first countries to impose strict austerity measures. Not only did it bring many protestors under common ground, but it also experienced a major collapse in its housing industry.

9. Black Alliance for Peace

Formed in April 2017 in the U.S., Black Alliance People focused on the human rights project against repression, imperialism, and, of course, war. Also known as BAP, its financial sponsor was The Open Collective. 

The BAP protest was formed to reform and recapture some crucial positions in the past that were somewhere lost. For instance, in the anti-war, pro-peace, and anti-imperialist eras, 

Ajamu Baraka formed this as a reformed effort to organize the anti-war protest. However, the name “black” comes from the majority of the Black Community taking part in the movement.

10. Black Lives Matter

Black people were long dominated in the United States, and some of the abuses led to the subsequent killing of people. Anxious at the reckless murdering of Black individuals, Patrisse Khan Cullors, along with Alicia Garza and others, formed the movement. 

The protest sparked after a Peruvian descent, George Zimmerman, killed Trayvon Martin based on suspicion. The arrest of Zimmerman made no difference, and other black natives, such as George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, were also killed. 

Black Lives Matter was one of the most remarkable movements in the history of the world, as it had a meaningful impact on politics and popular culture. 

11.  Black Reconstruction Collective

And while we are discussing national issues, how can we not mention the Black Reconstruction Collective? More than a movement, it refers to a collective effort towards African Diaspora emancipation. 

The BRC remains committed to various disciplinary objects dedicated to sabotaging white supremacy by the power of academia, design, and art. Some black architects, designers, scholars, and artists originally founded the Collective. 

Finally, the Black Reconstruction Collective engages people through a yearly reviewing process or proposals and also offers economic support. Most of these projects have an African background reflected on the American land. 

12. Blockupy Movement

This movement has a lot of significance to the anti-austerity protest as it was mainly aimed against austerity. People in the alliance were mainly Germans and trade unions. 

The Blockupy protest emerged due to social and economic inequality and corporate impact on the government. However, the primary protest began with the Blockupy community organizing a massive protest in Frankfurt. 

In order to curb the heavy protest effects, the police used water cannons, pepper spray, and even tear gas. At least eight tram and bus stops were demolished, which caused around €50,000 in damage.

13.  The ChallengeAccepted Movement

How many of you have heard of women’s empowerment? Comment below. Well, if you haven’t, this movement is one of those. 

Originally surfacing as an Instagram-tagged challenge, the #ChallengeAccepted Campaign was literally to uplift women. They were asked to upload a black-and-white or filtered and unfiltered picture of themselves. 

A lot of women aren’t too secure in their skin or body type, which is why the campaign came into existence. The movement gained so much traction that Indian female cricketer Mithali Raj was featured in an ad shoot addressing the cause.

14.  Coffee Party USA

This American political protest was formed as a reaction to the Tea Party Movement in January 2010. Annabel Park, who was the co-founder, collected everyone protesting against the Tea Party. 

The Coffee Party USA was created right after Park became immensely frustrated with the way the media narrated the Tea Party. She began posting a rant on Facebook, which gathered massive responses from people and eventually joined it. 

15.  Craft Cocktail Movement

Craft Cocktail revolutions go back to the Prohibition era when the reform movement began in January 1920. It marked a global ban on the distribution as well as the import of alcoholic beverages. 

Most of them, dated between 1920 and 1933, were banned by constitutional amendment enforcement. 

The result of the Craft Cocktail Movement was the emergence of a new homemade alcohol crop from bootleggers’ hidden enclaves. People began protesting against the poor taste of the new buds, and thus, the movement gained momentum. 

16.  Climate Change Movement

The world is burning, and we all are pretty aware of it, aren’t we? A Brookings study reveals that heat records on sea and land have caused over 1000 floods every year.

The sudden shift in climate caused people to get on the streets and cause massive protests in the name of the Climate Change Movement.

There is no particular date of its onset since many activists have been vocal about the issue since 1970. Greta Thumberg was a popular name throughout the movement. 

17.  CryptoParty

This strategic movement belongs to a global endeavor and belongs to the grassroots movement category. It introduced the basis of the Tor Anonymity Network and other cryptography art forms. 

The CryptoParty Revolution succeeded Cypherpunks of the late 1990s and finally got proper shape in August 2012. 

Asher Wolf, an Australian Journalist, started it all with a Twitter post after the Cybercrime Legislation Amendment Bill passed ou in 2011. 

18.  Dalit Feminism

“Dalit” is a term coined in India that refers to untouchable communities in the country. For a long time, Dalit women were subject to massive abuses and dominance. 

