What is Feminism?
Girl power is NOT about the “Girl Boss!”
Just Sam of Feminista-101 asks: “I thought we’d kick off with an easy one. Just kidding! This is a dreaded question for many feminists because it can mean something quite different to different people. What does it mean to you?”
What Feminism should be…
That’s the million-dollar question — scratch that, billion-dollar question (adjusting for inflation!).
Let’s begin by looking up almighty Wikipedia to see what they have to say. The term itself is believed to have cropped up in France and the Netherlands in 1872, in Great Britain during the 1890s, and finally in the US in 1910. And as far the noun and adjective are concerned, a feminist is someone who supports women.
Note that by this definition, a feminist can be a man. Note, too, that not all women are feminists. Let me explain.
As an Asian-American and late Boomer who has taught the early history of feminism to undergraduates over the last 20-some years, I regard myself as a feminist in the most basic sense. That means I support policies that will protect and support as many women as possible. Not just the privileged few who grew up attending overpriced, overrated universities and were voted “best dressed” and “most likely to succeed.”
That means I agree that the wage gap between men and women should be fully closed, when women only earn 83 cents for every dollar made by a man. I support a higher minimum wage because women are overrepresented in low-waged jobs, particularly those which rely on tips. I support policies like Medicare for All because women of color tend to be underinsured: Hispanic women are three times as likely to lack health insurance and Black women nearly twice as likely to lack insurance compared to white women (4.7%)–and Asian women also slightly more likely to do so (5.8%). I support generous family leave policies because it is largely women, regardless of income, who undertake childrearing duties. And not least, I support choice because no one but a woman deserves a say in deciding how she treats and handles her own body–and whether or not she decides to raise a child.
What is a “Feminist” politician?
As such, this means I endorse politicians, regardless of gender, who support all of the above. That is why, for instance, I favored Bernie Sanders above all other candidates in 2016 and 2020. During both elections, Sanders went beyond candidates of both sides in championing Medicare for All–with the exception of Liz Warren. For me, the rationale that it is time for a woman president — the rallying call of Hillary Clinton and her supporters — just didn’t cut it for me, even if I wound up reluctantly voting for her in 2016 and writing her in during 2020 (anyone was better than Biden — except for Trump!).
Not to mention that for me and for many younger women, Sanders came well and beyond with his unmitigated criticisms of our capitalistic excesses. Unlike Hillary, Sanders was not giving speeches for Goldman Sachs, one of the prime culprits in the crash of 2008. And unlike Liz Warren, eager to defend capitalism in 2020, Sanders did no such thing. Contrary to the expectations of those faux feminists who branded female supporters of Bernie as kowtowing to “the patriarchy,” Sanders did in fact manage to win not only the endorsements of Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (AOC), Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib, but also the enthusiasm of other women of color. Indeed, this is why women under 45 of all races tended to support Bernie as thoroughly as they did–never mind Gloria Steinem’s clueless and condescending explanation in 2016 that younger women flocked to Sanders because “the boys are with Bernie.”
The fact is this: a female figurehead for the sake of a female representation means next to nothing — particularly if that politician’s policies only support a neoliberal patriarchy that buttresses the worst ills of capitalism, thereby reinforcing the inequities that have long oppressed women. One has only to look at American history with the scores of women who opposed the suffragettes. Or the white suffragettes opposed to Black women joining their cause. More recently, one has only to recall the likes of Phyllis Schlafly who opposed the Equal Rights Amendment. Or indeed, any woman today who still opposes choice–even in cases of rape or when a woman’s health is threatened by pregnancy. Whose side are you on?
That’s why I lost all respect for Nancy Pelosi in 2022 when she backed anti-choice, pro-NRA Henry Cuellar over pro-choice, anti-NRA Jessica Cisneros in the 28th Congressional District of Texas. There is no doubt that Cuellar’s fundraising abilities were far more important to Pelosi than Cisneros’ ideals. As far as I was concerned, this endorsement was even worse than Hillary choosing the previously anti-choice Tim Kaine as a running mate in 2016.
Screw that “Girlboss” Crap!
The fact is that the supposed feminism proffered by elite-educated, married, comfortably-off white women is not feminism even if they think they can claim it merely by having lived through the second-wave feminism of the 1960s through ‘80s: again, this is only neoliberal patriarchalism dressed up in a suit and heels. It is Girlboss crap. These well-off, would-be, mostly white feminists often forget that it is difficult for the poor and working-class women to just hop off to another state or country if they can’t get a legal abortion. These well-off “feminists” are generally the same women opposed to Medicare for All because they imagine they will lose privileges. And these are probably also the same women opposed to the alleviation of student debt. These women are not human beings, let alone feminists — but rather smug, selfish, and disgusting pieces of garbage who relish the sight of human suffering. My, aren’t we better off!
In fact, the “principles” held by these neoliberal, Girlboss “feminists” can be downright antithetical to the principles of feminism. Consider, for instance, Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s COO of “Lean-In” fame who barely bothered to listen to the pleas of the Doubletree Hotel domestic workers. These workers figured that if Sandberg was willing to argue for maternity accommodations and wage increases for her peers, she would do the same for them. Sandberg claimed she had no time to meet them–or as one of the workers put it: “Maybe she wasn’t going to have a moment for those of us who are just workers in the lower classes. She had more important things with people from upper classes.”
That only goes to show that many of these neoliberal feminists are not attuned to feminism, but rather to their own class interests. Let’s not mince words: when overdressed ladies from overpriced and overrated universities believe everyone should serve them for next to nothing — whether male or female, they are on no one’s side. And definitely not women’s, since we are still the most exploited people. Ultimately, for these neoliberal “feminists,” all that matters is the bottom dollar. Make no mistake about it: they are every bit as patriarchal as their fathers, brothers, and husbands.
The same goes for women who ignore the effects of climate change–here, I’m referring to Nancy Pelosi (and Dianne Feinstein) and all those who mocked AOC’s Green New Deal (“The green dream, or whatever they call it, nobody knows what it is, but they’re for it, right?”) After all, this is the woman who dismissed the effects of inflation, claiming that cost of living was more important (hello, they’re the SAME) — yes, Nancy of the 8,000 sq ft mansion, double subzero fridges, $13 a pint ice cream, Armani suits, and insider-trading husband. I’m sure there are many poor, working- and middle-class are concerned about inflation (have you noticed the rise in pet food prices?) as well as the ravages of severe storms that are the consequences of climate change. Many of us simply can’t afford to seek haven in a spare mansion!
And not least, let’s not forget the women politicians who are just as warmongering as their male counterparts in both parties: and here, I include all women politicians who supported George W. Bush’s ill-rationalized Iraq war in 2003–with the disproportionate toll on (brown) women and children. (I’m looking at you, Hillary!)
That’s why it’s important to understand what feminism is all about — especially when the term is thrown about so handily by everyone and anyone. Feminism should not just be about putting a woman at the helm of a nation, state, or city. That was already played out by Queen Elizabeth, Queen Catherine, and other female crowned heads centuries ago. Real feminism should support the needs of the most vulnerable women, including women of color, those not fortunate enough to have received an adequate education, and the impoverished. Because at the end of the day, feminism is not merely about supporting the desires of overcompensated, married female politicians, CEOs, and COOs who vie for visibility and power but also the basic needs of the most marginalized: those working several jobs to make ends meet — domestic workers, service workers, and adjuncts in academe to name only a few. Not to mention single women who have to fight and fend for themselves harder than anyone else.
In short, feminism is about prioritizing the needs of ALL women. Nothing more, nothing less.
© Frances A. Chiu, September 22, 2023. All rights reserved.