Is feminism dead - BBC R4 tonight

33 replies

Xanthangum · 20/06/2020 08:17

8pm this evening. Might be worth a listen?

"Journalist and author Ella Whelan asks if contemporary feminism has lost its way. Is it in fact... dead?

Maybe feminism used to be a dirty word, but now it’s on the lips of politicians, actors or almost any public figure male or female as a must-have badge of credibility. Ella doesn't use the label feminist to describe herself, but she still believes passionately that women’s freedom in all its potential has yet to be achieved.

In Girl Power RIP, she looks back over the battles women have fought for greater equality and pinpoints where she feels it went wrong. Weaving through the big wins and debates for women over the past 50 years - from abortion rights, contraception and equal pay to anti-porn, No More Page 3 and #metoo - she looks at where we are now and questions whether the current discussion around women’s rights and women’s freedom is helpful or even healthy.

Speaking with feminist journalist Julie Bindel, women’s activists Sophie Walker and Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, and academics Joanna Williams and Zoe Strimpel, Ella asks if feminism is still relevant or whether the fight for women's liberation has ended up spawning a culture of victimhood that's damaging women."

OP posts:

NotTerfNorCis · 20/06/2020 12:37

when you hear some feminists defending putting rapists in women's prisons you do have to ask the question

Or arguing against sending rapists to prison at all because that's 'carceral feminism'.

wellbehavedwomen · 20/06/2020 12:05

*its acceptance. Sorry!

wellbehavedwomen · 20/06/2020 12:04

People were asking that on the BBC when I was a teenager. It's not ever true unless and until women stop campaigning for women's rights.

The problem now is that it's been co-opted by a bunch of idiots, who have legit swallowed the idea that it's shameful for women to centre themselves in their own liberation movement, and that all true feminists worry about liberating other groups first.

It seems never to occur to them that 1) that's the most effective derail in history, and 2) that derail relies on women accepting the feminine stereotype of selfless service to others, to their own detriment.

No other liberation movement is shamed for prioritising the cause itself. It's acceptance by liberal feminism is sad testimony to just how deep internalised misogyny runs.

WhatAWonderfulDay · 20/06/2020 10:14

BBC needs to be invited to the next WPUK meeting.

Dead?? Lol. They're just looking in the wrong place.

OhHolyJesus · 20/06/2020 09:54

I'm not going to call myself a feminist anymore, should they be any doubt about who I centre in MY feminism, I shall call myself a women's campaigner.

I shall not align with women who call themselves feminist when they put men's feelings above/centred before women's rights.

Sharing this as it might be interesting for others. I think it needs its own thread!

victimfocusblog.com/2020/06/18/to-my-radical-feminist-sisters/

SerenityNowwwww · 20/06/2020 08:36

@zanahoria

when you hear some feminists defending putting rapists in women's prisons you do have to ask the question

Not feminists. I’m sure there is a word for it but it’s not feminism.

PaleBlueMoonlight · 20/06/2020 08:32

I heard her on triggernometry. I'd have to listen again to remember why I thought this, but I remember thinking that though I agreed with some of what she said, there was plenty that I didn't agree with and I found her lacking on the subject of feminism. I just can't remember why! I do remember that I came away from it feeling frustrated by her, as I did from an article by her I read recently in The Critic. Will be interested to listen though.

zanahoria · 20/06/2020 08:23

when you hear some feminists defending putting rapists in women's prisons you do have to ask the question

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