feminism

a doctrine that advocates equal rights for women the movement aimed at equal rights for women

Feminism is advocacy for women, and is comprised of a diverse collection of social theorysocial theories, political movements, and moral philosophies, largely motivated by or concerning the experiences of women, especially socially, politically, and economically. As a social movement, feminism focuses on empowering women, for example, by limiting or eradicating gender gapgender inequality when it disadvantages females, and promoting women's rights.Within academia, some feminists focus on documenting percieved gender inequalities which they claim oppress women and changes in the social position and representation of women. Others argue that gender, and even sex, are social constructs, and research the construction of gender and sexuality, and develop alternate models for studying social relations. Some feminist scholars have posited that the hierarchies in businesses and government and all organizations need to be replaced with a decentralized ultra-democracy. Some argue that having any central leader in any organization is derived from the androcentrismandrocentric family structure (and therefore needs reform and replacement), and thus such scholars see the essence of feminism as beyond the surface issues of sex and gender. (See Anarcha-Feminism and Post-structuralism)Feminist political activism commonly campaign on issues such as reproductive rights, domestic violenceviolence within a domestic partnership, parental leavematernity leave, equal pay for womenequal pay, sexual harassment, street harassment,discrimination, and sexual violence. They only focus on advancing these issues for women, and instead of campaigning on similar issues like reproductive rights for men, they oppose them. Themes explored in feminism include patriarchy, stereotyping, objectification, sexual objectification, and oppression. In the 1960s and 1970s, much of feminism and feminist theory represented, and was concerned with, problems faced by Western, white, middle-class women while claiming to represent all women. Since then, many feminist theorists have challenged the assumption that "women" constitute a homogeneous group of individuals with identical interests. Feminist activists emerged from within diverse communities, and feminist theorists began to focus on the intersection between gender and sexuality with other social identities, such as race and class. Many feminists today argue that feminism is a Grassroots democracygrass-roots movement that seeks to cross boundaries based on social class, race, culture, and religion; is culturally specific and addresses issues relevant to the women of that society (for example female circumcision in Sudan or the alleged glass ceiling in developed economies); and debate the extent to which certain issues, such as rape, incest, and Mothermothering, are universal.In 2005 a number of Feminist Initiativefeminist political parties have been formed.

Origins - ''Main article History of feminism. Susan B. Anthony is third from the left, front row.]]Feminism as a philosophy and movement in the modern sense may be usefully dated to The Age of EnlightenmentThe Enlightenment with such thinkers as Lady Mary Wortley Montagu and the Marquis de Condorcet championing women's education. The first scientific society for women was founded in Middelburg, a city in the south of the Dutch republic, in 1785. Journals for women which focused on issues like science became popular during this period as well. Mary Wollstonecraft's ''A Vindication of the Rights of Woman'' (1792) is one of the first works that can unambiguously be called feminist. Feminism became an organized movement in the 19th century as people increasingly came to believe that women were being treated unfairly. The feminist movement was rooted in the progressive movement and especially in the reform movement of the 19th century. The utopian socialist Charles Fourier coined the word ''féminisme'' in 1837; as early as 1808, he argued that the extension of women's rights was the general principle of all social progress. The organized movement was dated from the first women's rights convention at Seneca Falls conventionSeneca Falls, New York, in 1848. In 1869, John Stuart Mill published The Subjection of Women to demonstrate that "the legal subordination of one sex to the other is wrong...and...one of the chief hindrances to human improvement." Many countries began to grant women the suffragevote in the early years of the 20th century, especially in the final years of the World War IFirst World War and the first years hence. The reasons varied, but they included a desire to recognize the contributions of women during the war, and were also influenced by rhetoric used by both sides at the time to justify their war efforts. For example, since Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points recognized self determination as vital to society, the hypocrisy of denying half the population of modern nations the vote became difficult for men to ignore. However the cost of the vote, the requirement to register with selective services and be ready to defend your country in order to protect your right to self determination, still only applies to men in most modern nations. That hypocrisy seems easy for them to ignore.

