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."