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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Oxfam advert for a job - do you know your intersectional feminism?

40 replies

ChristinaXYZ · 14/07/2021 10:47

First thing they want to know is if you have knowledge of anti-racism, trans-inclusion and intersectional feminism. No mention of supporting gay men, lesbians (very important in some of the parts of the world they work in I would have thought), nor age discrimination (the very old and very young again I would imagine disproportionately suffer in the the regions where Oxfam are active), nor disability. Presumably they are also not too keen on supporting women who have no time for intersectional feminism. They also don't seem to be interested in supporting those who suffer for their beliefs when many conflicts are religious.

Oxfam are no longer a charity in any sense that I understand.

twitter.com/STILLTish/status/1415225572918239233

OP posts:
FlyPassed · 14/07/2021 11:04

Ffs. Also, up to £51k for a non-management role?!

InspiralCoalescenceRingdown · 14/07/2021 11:11

Voltaire said the Holy Roman Empire was neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire.

In the same vein, intersectional feminism is neither intersectional, nor feminism.

InspiralCoalescenceRingdown · 14/07/2021 11:13

I've just noticed. They said Diversity, Inclusion and Equality. Grin

TheRebelle · 14/07/2021 11:20

We walked past an Oxfam shop the other day and they had a couple of slogans next to their name, one was “empowering women” DH let out a loud snort and said I’m not sure I’d call what they do to women “empowering”.

Cerebelle · 14/07/2021 11:41

That's a high salary in charity terms for what looks like an ill defined role without much in the way of responsibilities. Those duties would usually be something done alongside another main role in the public sector.

Imnobody4 · 14/07/2021 11:44

Have just looked up the job info

• We need to dismantle the unequal power structures that exist everywhere, this including Oxfam and the wider development and charity sectors.
• We need an inclusive Oxfam where everyone can bring who they are to our work and feels celebrated for the differences they bring.
• We want and need everyone, and that means we need you.

Now do you think that includes Gender Critical or Radical Feminists.?

MrsOvertonsWindow · 14/07/2021 11:50

Interesting how much this focuses on the employee and their personal 'issues'. Nothing about their vulnerable clients and their needs (who some Oxfam employees have been sexually abusing for decades it appears). Of course, if they focused on that they'd have to do some very challenging self analysis as an organisation.

ChristinaXYZ · 14/07/2021 12:03

@MrsOvertonsWindow

Interesting how much this focuses on the employee and their personal 'issues'. Nothing about their vulnerable clients and their needs (who some Oxfam employees have been sexually abusing for decades it appears). Of course, if they focused on that they'd have to do some very challenging self analysis as an organisation.
That's exactly what I mean - where is their charitable purpose in all this? What about the characteristics of those they help?

And why is this not wider knowledge??? Why does any person still donate money, goods or time to them? Why aren't we (the public - I know we scream on here) screaming???

There are several Oxfam shops covered by our local paper but what's the chances of them publishing a letter even if I had the guts to write? People should know what they are donating to.

OP posts:
ChristinaXYZ · 14/07/2021 12:38

I've archived this ad from Oxfam's own site. archive.is/MDFeh

OP posts:
Ereshkigalangcleg · 14/07/2021 12:45

"Intersectional Feminism" when teenage girls are fully empowered by devastating humanitarian crises to self-actualise with their girl boss agency by becoming prostitutes for male Oxfam staff

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43112200

highame · 14/07/2021 13:12

so much wrong with the Charity sector. They may end up losing our cash if they don't wake up and get back to basics. If they had tackled a reasonable percentage of problems in the developing world, I might well have overlooked their stupidity but they haven't, so I wont

Keepemguessing · 14/07/2021 17:01

I work at a charity and wholeheartedly agree highame.

TrainedByCats · 14/07/2021 17:49

@highame

so much wrong with the Charity sector. They may end up losing our cash if they don't wake up and get back to basics. If they had tackled a reasonable percentage of problems in the developing world, I might well have overlooked their stupidity but they haven't, so I wont
I’ve made significant changes to where I donate money and it’s GC causes and local community charities now. I donate more overall because I think about it more carefully. I don’t think I’d ever go back to supporting large charities again.
MareofBeasttown · 14/07/2021 17:51

@Ereshkigalangcleg

"Intersectional Feminism" when teenage girls are fully empowered by devastating humanitarian crises to self-actualise with their girl boss agency by becoming prostitutes for male Oxfam staff

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43112200

So much this!
Freespeecher · 14/07/2021 18:19

I think Oxfam have forgotten who the majority of their (unpaid) volunteers and customers are, never mind the fact they need to get their overseas act together before they start lecturing their domestic audience.

