What differentiated the first and second waves of feminism? The first wave worked to overturn restrictions on voting rights, while the second wave worked to overturn restrictions on property. The first wave argued for equal opportunities and pay, while the second wave worked to overturn legal obstacles to equality. The first wave worked to secure wartime employment for women, while the second wave worked to secure peacetime employment. The first wave worked to overturn legal obstacles to equality, while the second wave argued for equal opportunities and pay