2. Feminism is a Belief
Definition of Feminism-- It is an awareness of
women’s:
Oppression
Subordination
Marginalization
Discrimination.
Exploitation in society e.g. family, work…
Conscious action by women & men to change
3. Feminism may be understood
as:
Feminism is a belief that women universally
face some form of oppression or exploitation.
Feminism is a social movement to change the
position of women.
Feminism is a commitment to uncover &
understand the causes of oppression & it also
commits to work individually & collectively to
end authoritarianism.
4. Continued---------------
Feminism is a politics- directed at changing existing
power relations & subject positions between women
& men in society. Power relations include e.g.
family, education, welfare, employment, politics,
legislation, culture, religion etc.
Feminism is a theory- system of concepts, analysis
& proposals that describe & explain women’s
situations & experiences & support
recommendations about how to improve them.
5. Feminist is a person who:-
Holds that women suffer discrimination.
Advance women’s interests.
Advocacy of the claims of women.
Support that women have specific needs which
remain neglected.
Support need of radical change in the social,
economic, political & legal orders.
6. Continued---------------
So a feminist is any one
who recognizes the
existence of discrimination
on the basis of gender
(sexes) , male dominance
& patriarchy & who takes
some action against it.
7. Continued---------------
Feminists are those who dare to break the
conspiracy of silence about the oppressive,
unequal relationship between men and women,
and who want to change it ( Encyclopedia of
Feminism 1987).
Whether eastern or western, basically all
feminist pursuits are aimed at acquiring rights
for women from the society to which they
belong.
8. Contours of Feminism
No specific abstract definition.
No single theoretical
framework/conceptualization.
Is flexible.
Is Fluid.
It changes with history, cultural realities & levels
of consciousness.
It varies from country to country & within a
country there can be various concepts based on
class, education, ethnicity etc
Feminism of 1970’s is different from that of
1980’s and 2011….
9. Agenda Of Feminism
It has many dimensions including:
Analysis of gender roles.
Patriarchy.
Class struggle.
National liberation.
Poverty & Development.
Dowry killing.
Violence against women.
Religious exploitation.
………………………………………
10. KINDS OF FEMINISM
GENDER REFORM FEMINISMS
The feminisms of the 1960s and 1970s were the
beginning of the second wave of feminism. They
are liberal feminism, Marxist and socialist
feminisms, and development feminism.
Their roots were, respectively, 18th and 19th
century liberal political philosophy that developed
the idea of individual rights,
Marx's 19th century critique of capitalism and his
concept of class consciousness,
and 20th century anti-colonial politics and ideas of
national development.
11. Liberal Feminism
Lens of gender and gender equality
Emphasis on traditional understanding of human nature
and personhood: rationality, individual autonomy, self-
fulfillment (characteristics possessed by all).
Sex and gender neutral; all human beings possess a
common nature.
A just society is a society that allows individuals to
exercise their freedom and fulfill themselves.
Emphasis on equality of opportunity: all persons deserve
an equal chance to develop their rational and moral
capacities so that they can achieve personhood.
12. Liberal Feminism Continued------
Because society has the false belief that women are
by nature less intellectually and physically capable
than men it excludes women from many opportunities
and the true potential of women goes unfulfilled.
Liberal feminists argue that women share the same
rational human nature men do and so should be
given the same educational opportunities and civil
rights as men are given.
13. Liberal Feminism Continued-----
-
The goal of women’s liberation is freeing women from
oppressive gender roles: sexual and gender equality.
Liberal feminism led to advances in the economic
sphere, in equality of opportunity and in civil rights.
The main problem of liberal feminism is its tendency to
accept male values as universal values. All women
should want to become like men, to aspire to
masculine values. Liberal feminism often did not
include an analysis of class or sexuality (the
sex/gender system).
14. Radical feminism
It is an offshoot of moderate feminism. The radical
feminist believes that the women’s subjection is due to
sexual aggression by men.
Male supremacy is the oldest, the most basic form of
domination, all other forms of exploitation and
oppression. (Racism, Capitalism, Imperialism, etc) are
extension of male supremacy.
