By now you may be sick of the whole damn “is feminism relevant? Which side are you on?” argument, and just want to get on with your work. But it seems to have really struck a nerve on both sides of the fence; for those who don’t advocate for it and have started raising their voices, and for those who do call themselves feminist and are sick of the label being misunderstood and hijacked with misnomers.
In our opinion, there shouldn’t be any sides to pick from, because whether some women experience discrimination in the world or not, the fact is that it is a very real thing and many women are treated unequally on a daily basis in parts of the world.
We’ve seen the “why I need feminism” page go viral, and now the “women against feminism” page do the same. In light of all the controversy surrounding the movement (rather than focusing on the good things feminists are doing, such as fighting for equal rights in third world countries and the education of girls) Glamour Magazine decided to throw their ultra glossy hat in the ring and explain via photos of their own why feminism is not dead. They are using the hashtag #iDOneedfeminism and posted a bunch of photos on their website, including recent cover girl Olivia Wilde and columnist Rashida Jones, to show reason why many men and women still believe in it.
They called out some of the more ridiculous pictures that were posted on the WAF page, which had sayings about wanting to be a stay at home mom, liking being a domestic goddess in the kitchen etc etc. It’s statements like these that show how far removed form the actual meaning some people’s definition actually is. The dictionary definition is “the social political and economic equality of the sexes” and more than anything, it means having a choice to be whatever kind of woman you want to be and lead the life you choose.
Choosing to be a stay-at-home-mom is no less feminist than choosing to climb the corporate ladder. What women have been fighting for, for decades is that right to choose, not be forced by society into a particular role or sector based on gender. So guess what WAF-ers, we have more in common than you think! Feminists also like to stay at home, cook, clean, look after their husbands and families etc! Heck, Glamour magazine featured actress Olivia Wilde breastfeeding in their recent issue, and some praised it at the ultimate statement of modern feminism. A woman with a career, and a baby, and a choice!
It seems as if the page should be re-named “Woman Against Radicalism” or “Women against Discrimination” because the majority of feminists are not the ones going to be criticizing the choices they make.
“While some I Don’t Need Feminist-ers claim the fight for equal rights is over, I’d argue we’ve still got work to do. The U.S., shockingly, doesn’t even make it into the top 10 for gender-equal countries. (We’re ranked 23, based on economic opportunity, educational attainment, health, and political empowerment.)” says Emily Mahaney at Glamour.
And as for sexism which apparently doesn’t exist in some people’s minds, Glamour points out the most recent and most public example: Fox news expert Dr. Keith Ablow making fun of first lady Michelle Obama’s weight not once, but twice on the show, saying she is a bad role model and spokesperson for a fitness campaign. How do you explain this incident without using the words “discrimination”, “sexism”, or “body-shaming”? Dr. Keith Ablow’s comments were a disgusting display of misogyny and body discrimination at it’s finest. It’s a shame Fox News even allowed those comments to be aired, showing they have no real or intelligent comments to make about someone who is legitimately trying to do something positive in the lives of young people. The rest of the hosts during the segment made fun of Michelle Obama’s apparent snobbish tone of voice. Wow, good job guys! You really changed our minds and educated us on this topic.
Writer Hebe Bailey at The Galleon in the UK gives her thoughts on this issue, as it is fast gaining attention worldwide.
“The vision you have in your mind of a feminist world where women reign supreme over everything is a falsehood conjured up to scare you away from fighting back against oppressive systems…the negative connotations you have about feminism or equal rights movements are generally false,” she writes.
She goes on to dissect the argument that egalitarianism is better.
“The issue is that egalitarianism is only an ideal; and it is a flawed one because it seeks to ignore the social structures that distribute power unevenly. Ignoring a problem won’t make it go away. Trying to start a blank slate without taking any culpability for the past just isn’t going to work, and let’s face it; there isn’t actually a whole lot of activism happening under the label. We call ourselves feminists and not egalitarians because we want to effect actual change in the world.”
As for women who say they have equality and don’t need feminism, good for you! But just because you have it, doesn’t mean the movement shouldn’t exist and continue fighting for those who aren’t as fortunate as you.
“Inequality is still prevalent; there are still things like the glass ceiling, the pay gap, sexual harassment and assault, objectification in the media, and those are just a few of many examples that affect the UK. In other parts of the world women do not experience anywhere near the same rights as we do here, and governments do little to help them when they become the victims of genital mutilation, honor killing, acid attacks, and sex trafficking. Battles may be being won, but the war is far from over.”
Australian comedian Kitty Flanagan gave her funny but pointed thoughts on the Women Against Feminism movement on Channel 10’s ‘The Project’, saying there is a lot of confusion by some:
Feminism is still needed, and on an individual basis more than anything. Here are some of Glamour’s men and women stating their reasons for needing it and being outspoken advocates for it. Head over to their website to see the rest, and upload your picture to social media using the #iDOneedfeminism hashtag to join the party.
