Feminism
“Many women, I think, resist feminism because it is an agony to be fully conscious of the brutal misogyny which permeates culture, society, and all personal relationships." - Andrea Dworkin, Our Blood: Prophecies and Discourses on Sexual Politics
Feminism in an Age of Misogyny: Why Are People Rejecting Women’s Rights?
From the suffragettes to radical 90’s manifestos, from MeToo to TikTok influencers, feminism has seen multiple different waves and definitions. Feminism is essential in our world today, so when fewer than 1 in 5 women call themselves feminists, we need to ask ourselves why this is happening and what went wrong.
The Definition of Feminism
The Britannica describes feminism as "the belief in social, economic, and political equality of the sexes." However, when 30% of Americans believe that the term feminism is outdated, and 45% say it is dividing women, rather than bringing them together – we need to rethink how feminism is seen by others. At its core, feminism is about equality. Women have always asked for the same rights as men, but as the years have gone on, and the gender-political landscape has become more and more confusing, there has been a need to create different labels within feminism. Many feminists, however, identify as ‘intersectional feminists’. This means fighting for all women, women of colour, transgender women, and working-class women, not putting them above men but giving them the same opportunities and rights as men have. This doesn’t seem radical at all, so why are so many young girls afraid of being called a feminist?
Perception in the Media
In a 2023 poll done by YouGov, when asked “Are you a feminist?”, 67% of British people said ‘no’ or ‘I don’t know’. However, when asked ‘Should men and women have equal rights and status in society and be treated equally in every way?’ 63% said ‘yes’. This shows that the actual word ‘feminism’ has negative connotations. With terms like ‘feminazi’ being thrown around, with any woman who believes in equal rights being called a man-hater – it’s easy to see why women wouldn’t want to be associated with this label.
Lawrence Fox interview on GBNews
Is Feminism Still Necessary Today?
Many think that feminism is no longer needed anymore, women have the vote and can work, surely we can stop fighting now? This is not the case. Live on GB News, presenter Laurence Fox made misogynistic comments about journalist Ava Evans and saw nothing wrong with it. “Show me a single self-respecting man that would like to climb into bed with that woman - ever, ever," Who'd want to shag that?". Police officers are being charged for crimes against women, people who are supposed to be protecting us have become the people we must fear. Our MPs are being investigated because of rape allegations. Women do not feel safe. Until we can walk home without looking over our shoulders, until all women are receiving the healthcare they need, until misogynistic crimes are treated with the same seriousness as other hate crimes – feminism is necessary.
Why We Need to Keep the Label Feminist Alive
Feminism is rich with history. Mary Wollstonecraft, one of the earliest recorded feminists, wrote a book called ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Women’ in the 18th century. She wrote about women in polite society and how this can turn women into ‘tyrants’ as they need the same freedom that men have, including how education is essential for women. First-wave feminism brought the suffragettes, the fight to win the vote for women. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony are legends within the suffragette movement after becoming the most prominent leaders in the 19th century. Simone De Beauvoir’s book ‘The Second Sex’ became gospel for second-wave feminism in the 20th century, outlining how women have always been seen as the ‘other’, advocating for female liberation. The #MeToo movement, started by Tarana Burke, created a community for people to open up about their experiences with rape culture and sexual assault. These are just a few examples of feminism throughout history, but these women are inspirational, and if they call themselves feminists – I want to be just like them.
Feminist Literature: 5 Books You Need to Read
Whether you are just starting out on your feminist journey or if you are a hardened feminist, feminist literature is a fantastic way of gaining knowledge and understanding of other’s experiences. This list will have both ends of this spectrum, highlighting my easier-to-read favourites and my more intense ones. Knowledge shouldn’t be intimidating, but often we are afraid of learning more as it threatens what we already think, I hope these books are as inspiring for you as they were for me.
1. Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates
Laura Bates is the founder of the Everyday Sexism Project and one of this century's leading feminist writers. Men Who Hate Women is the perfect mix of personal essays and information, explaining key terms such as pick-up artist and incel all while relaying first-hand experiences of sexism. Bates leans into modern sexism, exposing the world of online incel forums and outlining what we need to do to stop younger generations from carrying on this behaviour. This book is the perfect read for feminists who are looking to learn about today’s sexism and are looking to be educated in an easy-to-digest manner.
Favourite Quote: “A sense of belonging to a community that understands and supports the true victim, set against the hostility of wider, bigoted society, is a powerful radicalizing cocktail.”
2. In Control: Dangerous Relationships and How They End in Murder by Jane Monckton-Smith
Jane Monckton-Smith is a former police officer and a professor of public protection at the University of Gloucestershire. This book is about domestic violence, how we can recognise it and Monckton-Smith’s own encounters with dealing with domestic violence cases as a female police officer. She goes through the eight stages of the ‘homicide timeline’ and de-glamorises domestic violence, identifying the problematic romanticisation of ‘crimes of passion’. This book is intense and has made many readers realise that they are at different stages in the timeline or recognise those early behaviours in others. Monckton-Smith explains keywords and terminology which makes this book an easier read while also challenging readers to think about the parts of being a woman that are not enjoyable to talk about.
Favourite Quote: "Control is devious and deceptive, and these things are often invisible."
3. Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
This book is a strong and powerful read. It highlights multiple key points of feminism but in a more spiritual way. Estes is a poet and a psychoanalyst, and her book is definitely a commitment. This is not an easy read, but it is a necessity for all women who want to reconnect with their instinctual nature. This book was given to me by a very important woman in my life, and that is its point. To be shared and passed around for all to read. Estes combines Jungian psychology with genuine feminine emotion to share folklore, myths and stories. Some of the main points of the stories are that scars can be a badge of honour, your body deserves love, to look out for predators and that death is a key part of life.
Favourite Quote: “I hope you will go out and let stories, that is life, happen to you, and that you will work with these stories... water them with your blood and tears and your laughter till they bloom, till you yourself burst into bloom.”
4. Intercourse by Andrea Dworkin
Andrea Dworkin was a radical feminist writer whose writing criticised pornography and linked sex to violence against women. Dworkin was severely ahead of her time, becoming the spokesperson in the 80s for being anti-porn. Intercourse focuses on the raw idea that in our patriarchal society, sex is one of the ways women are made to be submissive to men. Dworkin says that women are the only group that shares a bed with their oppressors, and this book is the perfect explanation of this quote.
Favourite Quote: “Men often react to women’s words—speaking and writing—as if they were acts of violence; sometimes men react to women’s words with violence. So we lower our voices. Women whisper. Women apologize. Women shut up. Women trivialize what we know. Women shrink. Women pull back. Most women have experienced enough dominance from men—control, violence, insult, contempt—that no threat seems empty.”
5. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
Roxane Gay is a writer and professor; she has written multiple essay-styled books, addressing race, feminism and culture. Bad Feminist is the perfect example of how we are not perfect humans, but we are trying our best. Although we try to be the best feminists we can be, Gay outlines how not everything she does falls in line with mainstream feminism. Her writing is very accessible and very fun to read while helping readers accept their flaws through both sobering and hilarious stories. Gay is eloquent while being honest, something many feminist writers struggle with.
Favourite Quote: "I am a bad feminist. I would rather be a bad feminist than no feminist at all."
