The F Word
By Nicole Mathewson
Regardless of what many people may think, feminism is not a dirty word. The dictionary [1] defines feminism as the belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes. Not all feminists are lesbians, (though there’s nothing wrong if they are) female Nazis, bitter or man-hating.
While early feminists focused on attaining the right to vote, modern feminists campaign on issues such as reproductive rights, which includes the right to safe and legal abortion, access to contraception and quality prenatal care. Protection from violence within relationships discrimination and rape are also a common issues, along with workplace rights such as equal pay and maternity leave. [2]
The term feminism itself is broad and many different forms of feminism exists, with even more variation amongst individual feminists. However what all feminists share is a belief in equality and the need for internationally recognised women’s rights.
Naomi Wolf, author of The Beauty Myth, suggested a cultural backlash against feminism used images of “beauty” to keep women “in their place”. How many people have believed (or still do) the idea that women are feminists only because they’re too ugly or undesirable to get a man? That popular concept originally showed up on the scene to describe the feminists who appeared in the 19th century. These were women who were lobbying for the right to vote. Since then society has attempted to punish women who seek more control over their lives.
“A century ago, normal female activity, especially the kind that would lead women into power, was classified as ugly and sick,” Wolf said. “If a woman read too much, her uterus would ‘atrophy.’ If she kept on reading, her reproductive system would collapse and, according to the medical commentary of the day, ‘we should have before us a repulsive and useless hybrid’.” [3]
Many believe discrimination against women still exists worldwide, but there is disagreement regarding what the problems actually are, how serious they are and how they can be confronted. Radical feminists such as Gloria Allred and Mary Daly argue on one side that human society would be better off with dramatically fewer men. In contrast feminists such as Christina Hoff Sommers or Camille Paglia, accuse the movement of being anti-male. [4]
When discussing feminism online, most people I talked to about what feminism meant to them believed there was equality between the sexes now - especially in developed countries – but there were still areas which could be worked on and certain rights which were sometimes abused.
One suggested issue was the perception of women in the media. “There is still an expectation in the media and advertising that women must be physically and sexually attractive in order to be valued,” said one male.
Another issue that was identified was the lack of safety and security many women felt.
“There’s small things like walking down the street at night, cars beep and men yell derogatory things at you because you’re a girl. Not feeling safe at night outside by yourself, you can’t even get into a taxi and feel safe anymore.”
The New Zealand NGO Women Experiencing Discrimination Report 2006 cited domestic violence as the fifth leading cause of death from injury for New Zealand women. The report also identified that half of all homicides involving women were committed by the woman’s partner or ex-partner, and that there was under-reporting of other forms of violence against women. [5]
When asked what feminism meant to her, one female I talked to imagined the feminists of the 70s– “burning bras, a shift in the status quo with regards to women and their place in the workforce, some of the most amazing art of the last few decades, and the original Suffragettes of the early 20th Century.” For her, feminism was about standing up for womanhood and all it entails without being over the top. “Embracing what sets us apart from men, but still having the right to do more ‘manly’ things.”
Debate occurs between feminists, who on one side believe there are important differences between the sexes and on the other believe there are no essential differences between the sexes and so the gender roles we see were simply made up by society. From the perspective of some strands of feminism inequality and stereotypes based on gender are detrimental to both men and women - and so both sexes suffer from the expectations of traditional gender roles. [6]
Many who support masculism (men’s rights) argue that because of both traditional gender roles and sexism infused into society by feminists, males are and have been oppressed. Men and Family rights groups oppose feminists such as Robin Morgan, the openly lesbian editor of Ms. Magazine, who advocated ‘man-hating’ as an honourable and viable political act and said the inequities between men and women cannot be resolved until marriage is destroyed. These groups are also critical of feminist encouragement of Lesbian agendas, undermining the traditional role of men in the family. Sheila Cronan controversially said to National NOW Times in 1988 that every woman must be willing to be identified as a lesbian to be fully feminist. [4]
Further criticisms of feminism include The Violence Against Women Act which is viewed as discriminatory by some men’s groups, and Father’s Rights advocates are critical of feminist efforts to block shared parenting after divorce. One male I talked to agreed that Fathers had a hard time compared to Mothers. “It had taken me thirteen weeks to get money out of WINZ when I applied to the DPB. My ex just went straight on it without a problem.”
Anarcha-feminist Sally Darity suggests feminism needs to be broader than just women’s issues and should focus instead on “gender oppression” as a whole.
“Anarcha-feminism means being against all oppression, domination, and authority, but focusing on gender oppression, not because it is most important, but because it affects so many of us and must be dealt with… Gender oppression includes patriarchy, sexism, homophobia, heterosexism, heteronormativity, transphobia, the gender binary, fatphobia and other body image issues, sexual violence, etc.” [7]
The feminist movement will continue to divide opinions and ideas, but one thing most people seem to agree on is that there should be equality amongst the sexes. Feminism is not something to be feared, or to be ashamed of. While there are a select few who believe feminism means hating men and making women more important, I’m sure most people agree with the idea of having equal rights and breaking down the boundaries created by culture and gender.
Learn More:
Read Feminism 101
- Contemporary UK Feminism
- Wikipedia’s article on Feminism
- Read more about the struggles of the suffragettes (women who lobbied to receive voting power)
- For a look at men’s issues
- What Kind of Feminist are you?
Take Action
- Explain to others what feminism really is and challenge the stereotypes.
- Stand up against organisations/companies/places/people etc who discriminate on the basis of gender.
- Take care to end bias based on gender in your own life.
References:
[1] www.dictionary.com
[2]en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminism
[3]homestar.org/bryannan/wolf.html
[4]en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminism#Modern_feminism
[5]www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0612/S00158.htm
[6]en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminism#Contemporary_criticisms_of_feminism
[7]www.anarcha.org/sallydarity/index.php
