White Feminism

Feminism: a word that carries different meanings to various people. Anti-feminist men and women will say that the root of feminism is disliking men. Feminist women are perceived by anti-feminists to be playing the victim, man-hating, and wanting more than men. To wrap it up in a simple sentence, feminism is about advocating for gender equality. 

White women started the feminist movement to have equality with white men. Consideration was not given to women of colour, members of the LGTBQ+ community, disabled women, the lower class, and immigrant women. The prime focus was white, middle-class, cisgender women. Imagine: for any woman to be considered deserving of the advancements made, they must fit the mold of white women described above. A piece of information that really solidified that feminism originally existed for white women (aka “white feminism”) was that white women received the right to vote in 1920 while Black women were given this right in 1965. A Google search of the feminist movement during the early 1900s will show an overwhelming number of pictures of white, middle-class women. We still see discrepancies between how WOC and white women today. For instance, many women have written articles about Beyonce not being a feminist because she “uses her body” to sell records or stayed with a man that has admitted to cheating on her. Yet, we see the same actions done by white women and they’re applauded for it. Headlines were made recently by Behati Prinsoloo and Ariel Fulmer who were cheated on by their spouses, Adam Levine and Ned Fulmer of Try Guys, respectively. Rather than being outright called anti-feminist, the two women were commended for their decision because they chose their children’s happiness over divorce/their own happiness. The point here is, unsurprisingly, a Black woman was labelled negatively for the same actions done by a white woman. Another ongoing example is the Kate Middleton vs. Megan Markle drama that was sparked by the news and public.  For instance, when Megan was pregnant, she was criticized by the media for touching her baby bump. People wrote she was faking her pregnancy or wanting attention by “cradling it.” Yet, when Kate was doing the same, she was labelled as “protective.”

Women of colour today are still expected to work harder and receive less compensation for their efforts when compared to white women. Let’s talk about pay discrepancy; A study conducted in 2021 revealed that white women get compensated 79 cents for every dollar made by their white, male counterparts. While that alone calls for concern, we can further break down how women of colour are paid compared to white women. For every dollar a white man makes, Native women earn $0.60, Hispanic women earn $0.57, and Black women earn $0.64 (GAO, 2022). Again, this is unsurprising. 

So the question stands: has feminism truly evolved today to be inclusive of all women? This is where intersectional feminism comes in. In 1989, intersectional feminism was introduced by Kimberlé Crenshaw, a Black civil rights activist and an American law professor at UCLA and Columbia University. Intersection means understanding that a person has multiple identities and how those identities may disadvantage or benefit them. We all have more than one identity. For example, I identify myself as a South Asian woman who is cisgender, straight, able-bodied, belongs to the middle class, and has a college degree. The different categories I belong to are ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical health/ability, class, and education. These are parts of my identity that give me a label and dictate how I’m treated in society. We have multiple intersectional identities that determine the extent to which we are marginalized. Intersectional feminism recognizes that some groups or identities women belong to are at greater risk for inequality. It understands that while there is an underlying commonality in our issues, each woman has their unique experiences with discrimination. For instance, women who are disabled, belong to the LGBTQ+ community, women in rural areas, and young girls experience higher rates of gender violence. Furthermore, we have systems built that support or turn a blind eye toward the oppression of Black and Native women. Because we all have different backgrounds, there is no “one-fit-all” approach when it comes to addressing gender inequality. Intersectional feminism gives space to hear all women and centers those that experience overlapping forms of discrimination. To be an intersectional feminist means to look beyond yourself and use your voice to advocate for inclusivity and equality for all women.  

References

GAO. (2022, December 15). Women in the Workforce: The Gender Pay Gap Is Greater for Certain Racial and Ethnic Groups and Varies by Education Level. Retrieved from https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-23-106041.pdf