Can someone please explain what feminism is?

[Grockle]

I know I should know Please don't flame me for asking.

I have looked through old threads and googled and it's all wordy. Can anyone please explain, in bullet points or some way for a sleep-deprived & unwell woman to understand, what exactly a feminist is.

Someone who believes that our society runs in a way that favours men and puts women at a disadvantage, and wants to change it.

Thank you.

So, things like the fact that men are still often paid more than women?

Yes that is one aspect. It tends to run deeper than that in that feminists recognise that society is set up around men's needs and for the benefit of men. So for example, not only are women paid less than men, the whole workplace is not designed for them as (generally) primary carers of children, or in fact designed around families in general. It is designed around men, men who don't do childcare.

"the whole workplace is not designed for them as (generally) primary carers of children, or in fact designed around families in general. It is designed around men, men who don't do childcare."

The big problem is that the idea that the primary carer of children should be the woman doesn't get challenged enough. The workplace is designed around people who don't do childcare - and that won't stop until we stop assuming that childcare is a woman's job. It's important to work on normalising that childcare is a shared responsibility. If that was achieved the idea of a work place being arranged around men's needs would hopefully fall by the wayside (well, I can dream..)

Funnily enough when talking about maternity leave and maternity rights in the office today it was a woman (childless, and relatively young) who expressed bewilderment why one would accrue holidays or be entitled to their contractual benefits while on mat leave.

Of course feminism used to be known as women's liberation i.e. freedom from the oppression of men. The root of that oppression being violence. So a major focus of feminism is to stop violence against women.

Ok. So does this extend to pensions? If a pension is based on years of service and women generally are the ones who take time out to care for children then women's pensions are going to be lower. Or is that fair because we were not 'working' & contributing?