“Women Against Feminism,” a social media movement for women who have issues with with modern feminism, is stirring up debate online.
The group, which describes itself on its Facebook page as “women’s voices against modern feminism and its toxic culture,” posts photos on social media of women holding signs stating why they don’t need or believe in feminism. As of today, they have over 10,000 Facebook “likes” in addition to thousands of Tumblr followers, and they have also been trending on Twitter.
However, “Women Against Feminism” has sparked outrage online from students, feminists and others who believe that the group is “woefully misinformed.”
“Call me overly optimistic, but I thought that the outdated image of a feminist as a bra-burning, rage-filled, hairy-legged, smelly, rude, oppressive misandrist had gone out the window years ago,” says Bustle writer Elizabeth Ballou. “Nowhere in the foundations of feminism is there an explicit message of hatred against men, or an indication that women are superior to men.”
Students are also voicing their concerns about the potentially negative consequences of this anti-feminist movement.
“Feminism is about equality,” says Juliana Rose, a senior at the University of Montana. “The majority of moderate feminists want equality, and that is it. These women [against feminism] are not only uniformed, but dangerously so. By decrying feminism they are abandoning women everywhere who still need it.”
Despite the heated backlash the group has received, the controversy has provoked a wider conversation online between feminists and non-feminists alike about feminism itself, what it really means and whether we still need it today.
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