I know this will be hard, but try to pretend that Beyonce never wrote "Flawless" for a minute. Without quoting Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, define feminism. Define feminist. What does it mean to be a feminist?
Don't worry, it's not a trick question. Because we need to talk about what feminism is and what it means, as well as what it isn't.
Last week, I was procrastinating/reading the news when a word in Politico Magazine caught my attention. While it discusses Carly Fiorina's presidential campaign, quoting her several times on feminism and women's issues. But most importantly, the article asserts that Fiorina is representative of a "post-feminist era in politics".
Post-feminist? I thought. But wouldn't that mean feminism is over, which it's definitely not? Or it could mean the movement has a new name. But it doesn't.
The article's trouble begins with the explanation of a 'post-feminist era in politics,' which is apparently an era "where what matters is a woman’s opportunity, not adherence to specific policies or a platform built on 'women’s” issues.'" To illustrate these claims, Fiorina is compared to Hillary Clinton, of course. But then the idea of 'equity feminism' is introduced. Equity feminism is a better kind of feminism, free from the stereotypes. Those feminists represent a model of female power which 'has for so long plagued modern feminism'. (But don't worry, because this approach isn't anti-feminist.)
Okay -- great! So what is equity feminism? The article's definition: "Equity feminism stands for the moral, social and legal equality of the sexes—and the freedom of women (and men) to employ their equal status to pursue happiness as they define it."
But wait, I thought, that's feminism! Because it is. Still, I kept reading.
Equity feminism, which historically sits well with Republicans, only works when feminism is made a caricature of itself -- portrayed as decades of arguing, crazy liberals and uptight activist groups. But this is much more than an ignorant misrepresentation. Equity feminism undermines those feminists, separating them from better women (like Carly Fiorina?). This would apparently be a "refreshing" change for the feminist movement. America can get behind equity feminism because "It’s the feminism of anyone who has said, “I’m not a feminist, but ….”."
It's feminism for anyone who has said, "I'm not a feminist because I believe in equality." Which roughly translates to, "I only think I know what I'm talking about."
This has nothing to do with my personal opinions on Fiorina, or whether I see her as a feminist (or post-feminist) heroine. This is about the article, which is anti-feminist, both in content and the deeply problematic ideas conveyed. Anti-feminist, as it promotes an incorrect, flawed understanding of feminism and feminist theory. Real feminism is a movement for equality, and it's for everyone. Feminism is not dictating what a person should or should not be, and feminism has certainly not, as Carly Fiorina said, "devolved into a left-leaning political ideology."
Usually, I might say this has little to do with politics. But the article's disproportionate focus on the Republican party, praising legislation and disparaging social demonstrations, seems to "sell" equity feminism to conservatives. There is no whining in equity feminism, no liberals burning bras and no theories of "patriarchal oppression". So is 'equity feminism' just feminism for Republicans? I don't think this is an unfair question -- in addition to references to feminists as man-hating liberals, the final line of the article sneers at Hillary Clinton.
Equity feminism upholds an antiquated view of women, gender, and issues surrounding both. What makes this article problematic isn't the perpetuated attitude of superiority, it's the way women are pitted against each other. Feminists can either be like Hillary Clinton, or they can be like Carly Fiorina. Not only does this divide the movement and cultivate animosity, it is in direct opposition to one of the fundamental ideas of feminism, the idea of women supporting each other, working together. Feminism is about equality for everyone, true, but to ignore the movement's roots is to ignore inequality and oppression themselves. Without acknowledging that these exist, there is no movement, feminist or otherwise.
Feminism is about all women; feminism is about equality.
"Equity feminism" is about gender equality... but only if you're the kind of woman who deserves it.
