In honor of Women’s History Month, our word of the month is feminism. According to Webster’s Dictionary, “Feminism is belief in and advocacy of political, economic, and social equality of the sexes expressed through organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests.”
It’s not a hard concept to understand, but feminism is one of our most misunderstood words.
Why?
The simple answer is many men and women feel threatened by the idea of equality. Most societies were formed around a division of labor and power. From hunter-gatherer societies, serfs and nobles, slaves and enslavers, caste systems, to the upper, middle, and lower classes, we like to know our place in society, especially if it gives us preferred status.
The physical differences between the sexes also contribute to our concept of equality. Can we be equal if we are not as strong or fast? If we are not physically equal, can we be intellectually equal? Queen Elizabeth (1533-1603) proved we can.
Suffragettes were feminists. They fought for the right to vote because they realized women would never have equal standing with men unless they had a say in government. Labeled radicals, Mary Wollstonecraft, Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, Alice Stone Blackwell, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Emmeline Pankhurst organized rallies and marches to garner support for laws to protect women from domestic violence and forced marriages, strengthen women’s rights to own property and maintain control of inherited property, and safer working conditions, in addition to the right to vote.
The idea of women being allowed to step in for their brothers, fathers, or husbands was not a new concept. In times of war, women were charged with “keeping the home fires burning.” They worked in the fields planting and tending crops, managed estates, made weapons and ammunition in factories, ran businesses, and nursed the sick or wounded.
The idea that a woman should be able to continue these activities if her male family member became incapacitated or died wasn’t widely accepted. Women were usually forced out by male relatives who claimed their right to inherit simply because they were men. In other instances, businesses and homes were sold. Women had little or no voice in the terms of the sale. Usually, the profits from the sale were managed by a male who controlled how they were dispensed. Women were given monthly or yearly allowances of their own money.
Since 1920 when women finally gained the right to vote, other rights and protections have come slowly.
During World War II, women joined the work force in record numbers to perform jobs left vacant by men serving in the military. Production and safety improved with a female workforce. Companies made record profits because they could pay women less than men. Yet, when the men returned home from war, women were fired and sent home. The women lucky enough to keep their jobs, were paid far less for performing the same work.
In 1949, Simone de Beauvoir wrote The Second Sex. She is credited with paving the way for modern feminism. Beauvoir exposed the patriarchy and social constructs women faced. Her book was banned by The Vatican and placed on the church’s list of forbidden texts. It was deemed pornography by many groups.
In 1963, Betty Friedan wrote The Feminine Mystique. Friedan is credited for sparking the second wave of feminism that started in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Friedan helped to establish the National Women’s Political Caucus and organized the Women’s Strike for Equality in 1970.
Gloria Steinem is often referred to as the “Mother of Feminism.” Steinem became active in the Women’s Liberation Movement in the ‘60s. She’s the co-founder of Ms. Magazine, Women’s Action Alliance, National Women’s Political Caucus, Women’s Media Center, and others. In 1993, she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. In 2013, she was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom,
Angela Davis has fought for women’s rights for over six decades. She is a trailblazing voice for women of color who were/are often relegated to the shadows in the fight for equality. Davis recently served as an honorary co-chair for the Women’s March on Washington in 2017.
Bell Hooks is an American author and human rights activist. In her book, Ain’t I a Woman? Black Women and Feminism and the Feminist Theory, Hooks defined feminism as “a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression.” The title of Hooks’ book is based on Sojourner Truth’s famous speech at the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention in Akron in 1851. Truth uttered the words, “Ain’t I a woman?” I have included a link to this inspirational speech, https://www.nps.gov/articles/sojourner-truth.htm#:~:text=Look%20at%20my%20arm!,bear%20the%20lash%20as%20well!
This popular version of her speech was published twelve years later in 1863 by Frances Gage. A month after her speech was given, Rev. Marius Robinson published a version of her speech in the Anti-Slavery Bugle. In this version, the phrase “Ain’t I a woman?” isn’t present. Were her words deliberately omitted by a man because they referenced equality of the sexes or equality among women of all races? Did Gage insert these words to further her own agenda? That’s for you to decide.
The poet and author, Audre Lorde, explored female identity, life as a Back lesbian, and issues affecting women in the United States during the height of the Civil Rights movement. Based on her “theory of difference,” (now known as intersectionality), Lorde asserted, “ It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate these differences.”
Those who oppose women’s rights are quick to label all feminists man haters, lesbians, or single-minded career women who choose career over family. Feminists are accused of wanting to take men’s spots in universities and their jobs – “they” (feminists) want to make men second class citizens. Conservative pundits have achieved lucrative careers espousing these ideas, and we have all suffered because the principles of feminism have been distorted to such an extent.
During my research for this article, I came across a list of male celebrities who support gender equality. Their answers to the question, “Do you consider yourself a feminist?” demonstrate how the word, feminism, has come to be interpreted. I’m posting the link for you, https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/27-famous-men-proud-to-be-feminists/
Their words give me hope. The accurate definition of the word, feminism, also gives me hope. Gender equality is not an “us or them” proposition. It is a logical conclusion.
Sources for this article:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feminism
https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/women-property-rights-history/
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/g4201/famous-feminists-throughout-history/
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/27-famous-men-proud-to-be-feminists/