To be a bit dismayed if 4 million women visit this site,why are there so few posts on the feminism threads?

[Scarletohello]

Ok so I know there are lots of lurkers but if there are really millions of women who go on MN, why are so many threads on the feminism section consisting of so few women? It doesn't make sense to me as so many issues that
women post about on many different topics are actually feminist issues when it comes down to it...

Perhaps because you're only allowed to past there if you subscribe to the feminism they approve of?

Or perhaps we come here because we have issues with our dc or need advise on a new iron/dress/husband??

Most of us don't have much time

I read and learn. I'm a little too intimidated to join in though!

I'm with gormless

Which is something I usually only say when I'm with my husband

Because I'm too,scared to post there to be honest.

Because we don't like the narrow focus? Almost everything is a feminist issue, why would I want to stick to one way of talking about it?

Plus if you dont agree with what the honchos say in the feminism section you get screamed down and belittled, on the few occasions I've tried.

There have been too many cases of people feeling savaged over there for asking questions or daring to have an opinion that is not in line so lots avoid it

Oh, I love FWR - I've learnt a lot.
I don't post much because I kinda lack the language but the boards have helped my articulate what I have felt in RL tbh.

I don't agree that it's scary there - v knowledgable and thoughtful posters.
There's lively debate just because feminism is not a one size fits all -ism IMO.

Agreed.

Far, far too intimidating for most people which is a shame.

It doesn't make sense to me as so many issues that women post about on many different topics are actually feminist issues when it comes down to it...

There's your answer then

Their issues fit in many other sections, so no need to keep to just one.

I seldom post, because a few posters get very worked up if you don't entirely agree with them. It gets quite tiring and boring, and doesn't change my mind.

For me because feminism shouldn't be in a separate section, it should be part of the conversation in every section. The relationships board advice is a brilliant example of practical feminism to me.

I read. I am a feminist. I don't feel my feminist theory is robust enough to join in, judging by some of the threads in there.

Agree, it's intimidating. I've come on here and got slated for saying the wrong thing or using the wrong phrase.

I'm sometimes tempted to hide the topic - as I suspect a lot of Mumsnetters do. But I'm a feminist so I won't hide it.

It can be a depressing and aggressive topic.

I'm not scared, I just don't always understand what's being discussed. I click on the thread and within about five posts I'm a bit lost. I just don't think I'm clever enough or well enough read.

I don't post there because I don't identify with feminists.

I agree with grockle I like the variety of AIBU and I don't want to view everything in life through it's feminist implications.

Some of it is feminist theory though, which is quite different from 'practical' feminism IMO (I am very badly read wrt feminism).

Still interesting though.
Live and learn.

I dislike the mentality that "feminism" is a niche interest that needs its own board personally.

Yes, I retreated rather quickly from a FWR thread recently before I got my fingers badly burned. I couldn't believe some of the vitriolic posts and the extremely strident viewpoints.

First & last time I post on there.

For me, it's generally because they obsess about stuff which doesn't really have anything to do with my life.

Like the whole Internet transgender thing which seems to consume online feminists with deep rage - but has no effect on my life or that of anyone I know.

Also, I've found threads here can easily be derailed if a random poster doesn't appear to come up to scratch - they'll be attacked or challenged by other posters and the original question/ subject will be lost. It's a shame.

I've spent years focusing on it in one capacity or another and I don't need to endlessly discuss or dissect anymore.

It is what it is and I will make my changes where I can and therefore make some small difference to the world and resultant societal shifts.

I'm not scared or intimidated. This is the internet...no-one's going to type me to death.

But the last time I looked in on that section (admittedly about 2 years ago), too many threads were dominated by people banging their own drum and turning everything into a feminist issue when sometimes it clearly wasn't.

Anyone who tried to argue the toss, would generally get berated and great big walls of text typed at them.

Or simply told to read (insert name of feminist book).

I can't understand what is written on many posts in FWR. There are abbreviations and references to theory that are not explained. It's a secret language all of its own. Which is fair enough, but that's why I don't post there. I've got more degrees than currently clean pants, and I realise I should look this stuff up, however I'm a single parent with a full-time, unpaid-research-heavy job and I don't have the time or mental energy to learn enough to be able to fathom what's being discussed and participate.