Saturday 8th March marked the annual International Women’s Day. This year, Exeter FemSoc teamed up with ACS (African-Caribbean Society) to bring you a debate on whether feminism is a Western ideology.
My opinion: hell, no!
At its core, feminism stands for political, social and economic equality between the sexes. Equality is a universal value, not an ideology exclusive to the West. Throughout history, there have been countless examples of female leaders and power figures in non-Western countries. From Egyptian rulers such as Cleopatra and Hatshepsut, to the Vietnamese Trung Sisters who assembled an 80,000-strong army to lead the first Resistance movement against the occupying Chinese, we can prove that the idea of gender-equality has been prevalent worldwide since records began. So why are we now questioning whether it is an exclusively Western ideology?
Largely, the argument resides in issues of ethnicity and race. Some people who identify as an ethnic minority feel that feminism is an ideology for white, middle-class women. Just as many females experience daily battles with sexism and patriarchy, many women of colour also experience discrimination based on race. For them, mainstream feminism may not address the serious issue of racial discrimination. However, I do not believe that this makes feminism a Western ideology. As I previously stated, feminism stands for equality. Whilst I agree that some mainstream feminist organisations may fail to address issues of race, feminism is an umbrella term and there are many sub-sections and organisations that do address issues of sex and race. In London alone, groups such as Million Women Rise, Forward, Imkaan, and CAWN (Central America Women’s Network) work to fight discrimination faced by all women, especially women of colour. They may not get the same media attention as organisations such as Laura Bates’ Everyday Sexism, but this is largely an issue with discrimination within the media, rather than the absent black-feminist organisations.
Furthermore, there are plenty of feminist organisations in non-Western countries. The Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET) lobbies for legal and social reform in areas such as gender-based violence and reproductive health rights, and discriminatory clauses on women in legal bills. They are a network of national women’s NGOs and individuals whose vision is to free Ugandan society from all forms of gender-based discrimination. They have been advocating sexual equality for over twenty years, proving that feminism is already a part of non-Western societies.
Both individuals and organisations are fighting to change the way women are perceived and give them the chance to live their lives, unconstrained by gender roles and sexual discrimination. I think we need to look beyond the mainstream practices and focus on the core values that constitute the feminist ideology. Regardless of your sex, race, class or religion, if you believe in the equality of the sexes then ideologically, feminism is for you.
Photo Credits: www.uplightmagazine.com, www.soirart.tumblr.com