Why some women don't identify with feminism

[happysmiley]

I aaw on another tread someone saying that the more they thought about it, the more they thought they weren't a feminist. Someone else on a different thread said that the Feminism topic has a "reputation" elsewhere. I know that if I were to ask most of my female friends if they were feminists, I'd probably just get a puzzled look, maybe a reluctant "yes" but not much enthusiasm.

So why is this? Why don't women identify with feminism?

And what can we do to get women on board? Because if women aren't willing to sign up, men hardly will.

Amber I'd alreadyr esponded to that I think you will find

All women are feminists by default. With the possible exception of certain members of the BDSM community and other fringe groups (taken in hand, for example).

A rose by any other name

Hang on

So you can take any quote by any woman ever, and if it's wrong or you disagree you can say 'this is why feminism doesn't get taken seriously' EVEN IF that woman isn't a feminist? Because 'all women are feminists by default"?

That is the most fucking stupid argument I have ever heard.

TS - I don't know. possibly certain porn + the idea that women must be available + control + the male in question being disturbed and inadequate + possibly a higher percentage of males than females who have it in them to rape (or maybe the percentage of people who have it in them is the same, but those who are able / willing to act on it is what is different. I don't know) + - although I am sure I will be corrected for this - physical strength and the anatomical situation lends itself more to male raping than to female raping. I would say it is easier for a male to force his erect penis into a woman than it is for a woman to force a man to get an erection and then force herself upon it.

Or perhaps I'm talking bollocks. I don't know. Just my thoughts.

Dittany, that's ironic considering what you did with Custardos comment about the suffragettes.

Clarissmo that post was not visible when I posted above - and I dissagree with your definition of rape.

dittany - I'm not ignoring them. Sorry, for being thick but I don't understand where I gave the impression I was ignoring them. (Genuinely, in case that reads sarky!)

Clarissimo, let me get this straight

You are saying that all rapists are men SOLELY because rape is only penile penetration in vagina, and therefore biology dictates that? And there is therefore no deeper, systemic reason?

I...ok, I'm going to go away and think about how best to tackle this one. Starting with the most reasonable way to say 'I suggest you do some research before spouting this all over the internet'.

I@m not arguing with you

This is the problem

I am trying to point out how some people react and how they feel when confronted by it all

You know why women don't like feminism? Because feminists say things like Let Them Eat Cake and chop people's heads off. How can I possibly associate with that?

Feminism goes further than politics - it goes to the heart of the human race itself.

Also, feminists have bad hairdos and close the mines down. So I can't be a feminist!

This is fun! The feminist by default argument, I mean.

I hadn't come across any other definition that doesn't make me evfil

But as my own explanation of that is clearly not wanted then I will go.

"Clarissimo, let me get this straight

You are saying that all rapists are men SOLELY because rape is only penile penetration in vagina, and therefore biology dictates that? And there is therefore no deeper, systemic reason?

I...ok, I'm going to go away and think about how best to tackle this one. Starting with the most reasonable way to say 'I suggest you do some research before spouting this all over the internet'. "

while this was going on by coincidence I was trying to find a thread I had read where one bit I remembered was Dittany saying women can;t rape

Odd coincidence

I'm serious - you show me a woman who does not believe that she is the equal of man, desreves equal pay, education etc. I have never met one.

People may shy away from the term "feminism" due to the negative crud which the media has tarred it with, that and the way some women think that they can dictate what it means, but it doesn't mean that they don't sign up to it's basic ideals.

In what way a coincidence bronze?

I am not claiming to be an expert but I have been trying to learn from these threads- I am a campaigner by nature although mainly in the field of disability rights as I have disabled children

I amde a mistake and tried to explain that and was jumoped upon so have now taken feminism out of threads I can see as clearly my presence offends people rather than makes them want to enage and explain

I can't learn from that
and just end up feeling negative about myself which is pointless.

STFU?

I don't know that one.

Didn't rape used to be defined as the forcible insertion of penis into vagina?

I think there is some terminology confusion going on here, rather than people actually disagreeing with each other, isn't there?

The definition of rape was widened to include anal penetration and penetration with objects more recently I thought.