Feminism in many forms - Some forms of feminist theory question basic assumptions about gender, gender difference, and sexuality, including the category of "woman" itself as a holistic concept; further, some are interested in questioning the male/female binary completely (offering instead a multiplicity of genders). Other forms of feminist theory take for granted the concept of "woman" and provide specific analyses and critiques of gender inequality, and most feminist social movements promote women's rights, interests, and issues. Some people claim that feminism is not a single ideology, citing that not all people who label themselves as feminists agree 100% with the party line. Over-time, they claim several sub-types of feminist ideology have developed. They refer to early feminists as first-wave feminismfirst-wave feminists, and feminists after about 1960 as second-wave feminismsecond-wave feminists. More recently, they claim a new generation of feminists have started third-wave feminism. It should be noted that these groups do not have any major disagreements about their base philosophies, but only usually minor disagreements about how to apply feminism to some specific situations. Some commentators have asserted that the silent majority of modern feminists have more in common ideologically with the first-wave feminists than the second-wave. They say that many of the ideas arising from Radical feminism and Gender feminism (prominent second-wave movements) have yet to gain traction within the broader community and outside of Gender Studies departments within the academy. Some radical feminists advocate separatism—a complete separation of male and female in society and culture—while others question not only the relationship between men and women, but the very meaning of "man" and "woman" as well (see Queer theory). Some argue that gender roles, gender identity, and sexuality are themselves social constructionismsocial constructs (see also heteronormativity). For these feminists, feminism is a primary means to human liberation (i.e., the liberation of men as well as women.Other feminists believe that there may be social problems separate from or prior to patriarchy (e.g., racism or class divisions); they see feminism as one movement of liberation among many, each affecting the others.The various types of feminism include

Egalitarian forms:

* equity feminism - Many argue, including the most prominent feminist leaders, that this is not actually a form of feminism.

* individualist feminism (also known as libertarian feminism) - Same as above.

* liberal feminism

GynocentrismGynocentric forms:

* cultural feminism

* gender feminism

* pop feminism

* radical feminism

Belief in oppression by patriarchy:

* anarcha-feminism

* French feminism

* radical feminism

* sex radical feminism

Belief in oppression by capitalism:

* Marxist feminism

* socialist feminism

Differences are solely cultural, not biological:

* Amazon feminism

* psychoanalytical feminismpsychoanalytic feminism

Segregationalist:

* lesbian feminism (Lesbian separatism)

* separatist feminism

African-American

* Black Feminism

* Womanism

non-Western:

* third-world feminism

* Postcolonial feminismpost-colonial feminism

pro-sex feminism (also known as sexually liberal feminism, sex-positive feminism)

Subtypes of feminism -

Amazon feminism

Anarcha-Feminism

Anti-racist feminism

cultural feminism

ecofeminism

equity feminism

existentialist feminism

French feminism

gender feminism

individualist feminism (also known as libertarian feminism)

lesbian feminism

liberal feminism

male feminism or men's feminism

Marxist feminism (also known as socialist feminism)

material feminism

pop feminism

Postcolonial feminismpost-colonial feminism

postmodern feminism which includes queer theory

pro-sex feminism (also known as sexually liberal feminism, sex-positive feminism)

psychoanalytical feminismpsychoanalytic feminism

radical feminism

separatist feminism

socialist feminism

spiritual feminism

standpoint feminism

third-world feminism

transnational feminism

transfeminism

womanism

Certain actions, approaches and people can also be described as proto-feminismproto-feminist or post-feminismpost-feminist.Some critics of feminism argue that identifying so many different kinds of feminism is a means of obfuscation to deflect criticism. Sometimes referred to as the "Baskin Robbins shuffle", the idea is that by claiming there are so many different ''flavors'' of feminism, any criticism directed at feminism is invalid because it doesn't apply to ''all'' feminists. Of course by the same logic, any praise or even any statement at all about feminism would also be invalid, as they've defined the word out of existence. Defining feminism in this way is similar to defining all kinds of different republican groups like young republicans, agnostic republicans, pro-choice republicans, as if they were all completely seperate and then using those definitions to claim there is no republican agenda or not just one republican ideology. Having slight variations of opinion about the overall ideology does not really make one group significantly different than the rest, and if there was enough variance in views the group would not be a republican group. Just like republicans, feminists have shown a lot of solidarity over the years.Although many leaders of feminism have been women, not all feminists are women. Some feminists argue that men should not take positions of leadership in the movement, because men, having been socialized to aggressively seek positions of power or direct the agendas within a leadership hierarchy, would apply this tendency to feminist organizations; or that women, having been socialized to defer to men, would be hindered in developing or expressing their own self-leadership in working too closely with men. However, some feminists do accept and seek the support of men. Compare pro-feminist, humanism, masculism, masculinism®.Today, young women most commonly associate "feminism" with radical and gender feminism, and this has put off a lot of these women from being active in feminism, spurring a move away from second-wave feminismsecond-wave labels. However, the basic values of feminism (women's rights and gender equality or gender preference for women) have become so integrated into Western culture as to be accepted overwhelmingly as valid, and non-conformity to those values characterized as unacceptable, by the same men and women who reject the label "feminist".

