Last March was National Women’s Month for those of us here in the United States. This nation, and many others, have assigned specific months and days to recognize and celebrate women and women’s struggles. However, we believe one of the most integral parts of women’s struggles, feminism, is still poorly conceptualized, hardly understood, and actually weaponized around the world.
Despite the fact that it’s 2024, we are still lagging severely when it comes to understanding and talking about feminism. As human beings, there are huge strides we must take before we can say we, as a collective, know feminism.
Feminism is old. It’s been around for centuries at this point and some people still don’t know what it is. A very common, and incorrect, definition given to feminism is the belief that women and girls should be able to make choices for themselves.
But what happens when the ‘options’ they have to choose from are shrouded in misogyny? What happens when the woman or girl isn’t aware of how her choice will contribute to upholding the patriarchy? What happens when the woman purposefully ignores women of marginalized races?
Our position is that a big talk has to be had about feminism.
Feminism is a socio-political ideology and movement based in the understanding that humans deserve equity across gender lines. There are also many different kinds of feminism; womanism, intersectional, marxist, etc. though all of these are extremely similar when it comes to their praxis and end goals.
Where people begin to bump heads is before the definition is even finished. Some would argue that feminism is simply believing that women should have the right to vote and make their own choices. And while autonomy is important, an uninformed or ill-informed choice maker will do more damage to their community than good for themselves.
The concept of choice feminism, sometimes also called White Feminism depending on the audience, is rooted in individualism. Feminism is a movement that requires unity and individualism is the polar opposite of that.
Individualism is what it sounds like, an ideology that insists that humans are better off as individuals, worrying solely about their own wellbeing. This ideology creates a manner of thinking that is essentially antithetical to any movement that demands unity, be it feminism or socialism.
One of the biggest disgraces that’s come from false feminism is White Feminism. White Feminism is a false kind of feminism that may appear to champion issues such as climate justice and gender equality, but it doesn’t. White Feminism plays despicably well into the hand of individualism, it is incomplete without it.
Think of the ‘girl boss’ figures, these are prime examples of White Feminism. White Feminism operates by convincing its followers that women are free when they are CEOs and own stocks in oil. White Feminism’s solution to sexism and patriarchy is more capitalism.
You’d never catch a follower of White Feminist ideology speaking up for the land rights of Indigenous people and communities. Nor would you see them talking about how green vehicles come at the expense of Congolese people and their land.
With the individualism of White Feminim comes the disregard for racially marginalized women and our struggles. No matter how inclusive and feminist someone may say they are, those words fall flat when their version of feminism is rooted in catering to one kind of woman.
You can not claim to care about the climate and support apartheid states and war-mongering colonies that pollute Indigenous communities’ sacred waters and lands. You can not believe in gender equality and be silent about the exploitation of Congolese and West Papuan women.
The burden of these individualist ‘feminists’ disregard is laid the firmest upon Black and Indigenous women, worldwide. In this manner of ignoring and dismissing the plights of racially marginalized women, White Feminists destroy opportunities for solidarity.
Real feminism discusses the disproportionately high maternal death rate among Black mothers, it discusses the femicide rates in Central America and the Caribbean, it talks about the conditions that Gazan women are having to give birth in.
A ‘feminism’, like White Feminism, that lacks solidarity doesn’t acknowledge the plights of all women, such as women in the Global South, impoverished women, disabled women, etc. This lack of solidarity and understanding of how systems of oppression are connected is what makes it a false feminism.
False feminisms work to further exploit those who are already suffering the most under our current capitalist society.
Knowing true feminism from false feminism means strengthening all solidarity movements tomorrow. True feminism is an encompassing one, one of solidarity.
A true feminist understands how deeply interwoven patriarchy is with every other system of oppression, and thus knows that all issues are feminist issues.