Actually they’re not misunderstanding feminism in the slightest. They’re seeing what you are unable to see as perhaps you’re too close to the problem to see it accurately or maybe you just can’t bear to face an unpleasant truth. But you’re not going to convince anyone worth convincing by simply pointing to the dictionary definition of feminism then folding your arms smugly like you just proved something. The problem is that there is an enormous gulf between the THEORY of what feminism is allegedly about (the dictionary definition) and the PRACTICE of what feminism really is and does in reality.
It is quite easy to demonstrate what I mean. You see, when your movement claims that it is simply fighting for equality with men, not special privileges above and beyond what men have, no silly, just equality, then your movement needs to explain why it still exists in the western world now that women have had all the same rights as men for quite some time now in addition to some female-specific special privileges on top of that which no man will ever have. Point me towards even ONE law in the U.S. for example which discriminates against women in favor of men. I hear crickets chirping. When you have already achieved all the same rights as men yet you still keep on playing the victim card to try to milk further gender-specific concessions out of society, guess what? You’re making it pretty damned obvious to anyone with more than 2 brain cells to rub together that equality isn’t nearly good enough for you, that you’re a female supremacist movement unconvincingly dressed up as one that’s “fighting for equality”. (For crying out loud, even the movement’s very NAME gives away its purpose. If it was fighting for equality it would be called egalitarianism or humanitarianism or something quite a bit less narrowly gender-specific.)
If feminism TRULY was about fighting for equality rather than being a one-sided gynocentric superiority movement then ask yourselves why it constantly pooh-poohs any problems or injustices that aren’t 100% exclusively about women. Ask yourself why it makes no effort at all to redress any of the imbalances that favor women over men.
For example, where is the feminist activity on the issue of women being sentenced to 60% less prison time for the same crimes as a man? Why isn’t feminism demanding that women be held to the same standard of adult responsibility as a man who committed the same crime? Why is your movement content with such an egregious disparity in sentencing? Oh yeah, because it is a disparity that favors women over men, whereas if the situation was reversed with men getting let off with 60% less prison time than a female you bet your ass it would be a feminist priority.
Why is feminism content to see 93% of workplace fatalities being male with only 7% being female? If feminism is about equality then why isn’t feminism working to try to convince more women to take these dangerous jobs so perhaps we could start to equalize this extremely one-sided workplace death ratio? Oh yeah, because feminism is perfectly content letting men do the dirty, heavy-lifting, dangerous and hard jobs that keep society going and letting women get the air-conditioned office jobs… then bitching about how a secretary answering phones all day in an air-conditioned office is a “victim of discrimination” for not getting paid as much as a man 500 feet in the air dangling off a skyscraper installing window glass though of course we know they will NEVER be THAT specific in their criticism because it would risk revealing the vapid, dumbed-down, apples-to-oranges nature of said criticism. Far better to just make some unsubstantiated claim about your mythical “gender-based discriminatory pay gap” that magically disappears as soon as one adjusts for personal career choices, education and childbirth.
Where is feminism’s activism about the issue of women getting awarded custody in about 90% of child custody cases? To the extent that the woman would have to just about be a practicing prostitute or a heroin addict in order for the man to be given custody. Funny but this doesn’t seem to make it onto feminists’ radar either, gosh I wonder why…
Why has feminism remained silent about the huge discrepancy in funding for male homeless shelters versus female homeless shelters? When the overwhelming majority of homeless people are men rather than women, why on earth should men’s shelters get short shrift compared to female shelters? This clearly isn’t an important issue for your imaginary “patriarchial” government which routinely ignores men’s issues in favor of women’s issues so why isn’t feminism, the movement you never tire of telling us is not gynocentric but all-inclusive, fighting for equality not female supremacy, doing a damned thing to bring this to society’s attention? You can bet any amount of money if the situation was reversed with the homeless population being mostly female it would be a crisis of Biblical proportions, worthy of the government declaring a “war on homelessness” to solve it. Why is the feminist movement just as disinterested in this matter as the government?
Why is feminism content with men still having to pay alimony in 2014? Aren’t you the same ladies who constantly tell us how women are just as good as men, just as capable and just as independent? Then why the hell should a man have the responsibility of paying for the upkeep and lifestyle of his former spouse on an indefinite basis? Why did this issue only make it onto feminists’ radar (in Florida) when the infinitesimally small amount of women paying alimony to THEIR former spouses inched up a tiny bit while still remaining a mouse fart compared to men’s alimony payments? Where is feminism’s indignation that these supposedly liberated, independent women are entitled to being supported by a man that isn’t even living with them any longer? Why don’t you see this as an enormous insult and indignation? Oh yeah, because I suppose the convenience of getting a monthly check in the mail assuages your little feelings of shame and dependency, right? So long as it works in women’s favor instead of men’s it’s perfectly OK with the feminist movement.
