What is a "feminist" issue?

[tabouleh]

I've seen some questioning on this board and elsewhere on MN about what constitutes a "feminist" issue?

With my trusty Feminism: Beginner's Guide at my side (paraphrasing from it) I will open the debate:

The most common and perhaps most general understanding of feminism it that it's about equal rights for women.

But it's more than that: it's a critical project which looks at all aspects of life to identify elements which are oppressive and suggest alternatives.

Criticism = activity that seeks to understand and analyze.

A critical look at the world would look at language/laws/social roles/practices but a femininst look would examine especially what is being said about women:

• what social roles are they expected to take
• what are their liberties or privaledges compared to men

"Feminists glimpse the word though a different lens and what they see usually requires a response. Feminism, in other words, follows the critical project with action to bring about social change."

I'd add value placed on and responsibility for 'caring' roles

Violence against women, rape?

bugger, my post got lost.

i said feminist issues are those where womns interests are different to those of men. it was put in more detail than that.

I have a definition in my head of what a feminist issues are which is - how women as a group are treated within the patriarchal system.

I guess that means just about anything really so it's probably not very helpful!

Agree with everything mentioned here and think the value of traditionally (or biologically) female activities is a biggie.

I think the portrayal of women in popular culture is a pretty big issue too.

That book sounds good. Is it easy to understand? I need something to get me started as I don't understand half the posts on here.

Yes it's really good - very easy to understand. I sort of skimmed it when I got it but now use it as a reference if I can't work out what's going on!

The chapters are:

What is feminism?

Schools of feminist thought

Social,legal, and economic rights for women: the first wave.

Expanding the sphere of influence:the second wave.

Language, thought, and cultural production: the third wave

Postcolonial, transnational, and global feminists

Riding the waves through some feminist issues

I have today realised that driving a car is a feminist issue

how so? Sexist remarks/behaviour of male drivers?

Practically everything IMO.

Which doesn't mean that they aren't also other "ism" issues.

Am envisioning a fun challenge of how to have a conversation about anything from a feminist perspective.

Me too - although I have had an inkling that it might be for a while now.

Insidious creature the patriarchy isn't it?

Equal numbers at high level in government, ministerial departments, major institutions and publicly quoted companies. A total overhaul of family provision, including equal p/maternal rights, flexitime and childcare. Enforcement of laws regarding rape, assault and domestic violence. Enforcement of equal pay! Make single-sex memberships illegal.

All of these have been addressed in this country, but enactment is too slow, too patchy and half-hearted. There's a huge wall of passive resistance. I'm sorry to say I feel women ourselves, individually and together, are guilty of a collective "oh, why bother". Harman's equality report was brilliant, imo, but how many women have read what it says or are making any noise about following through?

My feelings about the sex industry are mixed, but out of line with this topic's founders.

Interesting post.

For me personally, the biggest feminist issue I have at present is childcare. Simply because I find myself in a situation that I would like to change and would be able to if I were a man and had a traditional SAHM wife.

I have come to realise that I am typical of a certain type of intelligent, educated woman who loves her children and enjoys being a mum but wants to carve out a career yet is constantly thwarted by the lack of flexible affordable childcare. And I want flexible childcare, not flexible working hours. That immediately cancels out a lot of interesting jobs.

Conversely, I think it's about time society acknowledged that the successful careers of many men have been built on the backs of their wives/girlfriends providing 'free' childcare. Men get to have children and a guilt-free career. That is still not the case for the majority of women. I would like women to have a true choice, as SAHM and WOHM have equal value yet they are constantly pitted against each other, either in terms of social value or just a financial one , in a way that simply doesn't apply to the vast majority of men. I think that many men would benefit from this change too, not to mention children, though there would undoubtedly be a huge politically-inspired-because-it-will-cost-a-fortune backlash against it first.

The other feminist issue I have is domestic abuse. Though again, this is something that, if tackled, would have huge benefits for society as large. I have spent the last few years really looking into this area and have realised that the knock-on effects of abuse affect society at every level, not just the victim concerned. I think a lot of anti-social crime and 'entitlement culture' would be banished if we really tackled abuse.

Right. Am off now to buy the Scholz book. Thanks tabouleh.

Shouldn't men have equal rights & expectations wrt childcare? If you both had the option of flexible hours - and this was normal - and everybody had a couple of hours off for PTA meetings, etc, would that not ease the SAHM/career dilemma?

Absolutely Grace. When childcare becomes a parental issue and not a feminist issue, the issue has been solved.

I know not all feminists hold this point of view but for me prostitution is a very big feminist issue.

I'd say this is:
"The Lonely Soldier" - Helen Benedict.
She says 30% (a third) of female US soldiers have been raped by fellow servicemen, 71% sexually assaulted and a staggering 90% sexually harassed. Four out of five cases go unreported.

I recall reading that a pair of British journalists were legally gagged after finding similar levels of atrocity within our Army, including at home & European bases. Can't provide a source, sorry.

why is driving a car a feminist issue?

Apparently by letting our husbands/partners drive home from the train station we are letting the side down IseeGraceAhead.

Oh. Thanks, Libra [tsk] [snort] [shrug]

This is the thread where it comes from

Ah I read that with equal amounts of irritation and amusement! I fail to see how putting other women down as wimps (or genderising irrational fears) contributes to the sum of respect for women. Oh, well ...

Well to me, on the most basic level, feminism is about the acknowledgment of worth. So anything that goes against that, to me, is a feminist issue - whether it's the lack of equal pay, society's attitude to rape, childcare etc.