Relationship to other movements - A few people who mislabel themselves feminists take a holistic approach to politics, believing the saying of Martin Luther King Jr., "A threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere". In that belief, some self-identified feminists support other movements such as the civil rights movement and the gay rights movement. At the same time, many black feminists such as bell hooks criticize the movement for being dominated by white women. Feminist claims about the alleged disadvantages women face in Western society are often less relevant to the lives of black women. This idea is the key in postcolonial feminism. Many black feminist women prefer the term womanism for their views.However, feminists are sometimes wary of the transgender movement because it challenges the distinctions between men and women. Transgender and transsexual women are excluded from some "Women-only spaceswomen-only" gatherings and events and are rejected by some feminists who say that no one born male can fully understand the oppression that women face, and that there is sexism inherent in the notion that femaleness is a default gender that one can enter after shedding externally recognizable male traits. This exclusion is criticized as transphobic by transwomen who assert that the discrimination and various struggles (such as that for legal recognitions) that they face due to asserting their gender identity is closely linked to many feminist efforts, and that discrimination against gender-variant people is another face of heterosexism and the so-called patriarchy. See transfeminism and gender studies.

Effects of feminism in the West - Some feminists would argue that there is still much to be done on these fronts, while third-wave feminists would disagree and claim that the battle has basically been won.

Effects on civil rights - Feminism has effected many changes in Western society, including women's suffrage; broad employment for women at more equitable wages; the right to initiate divorce proceedings and the introduction of "no fault" divorce; the right to keep children from their fathers, the right to obtain Birth controlcontraception and safe abortions; the right to not allow men to face a woman who accuses them of rape, the right to be allowed admittance into any university in the US; and the right to have over 60 female-only universities in the US.Feminism is a pro-choice movement, although there are some exceptions. The national organization feministsforlife.org - Feminists for Life, for instance, condemns the act of abortion, claiming that the reason that abortion is so common is because women do not have access to alternate resources and information. Feminists for Life even suggest that the abortion industry is part of a system which allows the abuse of women and women's rights.

Effect on language - English languageEnglish-speaking feminists are often proponents of what they consider to be non-sexist language, using "Ms." to refer to both married and unmarried women, for example, or the ironic use of the term "herstory" instead of "history". Feminists are also often proponents of using ''gender-inclusive'' language, such as "humanity" instead of "mankind", or "he or she" in place of "he" where the gender is unknown. Feminists in most cases advance their desired use of language either to promote what they claim is an equal and respectful treatment of women or to affect the tone of political discourse, yet somehow the terms "gunwoman" and "hit woman" haven't been endorsed by them. This can be seen as a move to change language which has been viewed by some feminists as imbued with sexism, (the anti-woman kind, being the only kind they recognise, and even see where it doesn't exist) - providing for example the case in the English language the word for the general pronoun is "he" or "his" (''The child should have his paper and pencils''), which is the same as the masculine pronoun (''The boy and his truck''). These feminists argue that language then directly affects perception of reality (compare Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis). However, to take a postcolonial analysis of this point, many languages ''other'' than English may not have such a gendered pronoun instance and thus changing language may not be as important to some feminists as others. Yet, English is becoming more and more universal, and the issue of language may be seen to be of growing importance.On the other hand, quite a different tendency can be seen in French languageFrench. Gender, as a grammatical concept, is much more pervasive in French than in English, and as a result, it has been virtually impossible to create inclusive language. Instead, nouns that originally had only a masculine form have had feminine counterparts created for them. "''Professeur''" ("teacher"), once always masculine regardless of the teacher's sex, now has a parallel feminine form "''Professeure''". In cases where separate masculine and feminine forms have always existed, it was once standard practice for a group containing both men and women to be referred to using the masculine plural, but nowadays, forms such as "''Toutes les Canadiennes et tous les Canadiens''" ("all Canadians", or literally "all the female Canadians and all the male Canadians") are becoming more common.

