I’m liking this response to “Women Against Feminism.” I think it does a good job of explaining why feminism should matter to all women, even women who think they couldn’t possibly benefit from it personally. When explained in this way, this article points out the selfishness in assuming that your own personal privilege should invalidate a worldwide movement. Here is the author’s take on feminism, which I rather like:
“Feminism is a movement for freedom, equality, choice, love, compassion, respect, solidarity, and education. We may argue, we may disagree, we may struggle to understand the choices and perspectives of others sometimes, but these core beliefs of the movement have never changed, and they never will.”
My major complaint is that this article engages in non-Western othering. It’s not only in India, Pakistan, and Niger where women are victimized. Those types of things happen in the U.S. and UK as well. Although they are perhaps publicized and dealt with differently after the fact, the root cause of such actions (misogyny) is not just a non-Western phenomenon. It affects men and women of all colors and creeds. This is incredibly important, because modern feminism is a movement that drives for freedom, equality, etc. for all people–not just certain kinds of women.
Erin Clark Frost 