to think it's time to bin the word feminism

[whatnow123]

Good Morning Britain conducted two seperate polls. One asked the public if they identify as a feminist, 85% said no. The other asked if you believe in gender equality, 85% said yes.

Susanna Reid & Charlotte Hawkins, both feminists, stated they are the same thing. Clearly most people don't agree.

Regardless of the dictionary definition, the word "feminism" appears to be tainted. Does the word now do more harm than good by turning off both women and men from ideals we agree upon?

Yabu because you can believe in gender equality without being a feminist, but feminists can and should have a word to describe their movement.

I wonder if there was a different term, people would still have a problem with it?
Women standing together seems to be scary and distasteful to sections of society.

Thanks ontothenextstep what does FTFY mean though?

Surely that's only reflective of the show's internet-using demographic and not the views of the public in general? I never watch ITV and it's very rare amongst my peers to even have a TV licence.

So should feminism redefine itself? I found it interesting that at the womans march in America in 2017 pro life groups were banned or discouraged from taking part.

Have some strands of feminism become very narrow. Therefore excluding a lot of women.

Fruu - Its not a scientific poll. However, there a numerous polls that point to the same thing. Many women believe whole heartedly in equality between the sexes but not feminism.

I don't think the word Feminism should be binned but I do think that we should look at why it is turning off so many people.

'Feminist' replaced 'Womens Libber' and for exactly the same reason. Its irrelevant which work we use, it will end the same way.

If (the class of) men wanted (the class of) women to have equality and be treated with respect it would have happened by now.

One asked the public if they identify as a feminist, 85% said no. The other asked if you believe in gender equality, 85% said yes.

Is that how the questions were put? Is there an idea that the bar for being a feminist is quite high? Do people think they have to be politically active to 'count'?

I think if someone had asked me when I was twenty, I'd be worried that the next question was "so what feminist things have you done?" and then I'd have to agree I was a fraud.

I think whatever word is chosen, eventually it would suffer the same fate. Any label used to describe woman organizing to lobby for equality will be denigrated and vilified until it becomes tarnished. So the name is irrelevant imo.

What do you think it should be replaced by, OP?

I see where you are going with this OP but I agree with PP that it wouldn't matter what word was used, it's is being an active participant in a women's movement that is seen as a bad thing because so many men people derail the purpose of feminism and say we are a bunch of men hating harlots.

If (the class of) men wanted (the class of) women to have equality and be treated with respect it would have happened by now.

This. With bells on.

“If (the class of) men wanted (the class of) women to have equality and be treated with respect it would have happened by now.”

It could happen by next week if they wanted it too.

“ so many men people derail the purpose of feminism and say we are a bunch of men hating harlots“

It is people- lots of women do this too. Sadly, women benefit from the patriarchy too if they have particular ambitions and goals in life.....

I’m one of those uncomfortable about identifying as anything really.
I feel satungvim a feminist or I’m an environmentalist are overstating my actions. I have feminist beliefs and environmentalist beliefs but I’m not an activist and don’t protest or campaign so I feel nervous of calling myself an “ist”

Calling it feminism seems to exclude 50% of the population- the 50% that need to make the necessary changes for equality. It also makes it seem like a fight between the sexes.

Something non gendered would be better

I heard a talk to 6th formers by Jeanette Winterson in which she said that everyone who agreed with equal pay and equal rights was a feminist. However, girls in the audience said they associated the word with extreme views about how they should be behaving, what they should find offensive and a negative attitude to relationships between the sexes and men in general.

That was their perception of modern feminism and on some issues I found it difficult to argue with them. I saw it being about giving women choices and not criticising other women's choices, even if you disagreed with them. Calling other women misogynists and going on about the patriarchy seemed to be a major turn-off.

Absolutely. It's pretty meaningless these days. More specific terms for different factions within femenism would be more useful. I don't identify as femenist. Not because I don't agree that the sexes are equal on worth and should be treated accordingly. But because I don't agree with the way that a lot of femenists think that should be achieved.

I don't identify as a feminist because most general feminist movements ate still driven by the patriarchal society, so not in a women's benefit at all. I believe in equity not equality.

It’s not meaningless to me and the people I teach. It’s powerful. It connects us with the women who came before us. It gives us a sense of collective agency. I refuse to use another word because it makes people who don’t understand it feel uncomfortable.

I think knowing you're a feminist is something you come to in life, as people often mistakingly assume a feminist is "someone else" (for all the reasons mentioned above) - despite them agreeing with feminist principles when questioned.

So I can see that not every feminist would want to call themselves such - as this TV poll would seem to back up - but has the word actually become harmful to our cause? I'd be interested in whether or not people think it has and why.

“Not because I don't agree that the sexes are equal on worth and should be treated accordingly. But because I don't agree with the way that a lot of femenists think that should be achieved.”

Can you say more?

Being a feminist means believing in gender parity