Radical feminist also argued that the History of the world
was not the struggle of the classes but it was a struggle
between men and women.
15. Radical feminism Continues----
For radical feminist – The roots of subordination lies
in the biological family.
Radical feminist main plea is not only the removal of
sex distinctions but the removal of men in their life –
sexual preferences, control over one’s body, free
sex experience and collective child care are some of
the action programs outlined by the radical feminist.
16. Radical feminism Continues----
The radical feminist argue that women have
always been economically exploited for them
marriage turns to be a contract where by sex
and service (house work) are provided by
women to men in return for support.
The same thing happened in the feudal society
where the lord provided security to the slaves in
return for their services. Women and slaves are
equivalent due to sexual politics.
17. Radical feminism Continues----
Similarly virginity is held important and essential for the
female only.
When a woman marries the custom requires her to
change the title from “miss” to “mrs’. All this she has to
do in order to proclaim her belonging to a man – which
implies that she has no independent existence of her
own.
Her income is regarded as part of husband’s income.
Moreover when both partners earn it is a wife who is
expected to take care of the domestic work such as
cooking and housekeeping.
18. Radical feminism Continues----
In the west the radical feminism adopted novel protest
methods to draw the attention of the male oppressors.
In the 1970 an army of women marched through the
New York streets and placed what they thought
“freedom trash cans” at important points. In this they
threw their cosmetics and false eyelashes.
Through this they wanted to show that women cannot be
considered as sex objects. They also shouted slogans
“marriage if legalized rape”.
19. Radical feminism Continues----
Among the radical feminist the very aggressive group
formed societies whose chief aim was not only liberation
of women but also the annihilation of men.
Valarie Solanas (April 9, 1936 – April 25, 1988) was given 3
years imprisonment for shooting men. She also started a
society called SCUM (Society for Cutting Up Men).
Another such society was called WITCH (Women’s
International Terrorist Conspiracy from Hell). In UK the
feminist picketed the Miss World contest and carried
banners displaying – “miss used, “miss conception” and
“miss guided”.
Man being the enemy of the radical feminist, they stood
to put an end to the subordination and they seem to be
20. Socialist or Marxist Feminism
Root cause of the lower status of women lies
in the family.
The family is the result of the private property
in the means of production therefore complete
equality of women is possible when private
property in the means of production is
abolished.
The concept of private property brought a
basic change in the family.
21. Socialist or Marxist Feminism
Continues---
In a capitalist society, family relations are reduced to
more money relations. Karl Marx observed that by
abolishing private means of production the family
system will be abolished this is the only way in which the
status of women can be raised.
Feminist within the socialist fold have been struggling to
come to grips with the reality of gender oppression in
society.
According to socialist view power is derived from sex
and class and this is manifested materially and
ideologically in patriarchy and class relations. The major
task is to discover the interdependence of class and
patriarchy.
22. Socialist or Marxist Feminism
Continues---
It would be necessary to organize struggle
simultaneously against capitalism and
patriarchy.
Patriarchal system cannot vanish by nearly
abolishing private property.
A struggle against patriarchal is a struggle
against the present structure of the family
system dominated by men.
The liberation of women would not be complete
without a change in the patriarchal social
system and all the social values that go with
23. Socialist or Marxist Feminism
Continues---
The socialist feminist have also raised the whole
debate of domestic work. They argue that women’s
oppression is based on unpaid house work.
Child bearing, child care and house work are material
activities resulting in products.
Like radical feminist the socialist feminist are not anti-
man. But they believe in collaborating with men if the
latter support their cause.
“Feminism has never been about getting a job for one
woman. It's about making life more fair for women
everywhere. It's not about a piece of the existing
pie; there are too many of us for that. It's about
baking a new pie.”
― Gloria Steinem
24. Development Feminism
Emphasis on universal human rights
Pressure for the education of girls,
Maternity and child health care,
Economic resources for women who contribute heavily
to the support of their families.
marital rights and sexual autonomy,
Confronts traditional cultural values and practices that
give men power over their daughters and wives.