Effect on heterosexual relationships - The feminist movements have certainly affected the nature of heterosexual relationships in Western and other societies affected by feminism. While these effects have generally been seen as positive, there have been some consequences that can be catalogued as negative from the traditional point of view on morals.In some of these relationships, there has been a change in the power relationship between men and women. In these circumstances, women and men have had to adapt to relatively new situations, sometimes causing confusions about role and identity. Women can now avail themselves more to new opportunities, but some have suffered with the demands of trying to live up to the so-called "superwomen" identity, and have struggled to 'have it all', i.e. manage to happily balance a career and family. In response to the family issue, many socialist feminists blame this on the lack of state-provided child-care facilities. Others have advocated instead that the onus of child-care not rest solely on the female, but rather that men partake in the responsibility of managing family matters.There have been changes also in attitudes towards sexual morality and behavior with the onset of second wave feminism and "Oral contraceptivethe Pill": women are then more in control of their bodies, and are able to experience sex with more freedom than was previously socially accepted for them. This sexual revolution that women were then able to experience was seen as positive (especially by Sexually liberal feminismsex-positive feminists) as it enabled women and men to experience sex in a free and equal manner. However, some feminists felt that the results of the sexual revolution only was beneficial to men. Whether marriage is an institution that oppresses women and men, or not, has generated discussion. Those that do view it as oppressive sometimes opt for cohabitation or more recently to live independently reverting to casual sex to fulfill their sexual needs.

Effect on religion - Feminism has had a great effect on many aspects of religion. In liberal branches of Protestant Christianity (and in some theologically conservative dominations as well, such as Assemblies of Godag.org), women are now ordained as clergy, and in Reform JudaismReform, Conservative JudaismConservative and Reconstructionist JudaismReconstructionist Judaism, women are ordained as rabbis and cantors. Within these ChristianityChristian and JudaismJewish groups, women have gradually become more nearly equal to men by obtaining positions of power; their perspectives are now sought out in developing new statements of belief. In Islam women have historically contributed to all aspects of Islamic life, from religious edicts to aid on the battlefield. Around half of the sayings of Muhammad are taken from his wife Aisha, whom men often consulted on religious matters. In this day you will often see many women scholars on Arabic satellite television answering Islam-related questions, asked by both genders. One matter remains debatable nowadays, which is whether or not a woman can lead men in prayers. These trends, however, have been resisted within Roman Catholicism. Roman Catholicism has historically excluded women from entering priesthood and other positions in clergy, allowing women to hold positions as nuns or as laypeople.Feminism also has had an important role in embracing new forms of religion. Neopagan religions especially tend to emphasize the importance of Goddess spirituality, and question what they regard as traditional religion's hostility to women and the sacred feminine. In particular Dianic Wicca is a religion whose origins lie within radical feminism. Among traditional religions, feminism has led to self examination, with reclaimed positive Christian and Islamic views and ideals of Mary, Islamic views of Fatima Zahra, and especially to the Catholic belief in the Coredemptrix, as counterexamples. However, criticism of these efforts as unable to salvage corrupt church structures and philosophies continues. Some argue that Mary, with her status as mother and virgin, and as traditionally the main role model for women, sets women up to aspire to an impossible ideal and also thus has negative consequences on human sense of identity and sexuality.There is a separate article on God and gender; it discusses how monotheistic religions reconcile their theologies with contemporary gender issues, and how modern feminism has influenced the theology of many religions.

Effect on moral education - Opponents of feminism claim that women's quest for external power, as opposed to the internal power to affect other people's ethics and values, has left a vacuum in the area of moral training, where women formerly held sway. Some feminists reply that the education, including the moral education, of children has never been, and should not be, seen as the exclusive responsibility of women. Paradoxically, it is also held by others that the moral education of children at home in the form of homeschooling is itself a women's movement. Such arguments are entangled within the larger disagreements of the Culture Wars, as well as within feminist (and anti-feminist) ideas regarding custodianship of societal morals and compassion.

Worldwide statistics - sectNPOV The following is a sampling of statistics related to the relative status of women worldwide.

According to the hdr.undp.org - United Nations Human Development Report 2004: Section 28, Gender, Work Burden, and Time Allocation, women work on average more than men, when both paid employment and unpaid household tasks are accounted for. In rural areas of the developing countries surveyed, women perform an average of 20% more work than men, or an additional 98 minutes per day. In the OECD countries surveyed, on average women performed 5% more work than men, or 18 minutes per day.

Women own only 1 percent of the world's wealth, and earn 10 percent of the world's income, despite making up 49.5 percent of the population.

