The Paradox of Feminism

Comment by A.V.Koshy on April 13, 2010 at 6:03pm

ning has caused evoke to lose face badly on several occasions

Comment by Shakwei Mbindyo on April 13, 2010 at 9:48pm

When we speak of feminism in the African context we look more at issues related to family law and the defination of marriage, wife (or wives) & children, issues to do with inheritance, land/property ownership, girl-child education & protection especially against early marriages, female genital mutilation, gender-based violence etc.. All very important issues which IMHO deserve urgent attention be it in the guise of feminism or humanism.

Comment by Jamie Ihaksi on April 13, 2010 at 11:37pm

Sarah, I like the passion that comes through in your writing !!

However, I think your passion makes your message more vague than it could be. For example, feminism is a loaded word, and there have been many more outcomes from that movement than slavery. Also, using words like "us" and "we" generalizes the fact that many individuals are probably aware of the fact that their occupations can become to control their lives, and that working towards something that makes them happy and fulfilled is better. And I think that most people in the world would say that they are not feminists, nor that their society was designed around feminism.

Feminism brings issues about gender inequality to the surface, and I think that is a good thing, however, if feminism is the cause of yours and many other people's enslavement as you seem to think, than I agree that a change is necessary. Perhaps if the feminist movement was more successful and woman actually made as much as men, than there would be less of the slavery you mention.

I would like to hear what you think humanism would accomplish, because I think that it also is a loaded word.

I like the paradigm in which people are ethically critical of every action they make every day. Is there a name for that paradigm?

Comment by Michele Baron on April 14, 2010 at 2:56am

One of my very wise friends questioned the current use of the word "empowerment," saying that its use implied that the receivors had no power--when, perhaps, they were only differently-powered. Maybe the "feminist revolution" isn't the problem, maybe views of humanism, or the lack thereof, might be. If we assume that all people have power--have rights to security of food, water, clean environments, basic human rights/freedoms, decent education, sustainability and a hope for happiness/flourishing, then everyone has a basic power. The question of empowerment might then leverage to access, efficaciousness of that power--or of obstacles to utilization of that power. That is not so much a male/female issue, as an issue of having basic necessities fulfilled, so that each person has the opportunity to develop the best of their abilities. A work environment, ideally, would embrace the concept of equal pay for equal work--but whether or not a woman or a man chose to work would be a separate consideration. That women in many nations toil unrecognized, unrewarded, unpaid, is a legacy which must be supplanted. That is not empowerment. The women already have found their power to work and sustain their families. True "empowerment" would be to start from a point of equality and then augment/enhance the qualities of life, the powers available, the access, the influence, comensurate with the effort--be it in technology, agriculture, arts, or other discipline, and be it by male, female, adult, child... Thank you for another interesting post

Comment by Michael Texeira on April 14, 2010 at 6:39am

Jamie...even if women made the same amount as men, inflation would just occur to match it. The reality is that the people who manipulate and control the value of money are quite keen to have everyone working and exhausted. It is much harder to stand up for yourself when you are exhausted after a day of work. If women started making twice what men make, I can guarantee a corresponding rise in the price of products generally or specifically used by women.

As far as I understand, the feminist revolution largely came about so that women who were not married, or not interested in marrying, could still get paying work and survive without support form a man. That's great. It is important, however, that we understand that the people who control money will continue to raise the cost of living to what people are making. They WANT to have ALL the money, and the best way to do that is to employ people (taking their time...which is infinitely more valuable than money), and then create the conditions whereby they can also take the money that was given in exchange for that time. I'm not saying its a conscious process necessarily. It is an inbuilt process of market capitalism, or any system which is dynamic enough to change as environments do, and which has the primary goal of profit. The profit system is threatening us all.

Comment by Canzonett on April 18, 2010 at 5:33pm

I actually admire my sister and brother-in-law for the way they share all housework (they are keeping a list to make sure it's distributed in a fair way) and taking care of their little son. But then, at least she is lucky enough to have a job that allows her to choose the times when she wants to work (and even work from home, sometimes). Not every woman is so lucky. I want to be able to do both. Be a good mother to my children and have a decently paid and interesting job that keeps challenging me creatively.

Comment by Ethan Walden on April 26, 2010 at 1:46am

You, Sarah,
are my new Hero.

Comment by Jeremy Laird Hogg on April 26, 2010 at 7:00pm

There's a lot of sketch feminism out there. But it's not all sketch. Nel Nodding's makes a great case for care ethics. But yeah, agreed that there is unclarity in the mainstream idea of feminism and women empowerment that hides certain unacceptable implications.

Comment by Sarah O.Connor Panamericana on May 4, 2010 at 9:37pm

Thank you Jeremy, I wasn't aware of the "sketch feminism" term,
It's down right backwards, not unclear, in my opinion.

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