Rather than work on that all-important final year dissertation, I’ve been making a habit of procrastinating by constantly hitting refresh on all of my social media platforms. And in doing so, I came across an article by Julie Bindel entitled ‘Feminism is in danger of becoming toxic’. As someone who identifies as a feminist, I was intrigued and – I won’t lie – apprehensive; the feminist movement is no stranger to negative stereotypes and critiques.
Julie Bindel
Using recent stories in the media such as scientist Matt Taylor and his controversial shirt, Ched Evans and Dapper Laughs, Bindel argues that if we’re not careful, feminism could lose sight of the big issue – the roots of inequality, rather than singling out and attacking individuals.
In order to understand feminism, it’s important to know a bit more about its history and its various waves. First wave feminism took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with a heavy focus on suffrage, women’s participation in politics and voting. Second wave feminism came about in the 1960s, a historical period ripe with civil rights movements and the sexual revolution, and it tackled the topics such as reproductive rights: the provision of safe and easily accessible abortions and the subjugation of women through the sphere of domesticity. The 1990s brought about the most radical and post-modern third wave of this social movement, characterising female empowerment through embracing sexuality and re-appropriating previously sexist and offensive terms such as ‘bitch’, whilst acknowledging that the need for feminism transcends social class, race/ethnicity and sexual orientation – social divisions that were not as key to the first two waves.
Some academics believe that we have moved into the age of fourth wave feminism, characterised by the internet being an important space for feminists to share and protest issues key to the movement through the various mediums of Facebook and Twitter. It is through these platforms that stories, such as the famous New York catcalling video, were able to circulate with ease and become a hot topic of discussion.
Whilst all waves of feminism thus far have been crucial to the overall movement, the latter two waves focus less on legislation and policy and look inwardly to social discourse and the emotions evoked – and therein could lie a potential problem. I would be the first to say that I have singled out individuals, as disgraceful as their behaviour is, without taking a step back and thinking about the societal infrastructure that facilitated their actions in the first place. As a woman, it’s very easy to see the experiences of another woman at the hands of a male-dominated society and be able to relate, as well as demonise whoever we feel oppressed her.
When I first read about Julien Blanc, a man who gives dating advice, primarily employing tactics that have been criticised as promoting harassment and lack of respect for women, I was immediately annoyed that anyone would think his behaviour acceptable. It could be argued that it’s beneficial for Blanc and the stories about him to go viral, as they bring to light issues that may have been overlooked, providing a forum for discussion and debate. Whilst everyone is entitled to voice their opinions and beliefs, an issue arises when these infringe on the rights of others. Whilst I personally detest Blanc’s views, what becomes problematic is not necessarily the views he promotes but the actions he carries out, for example, when he grabs women by the throat in the street, a genuine ‘seduction’ tactic he employs and promotes to other men. He has since apologised and had his Australian visa revoked. But the real issue isn’t the individual actions of Blanc, which should be dealt with in the realm of criminal law, but rather the fact that it is possible for someone with opinions rife with misogyny to reach such a public platform. What is most frustrating is that there is very little that can be done about him. Beyond petitions and public outrage, we can hardly gag the man. Instead, Bindel advocates returning to the source and getting involved in the more long-term work of making institutions, such as the Crown Prosecution Service, accountable through challenging and campaigning against their policies.
Bindel’s argument that ‘feminist preciousness’ could cause the feminist movement to become repressive is a valid one. It’s important to not lose sight of the purpose of feminism – gender equality, empowerment and freedom from oppression. It would undo all the important work from centuries past if we allowed ourselves to become the oppressor, not just in terms of individuals in the media but also of our fellow women.
A few months ago, there was a Buzzfeed article called ’14 Women Who Say Why They Don’t Need Feminism’ which created absolute uproar, with people stating that maybe these women should educate themselves on what feminism actually is rather than ‘spew their ignorance’. Whilst I obviously disagree with their reasons for not needing feminism, isn’t this what feminism is all about – the freedom to choose? It’s my choice to have an abortion or not. It’s my choice to wear what I want. I firmly believe that it therefore follows that it’s a woman’s choice whether or not she subscribes to feminist ideologies or not and whilst not necessarily agreed with, it should be respected if the woman feels that she has been fully informed, just like another other political or religious ideology. To dismiss a woman for not being a feminist would undermine the goals of the movement.
Over time, political involvement informs legislation, and legislation goes on to reinforce existing cultural values. Bindel’s call for less moral superiority and more political activism made me take a step back and think about my contributions more reflexively. It’s easy to attack a person for their actions. That does very little in terms of reforming the culture that allowed them to act that way.
Sources
http://sexual-communication.wikispaces.com/First-wave+Feminism
http://www.theguardian.com/profile/juliebindel
http://www.pacificu.edu/about-us/news-events/three-waves-feminism
http://www.psa.ac.uk/insight-plus/feminism-fourth-wave
http://www.buzzfeed.com/rossalynwarren/i-do-not-think-it-means-what-you-think-it-means
Edited by Sam Carey