(And how does such a big charity get banned from Haiti??? I suspect those in-theatre have some sort of belief system that enables them to dismiss those with safeguarding concerns as mere fuddy-duddies and stick-in-the-muds who just don't appreciate that [insert contorted and contrived self-justification here]).

AlfonsoTheMango · 14/07/2021 18:23

I will never ever again donate to Oxfam.

VladmirsPoutine · 14/07/2021 18:35

Since when did intersectional feminism become a bad thing? Apart from the ad itself. If we remove intersectionality you're basically left with white hetero non-disabled women. Which maybe appeals to most Mnetters but why is it in and of itself a bad thing? And again what is wrong with anti-racism? I've worked with many young WoC and many of them didn't consider themselves feminists. I found it quite disappointing at first but when you see threads like this and realise this is how 'feminists' think it totally makes sense.

Ereshkigalangcleg · 14/07/2021 18:42

Perhaps you should read my post Vladimir which is a comment on Oxfam's version of "intersectional feminism".

As we have discussed on other threads intersectionality is one part of feminism, not the be all and end all. It has its place and it has its flaws. Thinking intersectionality as generally interpreted is in some senses problematic for feminism is a valid position, and doesn't mean you don't care about racism, disabled rights etc.

But this thread is about Oxfam and their shabby record on women's rights.

Ereshkigalangcleg · 14/07/2021 18:44

And yes I am a feminist, rather than a "feminist", I centre the rights of women and girls globally, not popular academic theories.

Ereshkigalangcleg · 14/07/2021 18:45

And I'm not going to be preached to about feminism by Oxfam and their dodgy staff. Hope that's clear.

MareofBeasttown · 14/07/2021 18:47

@VladmirsPoutine

Since when did intersectional feminism become a bad thing? Apart from the ad itself. If we remove intersectionality you're basically left with white hetero non-disabled women. Which maybe appeals to most Mnetters but why is it in and of itself a bad thing? And again what is wrong with anti-racism? I've worked with many young WoC and many of them didn't consider themselves feminists. I found it quite disappointing at first but when you see threads like this and realise this is how 'feminists' think it totally makes sense.
I am a WoC. For various reasons too complex to go into, I was wary of Oxfam and other mega-charities even before this ad. They have a terrible record in my home country and for COVID relief, I donated to a number of other smaller charities.
DeRigueurMortis · 14/07/2021 18:54

@Ereshkigalangcleg

"Intersectional Feminism" when teenage girls are fully empowered by devastating humanitarian crises to self-actualise with their girl boss agency by becoming prostitutes for male Oxfam staff

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43112200

This.

GettingUntrapped · 14/07/2021 19:00

Just read the horrific Green Party thread, where a man who feels like a woman is literally silencing women.
This news about Oxfam is very similar. How many more organisations are captured like this? Must be loads.

InspiralCoalescenceRingdown · 14/07/2021 19:14

@VladmirsPoutine

Since when did intersectional feminism become a bad thing? Apart from the ad itself. If we remove intersectionality you're basically left with white hetero non-disabled women. Which maybe appeals to most Mnetters but why is it in and of itself a bad thing? And again what is wrong with anti-racism? I've worked with many young WoC and many of them didn't consider themselves feminists. I found it quite disappointing at first but when you see threads like this and realise this is how 'feminists' think it totally makes sense.
I'll disagree here - there were lesbian and black feminists before intersectionality. Obvious caveats about racism, etc., apply, but they were there.

Intersectionality - as in Crenshawe's tool of analysis - is great.

Unfortunately, when people say 'intersectional', they often actually mean 'Oppression Olympics'.

As a result, intersectional feminism is the sort of feminism that centers males.

Hence my Holy Roman Empire post.

InspiralCoalescenceRingdown · 14/07/2021 19:15

Sorry, I spelt Crenshaw's name wrong - only one e.