Women are underrepresented in all of the world's major legislative bodies (see ipu.org - Women in National Parliaments, November 2004). In 1985, Finland had the largest percentage of women in national legislature at approximately 32 percent (P. Norris, !Women's? Legislative Participation in Western Europe, ''West European Politics''). Currently, Sweden has the highest number of women at 45 percent. The United States has just 14 percent. The world average is just 9 percent. In contrast, half of the members of the recently established Welsh Assembly Government are women.

Perspective: the nature of the modern movement - Most feminists believe discrimination against women still exists in North American and European nations, as well as worldwide. But there are many ideas within the movement regarding the severity of current problems, what the problems are, and how best to confront them. Extremes on the one hand include some radical feminists such as Mary Daly who argues that human society would be better off with dramatically fewer men. There are also dissidents, such as Christina Hoff Sommers or Camille Paglia, who identify themselves as feminist but who accuse the movement of anti-men prejudice.On the other hand, many feminists question the use of the term ''feminist'' to groups or people who fail to recognize a fundamental equality between the sexes. Some feminists, like Katha Pollitt (see her book ''Reasonable Creatures'') or Nadine Strossen (President of the ACLU and author of ''Defending Pornography'' a - treatise on freedom of speech), consider feminism to be, solely, the view that "women are people." Views that separate the sexes rather than unite them are considered by these people to be ''sexist'' rather than ''feminist''. There are also debates between difference feminismdifference feminists such as Carol Gilligan on the one hand, who believe that there are important differences between the sexes (which may or may not be inherent, but which cannot be ignored), and those who believe that there are no essential differences between the sexes, and that the roles observed in society are due to conditioning. Modern scientists sometimes disagree on whether inborn differences exist between men and women (other than physical differences such as anatomy, chromosomes and hormones).In Marilyn French's seminal works analyzing patriarchy and its effects on the world at large--including women, men and children--she defines patriarchy as a system that values power over life, control over pleasure, and dominance over happiness. According to French, "it is not enough either to devise a morality that will allow the human race simply to survive. Survival is an evil when it entails existing in a state of wretchedness. Intrinsic to survival and continuation is felicity, pleasure. Pleasure has been much maligned, diminished by philosophers and conquerors as a value for the timid, the small-minded, the self-indulgent. "Virtue" involves the renunciation of pleasure in the name of some higher purpose, a purpose that involves power (for men) or sacrifice (for women). Pleasure is described as shallow and frivolous in a world of high-minded, serious purpose. But pleasure does not exclude serious pursuits or intentions, indeed, it is found in them, and it is the only real reason for staying alive" fragmentsweb.org - Beyond Power This philosophy is what French offers as a replacement to the current structure where power has the highest value--and it is this feminism to which many (women and men) subscribe. However many believe this view is flawed, simply because one who desires power will usually obtain power over one who does not.

Contemporary criticisms of feminism - Feminism, in some forms and to varying degrees, has become generally accepted in Western society. However, the attention it has attracted, due to the social changes it has effected, has resulted in many dissenting voices. Criticism has come from within the movement, from masculists, and from social conservatives.Postcolonial feminismPostcolonial feminists criticise Western forms of feminism, notably radical feminism and its most basic assumption, universalization of female experience. They argue that this assumption is based on the experience of white, middle-class women, for whom gender oppression is primary; and that it cannot so easily be applied to women for whom gender oppression comes second to racial or class oppression. Non-feminist critics suggest that the continual emphasis on women's issues throughout the evolution of the movement has resulted in gynocentric ideology. They think that modern-day feminists are biased by the lens that filters their world views. They would like to see a gender-neutral term such as "gender egalitarianism" replace "feminism" when used in reference to the belief in basic equal rights and opportunities for both sexes.Many who support masculism argue that because of both traditional gender roles and sexism infused into society by feminists, males are and have been oppressed. Their view as expressed by Warren Farrell in "The Myth of Male Power" is that the traditional world was a bi-sexist world, not a uni-sexist one, and that the issues men faced then still exist plus several new ones created by feminist organizations. One complaint is that most feminists promote misandry, even male inferiority - it has been demonstrated that replacing the words "male" and "female" in most feminist writings with "black" and "white" respectively would make these texts racist. Another concern is that the belief in a glass ceiling for women has resulted in affirmative action programs that promote women more for the purpose of public relations than for merit. Sexual harassment is also a topic of dispute: critics claim that, in the name of protecting women, men are discriminated against when they are the subject of claims; and that they are treated less seriously when claiming cases. The same is true with domestic violence, and even though oft-quoted feminist research suggests that over 30% of the victims of domestic violence are male, only a handful of the thousands of tax-funded shelters in the US will even admit men.Other concerns include inequity in health funding (particularly breast vs. prostate cancer), societal sympathy for women vs. vilification of men (e.g., emphasis on "violence against women"), and fears of censorship. While many feminists disagree with the view that men's issues are not trivial due to the alleged patriarchy representing their interests in control of everything, a few might agree that men are similarly oppressed and that gender equality means oppression of neither gender. Of course, the concept of "patriarchy" is also in question, largely because masculists examine whether a government's actions are more in line with men's interests or women's interests, not based on the gender of the people performing the actions, but on the actions themselves. Conservative criticism includes the claim that the feminist movement is trying to destroy traditional gender roles. Proponents argue that men and women have many natural differences, and that everyone benefits from recognizing them. They consider children to benefit from having a masculine father and a feminine mother, and that divorce, single parenthood, and non-traditional gender roles harm children.There is also a group of Paleoconservatives including George Gilder and Pat Buchanan who argue that feminism has produced a fundamentally unworkable, self-destructive, stagnant society. They note that societies in which feminism has developed the furthest have below-replacement rates of fertility and high rates of immigration (frequently from countries with cultures and religions hostile to feminism). In the US, "liberal" religious groups most accepting of feminism have noted fewer conversions and less natural increase. The most rapidly growing major religion in the US is Islam, some forms of which are extremely hostile to feminism.