In 1920, a group of Dalit females became active in anti-untouchability and anti-caste movements. These movements altogether shaped the Dalit Feminism revolution, which aimed to empower these women. 

The early formations helped these women to raise issues like dowries, enforced widowhood, and child marriage, and they also received justice to some extent.

19.  Decolonize This Place Movement

The infamous “Decolonize This Place” protest was a radical-left social outrage and activist collective. It was mainly based in NYC to “decolonize” some art museums and leverage radical-free policies. 

The protest eventually rose to fame after Alicia Boyd, a Brooklyn Museum activist, started discussing it globally in 2016. 

Moreover, the movement’s official website claims to bring multiple traditions of resistance under one common ground. Indigenous insurgence and Black Liberation are some common instances.

20.  Dignidad Literaria

DignidadLiteraria refers to a Spanish hashtag that is mainly circulated on Twitter. The purpose of the movement was to provide a befitting response to the American Dirt controversy. 

For the very first time in 2020, the hashtag was used in a Roberto Lovato tweet in January. The fight sparked, and Latinx artists and writers joined in. 

As a response to the grassroots protest, tons of tweets started emerging with the #DignidadLiteraria hashtag.

21.  East Phillips Neighborhood Institute

The East Phillips Neighborhood Institute referred to a social protest that came into existence to highlight and determine pollutant concerns. 

It was founded in late 2014 to comprehend relocation solutions for two neighborhood factories that were the primary sources of pollution. 

Activists who represented the protest argue that construction leads to massive exposure of arsenic to residents who have chronic heart and asthma side effects. Along with ecological protection, it also protested against racism. 

22.  End SARS

SARS refers to Special Anti-Robbery Squad and the notorious team pleaded guilty to torturing and ill-treating suspects to extract information. It all began after a Twitter campaign went viral in 2017.

Apparently, this tweet was named #EndSARS and demanded the disbandment of the unit by Nigerian officials. People all across the country began protesting on the streets, and in the blink of an eye, there was a massive outrage on social media.

This hashtag gathered more than 28 million tweets only on Twitter, thus making it one of the most remarkable social movements. 

23.  Gun Control Activism

The Gun Control activism advocated for gun control and dominance against gun violence taking place in the U.S. Since guns have a significant position in the nation’s economy, there have to be certain norms regarding their usage.

Very recent tragedies related to gun violence have sparked student-based activism in the country. There is an enormous group of school officials, students, and even parents who have joined the cause and opposed the activism. 

24.  Hanfu Movement

As the name implies, Hanfu is a social movement based in China. The cultural revolution seeks to revitalize and bring Han Chinese Fashion back into existence. 

The movement emerged in China in 2003, where the focus was mainly on prioritizing Han Chinese Clothing. It also aims to restore the aesthetics and attire sensibilities of Han outfits from vintage eras. 

The social movement popularized Hanfu, and a number of believers joined together for the cause. 

25.  The IAmHere Protest

Beginning in May 2016, #iamhere was a social movement that leverages counter-speech to address misinformation and hate speech on social networking platforms. 

It is also known as a civil courage movement that welcomes a broad range of views on promoting democracy as well as freedom of speech. This form of social activism generally took a softer approach to spreading online positivity. 

The members sometimes found themselves charged by internet trolls or organized groups, which necessitated the protest.

26.  Identitarian Movement

Identitarianism, or the Identitarian movement, was an ethno-nationalist, pan-European, and political movement. The aim of the protest was to assert the right of white men and European ethnic groups to Western territories. 

The Identitarian protest originated in France with the name Les Identitaires. Along with its youth wing, the movement grew to other countries in Europe and became a household name in the 21st century. 

27.  LGBTQ+ Movement

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender movement was one of those social movements that shook the 21st century to its core. The Scientific-Humanitarian Committee initially promoted the movement in Berlin in 1897.

As the name suggests, the movement mainly focused on providing equal rights for people belonging to the LGBT community. 

Even today, people protest against it, which includes a wide spectrum of cultural and political activism in places like lobbies, social groups, and media. 

28.  Metoo Movement

Women, for a long, have remained a victims of sexual abuse, irrespective of their culture or where they belong. The #MeToo campaign was started on social media in 2017 to oppose sexual harassment, abuse and rape culture. 

The revolution empowered girls and women of color to raise their voices and seek justice. 90% of these women were dominated and shut by authoritative people, who were also the molesters. 

Many recognized individuals, producers, and movie stars, including Harvey Weinstein, were dragged into the mud. Hollywood celebs like Jennifer Lawrence and Ashley Judd also responded to the movement. 