Where is feminism’s concern with the issue of men committing suicide at rates astronomically higher than women? You know if the numbers were reversed there would be a colossal shitstorm until we got the numbers of women killing themselves back down to acceptable levels but yet with the numbers being what they are this, unsurprisingly, isn’t an issue feminists will lift a finger to work on.
And I have yet to hear a single feminist push for women having to register for the draft. Why does a man have to register at age 18 or else he isn’t entitled to any of the benefits of society, can’t vote, can’t collect Social Security when he’s old etc. yet no woman has to register for the draft in order to enjoy any of that? Why are feminists content to let women avoid adult responsibilities that men can never avoid? Oh yeah, because it isn’t a movement about equality at all but rather female supremacy, the same reason why the KKK never pushes for anything aside from matters that affect white people. As despicable as they are at least they’re honest enough to not pretend to be fighting for racial equality.
Or what about the biggest double standard on the face of the earth? By this I mean the elective abortion/mandatory child support issue. Let’s say a woman gets pregnant accidentally, neither her nor her partner intended for it to happen. If the man wants to be a daddy to that unexpected kid but the woman doesn’t want any parts of it she’s going to go to the abortion clinic and get that unborn human dismembered and sucked out of her uterus without having broken a single law in the process. That man will now be the proud daddy to a bloody little pile of severed arms and legs. But if the situation is reversed and the woman wants to keep the baby but the dad doesn’t want any parts of being a daddy? Tough tittie, he’s on the hook for 18 years of child support payments for a kid he will never see. The law simply doesn’t allow him to act like an irresponsible piece of shit at least not without facing the penalty of jail time for his irresponsibility. The law holds that man to his responsibility, forces him to act like a grown adult and take responsibility for his actions. Whereas the law makes no effort whatsoever to force the woman to act like an adult and take responsibility for HER actions, no, instead it lets her dance away from the consequences of her actions without a care in the world. When the man’s irresponsibility results in the woman not getting a monthly check in the mail and that’s illegal yet the woman’s irresponsibility results in the death of another human being (the unborn human) and yet THAT is LEGAL?? Are you effing kidding me?? This has to be the most horrific double standard the world has ever seen, yet I guarantee you that if anyone was to start pushing for ending mandatory child support payments or tying the continuance of legal abortion to the ending of mandatory child support it would be the feminitwits who would be leading the charge to make sure things remain as one-sided as they are now. When the woman is allowed to act like a magical sparkly princess with no more responsibility than a child even though her irresponsibility and immaturity results in a human being’s death and the man isn’t even allowed to skip out on child support payments for a kid he never sees, clearly this abortion/child support situation can be called nothing less than overt female supremacy. Not equality between the sexes. Not egalitarianism. Overt, in-your-face female supremacy and nothing less. Funny but I haven’t heard of a single feminist anywhere pushing for an end to elective abortion. Feminism seems perfectly content to let this terrible double standard remain in place and any comment made about ending elective abortion is immediately met with a lecture about how it would somehow be “oppressing women” to hold them to the same standard of responsibility a man is held to, how it would be “chaining them to the stove” or ensuring they are “barefoot and pregnant” or whatever other feminist propaganda bullshit they can come up with. Because this is one of the many double standards that feminists embrace, those which favor women over men. Another reason why few people aside from feminists themselves take feminists seriously.
So you want to “prove” your movement really is about equality and not female supremacy and special gender-specific privileges? Great, come out against elective abortion. Demand that it be abolished, demand that women are held to the same standard of responsibility that a man is held to, demand that women receive no preferential treatment in the court system etc. etc. Basically it comes down to a realization that not everything in life is a right or a privilege, that there are some things in adult life that are called “responsibilities”. If feminism wasn’t all about milking society for more benefits, more gender-specific set-asides, more quotas, more gynocentric advantages and actually grew the hell up enough to see that there are such things as RESPONSIBILITIES as well then maybe more people would take feminism seriously. As it stands right now only about 23% of American women identify as feminists meaning no less than 77% of women wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole the movement that is supposed to be designed around their interests. That is a spectacular failure so amazing words can’t describe it. Perhaps women are getting tired of being constantly told they’re weak, helpless little victims who can’t do anything for themselves without a movement behind them to keep them pointed in the right direction and protected from this cruel world. I suspect your average woman is quite a bit stronger than that and doesn’t appreciate being talked down to. But whatever it is, your movement is dying and I say good riddance. Let it be replaced with something that doesn’t try to drive an unnecessary wedge between working class men and working class women. Let it be replaced with something far more mature, grown up, sensible and realistic. In other words let it be replaced with something that is GENUINELY about equal rights for the sexes.
Thank you so much for quoting me in this piece! 🙂
You quoted a university newspaper as if its the be all and end all of the UKs opinion…