PLS 101 feminism audio

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PLS101: Feminism
• Women have always struggled for greater
participation in spheres reserved for men in every
nation
• no society in which women are equally represented in
what that society most values and rewards
• impulse for feminism
• theory or ideology
• political practice – a desire to change the world.
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PLS101: Feminism
dominant paradigm: metaphor of waves
various points, the women’s movement had different goals and
emphasise contrasting aspects of feminist ideology
replaced earlier typologies: suggested feminism reflects
generational change.
metaphor highlights the evolution of feminist thought
and activism over time, but…
oversimplifies complexity and diversity of feminist
movements
erases contributions of feminist activism outside of the West
implies linear progression of feminist thought, but….
wave metaphor remains influential in feminist discourse
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PLS101: Feminism
First Wave
1792: harbinger of modern feminism
“feminism” was coined in France in early 1890s
critical event for feminism: Seneca Falls Convention of 1848
• term quickly spread to every continent, in some colonised
countries linked with struggle for freedom from the
European colonialism.
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PLS101: Feminism
US feminism’s pragmatism and acceptance of voting
rights as the core issue
• nativist, racist, indifferent to needs of working class
women
• c/f Europe, not imbued with socialist or classconscious values
• politically active black women prioritised race over
gender.
“first wave feminism” elsewhere:
• vote; entry into university and professions
• female suffrage: KZ SSR 1924; NZ 1893; USA ‘20.
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PLS101: Feminism
• first “wave” crested after women won the
vote, but not many other rights, in the
1920s
• “second wave”, from 1960s, emphasise
wider inequalities
• “liberal feminists”, access and opportunity to
social, economic and political equality
• on the left, by-product of capitalism
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PLS101: Feminism
• second wave
• Women’s Rights movement was
distinctly middle class; dissatisfaction of
qualified and professional
• Women’s Liberation Movement:
sexuality, family, the workplace,
reproductive rights, violence
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PLS101: Feminism
• second wave
3 influences de-emphasised image of women as wives and
mothers:
women's entrance en masse into the labour force;
decreased rates of fertility and longer life expectancies; and,
increases in the number of women who remained or became single
rejection of biological explanations for women's roles;
accepted inherent equality between men and women
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PLS101: Feminism
third wave emerged in 1990s until early 2000s
Intersectionality: other forms of oppression, such as race, class,
sexuality, and ability
Emphasis on diversity: different women face different challenges
based on their identities.
Sex-positivity: advocate for women's right to express their
sexuality on their own terms
Rejection of traditional gender roles: workplace, the home, and
relationships.
autonomy and agency.
own choices about their bodies, careers, and personal lives
↓ represented in media and popular culture.
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PLS101: Feminism
• politics is personal
• achievements of women as CEOs in large
companies, US Supreme Court justices or in
academia, yes but
• return to femininity
• "Is feminism dead?" Time Cover - 1998.
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PLS101: Feminism
Fourth Wave of feminism:
turn from concerns about “me” to concern for planet
renewed focus on young women as agents of change
empowerment as consumers and achievers but.....
tragic victims and potential agents in the drive against global
poverty
“Girl Effect paradigm”:
not portrayed only as tragic victims of social and political forces
investing in adolescent girls as a way to reduce poverty, promote
economic growth, and achieve broader development goals.
Muslim women and girls in need of rescue by their
empowered Western “sisters”:
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PLS101: Feminism

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PLS101:
PLS101:
Feminism
Feminism
• Women are better represented in
politics than ever
• flourishing online feminist
activism such as #MeToo
but…
• backlash against women’s
rights.
• December 2022:
• 26.4% of parliamentarians
worldwide are women
• 30 women serving as elected
heads of state or government.
• UN Women agency: 130 year
= 50%
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PLS101: Feminism
variety of Islamic perspectives on gender equality and
women's rights
For some Islam is inherently feminist
Others reject the term "feminism" altogether
teachings on social justice and equality are applicable to all people,
regardless of gender
Qur'an and other Islamic texts: framework for empowering women
and promoting gender equality.
Islam already provides a comprehensive framework for social
justice
Others see it as a foreign concept that is incompatible with
Islamic values.
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