29.  Mouvement Anti-Utilitariste dans les Sciences Sociales

In the list of French intellectual protests, Mouvement Anti-Utilitariste dans les Sciences Sociales ranks at the top. It was formed on the grounds of “anti-utilitarianism.” 

It was founded in late 1981 by Alain Caille, who was a sociologist. The movement he led started getting into conversations, and people began becoming a part of it. 

The early efforts of the protest appeared to reintroduce the aspect of authentic interest. The journal had some regular contributors, such as Paul Jorion, Alain Caille, Stephen Kalberg, and many more. 

30.  Mute R. Kelly Movement

Another intriguing movement that captivated the attention of people all around the world was the Mute R. Kelly Movement. It originated in July 2017 by Oronike Odeleye and Kenyette Barnes. 

The movement focused on convicting R. Kelly, the popular American Singer, of sexual abuse and to stop aiding him financially for his thriving career. 

The onset of the movement began with Oronike quoting,

“Someone had to stand up for Black women, and if I wasn’t willing to do my part-no matter how small- then I couldn’t continue to complain…”

31.  Never Again MSD

The American student-based political activism was to oppose gun control, which advocated for strict regulations and curbing gun violence. 

Hashtags like #EnouughIsEnough or #NeverAgain were mostly trending. Twenty students who attended the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School formed the group just when the school experienced a massive shooting in 2018. 

Furthermore, the protest rose on social media for those who survived the Stoneman Douglas shooting. The #NeverAgain hashtag was used the maximum number of times. 

32.  New Calvinism

Also widely regarded as the Reformed protest, the New Calvinism movement comprised conservative Evangelicalism. Most of them reinterpreted the Calvinism of the 16th century. 

It began in 1980, just when the Biblical Manhood and Womanhood was founded in the United States. The latter focuses on men and women and the complementarianism between the both. 

33.  Occupy Faith

We all remember the great Occupy movement, don’t we? Well, Occupy Faith was just an ally of the protest. 

It supported the movement owing to the spiritual and religious values of its members. A number of religious leaders and activists created the groups. 

In 2011 U.S.A., a national mass gathering took place at Judson Memorial Church in NYC. Representatives belonged to diversified religious and spiritual communities. 

34.  Occupy Movement

Exactly what I was telling you before! This global socio-political movement garnered the attention of the masses due to its ability to resist economic and social inequalities. 

The primary goal was to advance social as well as fiscal justice along with multiple forms of democracy. Various scopes were present in the movement, making it immensely remarkable in the world’s history. 

The Dissent Magazine stated,

“It was in the context of the California student movement that the slogan ‘Occupy Everything, Demand Nothing’ first emerged…”

35.  One Love

Just like the LGBTQ+ movement, this socially peaceful movement laid down its focus on anti-racism, anti-discrimination, and, of course, LGBT rights. 

It began in 2020, mainly in Europe, but the effect was internationally visible. The root cause of its emergence was the 2020 football season, where Dutch football showed a classic example of racism. 

The campaign slowly spread to video media and print advertising and came to light as the OneLove campaign.

36.  Owing The Libs

A few conservatives in the U.S.A. started a political strategy that aimed at upsetting some American liberals. 

Several phrases like “melting snowflakes” and “triggering the libs” mostly referred to the strategy. The term came into existence by powerful politicians like Nikki Haley, who boosted its prominence in 2018. 

37.  P.A.I.N

The Prescription Addiction Intervention Now movement was basically an advocacy organization and a child formation by Nan Goldin. 

P.A.I.N. was formed as a response to opioid crises, precisely making the Sackler family the primary target for manufacturing. 

They also promoted and distributed Oxycontin drug in their Pharma industry Purdue Pharma LP. 

38.  Parental rights movement

The checklist of social movements also contains a social reformation where parents made certain demands. 

Parents all across the US, as well as Canada, demanded that schools and educational institutions should impart knowledge on sensitive topics like sexuality or gender without their consent. 

The movement was eventually a success because a topic as sensitive as student awareness has nothing to take care of. 

39.  People Power, Our Power

Uganda saw a massive pressure group meant just for resistance, which was named The People Power, Our Power movement. Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu was the leader, and he was also as popular as Bobi Wine. 

The movement aimed to unite most Ugandans on complex discussions like ending abuse of human rights or corruption. 

It was 2017 when the movement eventually came into being. Social influencer and singer Robert Ssentamu proclaimed his only candidacy for the Ugandan parliament’s East Seat. 

40.  People’s Embrace

Formed in May 2021, People’s Embrace is a group of people who support personnel defection from the Myanmar Police Force. 

A few military personnel established the network in 2021 to help defectors by arranging social services such as safe passage and accommodation. 

