Although many people have come up with their own ideas and philosophies of what feminism is, the general idea, based on Oxford’s definition, is that feminism is the “advocacy of equality of the sexes and the establishment of the political, social, and economic rights of the female sex; the movement associated with this”.
With the perpetual change of this movement however, a variety of social groups have stemmed from feminism which may have played a role in creating some of the confusion…
The Weekender explores the topic.
This type of feminism came about in the 1960s and believed that equality of women should be achieved through legal means or social reform. In other words, women would fight for their rights with the assistance of the law.
This would include issues involving salaries, job opportunities and even better working conditions, as men were said to dominate the working environment, enabling them to become CEOs and managers, while women were forced to settle for lower positions despite their qualifications.
Liberal feminists also fight for equality in the household where men are expected to assist their partners in child care and maintenance, as well as take over domestic responsibilities. However, this movement was not common in many African households and probably still isn’t today.
Cultural feminism believes that women are ‘superior’ and labels the female essence as ‘crucial’ because without it, society would not amount to much.
Celebrating all that a woman stands for, cultural feminism claims that women are unique as the various biological processes they go through symbolise strength, such as menstruation and childbirth.
The ability for a woman to nurture children and uphold a household is also greatly admired and cherished, as culture puts emphasis on the roles women play in contrast to men who are more related to aggressive qualities.
However, the flaw of cultural feminism is that it pushes men down, instead of uplifting them by ‘diluting’ male characteristics.
Mainly highlighting oppression against women, radical feminism attempts to break down patriarchy, but tends to be more aggressive in comparison to other types of feminism.
Radical feminists believe the root of inequality between men and women are men, therefore they should be taken out of the equation completely.
Radical feminists believe that men are to blame for their lack of rights and privileges, such as promotion opportunities due to maternity leave (enabling men to prove themselves at the workplace in contrast to women who would be at home), and even the traditional home environment, where men should be the ‘providers’.
This is where separatist feminism comes in; women separate themselves completely from men. These women feel that men do not make any useful contribution to the feminist movement and in terms of any sexual relationships, separatists would favour lesbianism.
Socialist feminism argues that oppression is taken away from an economic point of view. For example, men are said to dominate higher business and cultural positions. Social feminism claims that capitalism is the root of oppression against women.
Women who support this type of feminism seek economical justice in order not to be exploited, the way the rich would exploit the poor in a capitalist environment. Linking with Marxism, social feminism denounces the oppressive structure in terms of classes and such, but back up women. Social feminism also tends to incorporate ideas from radical feminism, fighting against inequality for women. Despite this, they would aim to alleviate sexual discrimination, including injustice against race, class and economical status.
Starting off with its roots in America, black feminism links both sexism and racism. Because of the oppression African-Americans were forced to endure, Black feminism arose from this, claiming African-American women well-versed in feminist consciousness as their own. Black feminists fought against oppression against colour, class and sex, but this type of feminism had its flaws. Many claimed that they were being racist as well, by completely shutting out women of other colours and because it was an American movement, women from Africa, for example, could not entirely relate to it.
African women wanted to feel included in the feminism movement and Molara Ogundipe, a Nigerian scholar, activist and author, took it upon herself to create the term Stiwanism (social transformation including women in Africa) in 1994. Instead of conforming to the Western way of thinking, Stiwanism incorporates issues which relate to African women such as culture, colonialism, ethnicity, imperialism and how to reconstruct the patriarchal ideas included in these aspects. Literature still attempts to accurately define this movement.