In January 2023, more than 7,000 police officers and 3,000 soldiers were defected. All these years, the Burmese military remained immensely cohesive. 

41.  Planka.Nu

Who loves taxes? The answer is nobody. When Sweden imposed too many taxes on insurance, a group of organizations was discovered, later named Planka. Nu. 

It was formed in 2001 to address the high cost of tickets in Stockholm’s public transport system. People belonging to the Swedish Anarcho-syndicalist Youth Federation mainly formed this group. 

42.  Quebracho

The Quebracho movement was basically an Argentinian group that was considered Bolivarian. The movement was officially called Movimiento Patriótico Revolucionario Quebracho.

As per their personal publications, the group of Quebracho defined it as organizations that resist social and natural liberation for their own nation. 

Last but not least, Quebracho promoted private property abolition and ultimately aimed at poverty reduction. 

43.  Restore the Fourth

The 42nd on our list goes back to the nonprofit organization of the U.S.A. that aimed to strengthen the Fourth Amendment Constitution. 

Restore, the fourth protest was formed in 2013’s June but came into power in late 2014. It belonged to the 501 © (4) nonprofit industry. 

From 2013’s November to 2014’s April, there was a massive turnover in the formation right before it relaunched. 

44.  Right-to-life Movement

This movement, or rather a pro-life revolution, opposed euthanasia, abortion, and even assisted suicide on a moral basis. It had a close resemblance to anti-euthanasia and anti-abortion revolutions. 

Both “pro-life” and “right-to-life” are terms used interchangeably, and the group collaborated with other life-support organizations. 

Altogether, the movement was successful as it achieved its goal to save as many lives as possible.

45.  Samaikyandhra Protest

The Samaikyandhra movement was India-based and aimed to preserve the unity of Andhra Pradesh, the state. The movement focuses on preventing the state’s division with Telangana. 

It all began when Lagadapati Rajagopal sat on a hunger strike and proclaimed the unity of the state. Later, the movement took a massive turn, and residents of Andhra Pradesh began rallying on a much larger scale. 

46.  ShoutYour Abortion 

There have been many social reforms in the world to end the stigma or cruelty in society. #ShoutYourAbortion was another social media campaign that made a lot of people pay attention to social causes.

It asked people to share their online experiences of abortion without the feeling of regret or shame. The goal was to tarnish destigmatization as well as normalizing abortion. 

Many people all across the world shared their abortion stories and used the hashtag simultaneously.

47.  Spasime Protest 

This 2019 social protest took place in Croatia to fight back against domestic examples. It bears some resemblance to the MeToo movement. 

The first glimpse of #Spasime was visible on Facebook in March 2019. In just 2 weeks, more than 47,000 supporters joined the cause online. 

Later, on 16 March 2019, the protest, along with many Croats, was organized. Andrej Plenkovic, then Prime Minister of Croatia, took part in one demonstration, stating, “I am here.”

48.  Speaking Out

Another movement that rose against physical, sexual, and emotional abuse was named the Speaking Out Protest. It actually became a part of the wrestling sector, where individuals made their allegations public. 

Independent wrestler David Starr had been accused by his ex-girlfriend of sexual assault. It took place in June 2020, but Starr eventually denied the allegations. 

Right after this allegation, many wrestling promotions took off Starr’s title, eventually firing him. 

49.  TTIP Movement

TTIP, or the Taking the Initiative Party protest, was founded in 2016 as a British political party. It eventually emerged out of the Black Lives Matter protest. 

Charles Gordon formed it, and its headquarters are in Sydenham. Sasha Jonshon was one of the prominent names who named it the first political party led by blacks in the U.K.

Further, the movement made its electoral entry in 2021 in local elections of the United Kingdom. 

50.  Tea Party Protest

Remember how we talked about the Coffee Party movement? The Tea Party movement was the parent protest within the Republican Party. 

The movement had participants who called out low taxes and aimed at reducing the federal budget and national debt deficit. 

Furthermore, the movement also supported the principles of small government. Later, it acted reversely for the Affordable Care Act.

51.  You Know Me 

You Know Me was a movement similar to Shout Your Abortion, which was developed in 2019. It mainly advocated the rights of abortion in the U.S.A. 

Amanda Palmer, the famous singer, released an album, “Voicemail for Jill,” which opposed abortion. 

It must be safe to say that the movement was quite successful as it passed anti-abortion laws in Ohio, Georgia as well as Alabama. 

Final Words

Social movements have always remained a part of the society. As long as there are discrepancies within society, movements will take place to resolve them. 

With this, here comes an end to this comprehensive guide. Do not forget to share your comments, and keep following us for more.

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