Criticism of feminist's claim to favor equality - Many critics argue that feminists really do not support equality, but actually support female favoring sexism while only giving lip service to equality. They offer lists of quotes such as the following which were all said by popular feminist authors and leaders who were not shunned, but rather applauded by feminists at large for their statements as proof that feminists do approve of inequalities that they feel favor women.

Feminist Quotes: Equality of the sexes -

''Definitions... MAN: An obsolete life form, an ordinary creature who needs to be watched, a contradictory baby-man; MISANDRY: A refusal to suppress the evidence of one's experience with men, A woman's defense against fear and pain, An affirmation of the cathartic effects of justifiable anger; STRANGERS: Unknowns who, if male, are not to be trusted. Knowns are not to be trusted either; TESTOSTERONE POISONING: ... Until now it has been thought that the level of testosterone in men is normal simply because they have it. But if you consider how abnormal their behavior is, then you are led to the hypothesis that almost all men are suffering from "testosterone poisoning.'' Source - A Feminist Dictionary, ed. Kramarae and Treichler, Pandora Press, 1985

''We are, as a sex, infinitely superior to men.'' Source - Elizabeth Cady Stanton, One Woman, One Vote, pg 58

''If you are a woman you are the center of the home, so when you walk into an empty flat you don't feel there is something missing, the way a man does... I think at the end of the day you have to look at men like elephants; they are wonderful and fascinating, but would you really want one in your living room?'' Source - Marcelle D'argy Smith, (former editor of Cosmopolitan), The Sunday Times, March 24th, 1996

''Perhaps ... women have always been in closer contact with reality than men: it would seem to be the just recompense for being deprived of idealism.'' Source - Germaine Greer, "The Female Eunuch"

''As a sex, we are vastly superior to men, but it is taboo to show it'' Source - Kate Saunders, The Sunday Times, July 16th 1995

Feminist Quotes: Men considered equals? -

''The most dangerous situation for a woman is not an unknown man in the street, or even the enemy in wartime, but a husband or lover in the isolation of their home'' Source - Gloria Steinem, Revolution from Within: A Book of Self-Esteem, pg 259

''All men are rapists, and that is all they are'' Source - Marylin French, People, Febuary 20th, 1983

''Rape is nothing more or less than a conscious process of intimidation by which all men keep all women in a state of fear.'' Source - Susan Brownmiller, "Against Our Will", pg 6

''In everything men make, they hollow out a central place for death, let its rancid smell contaminate every dimension of whatever still survives. Men especially love murder. In art they celebrate it, and in life they commit it. They embrace murder as if life without it would be devoid of passion, meaning, and action, as if murder were solace, still their sobs as they mourn the empitness and alienation of their lives.'' Source - Andrea Dworkin, "Letters from a War Zone", pg 214

Feminist Quotes: Extermination of men is equality? -

''WIE: In your latest book, Quintessence, you describe a utopian society of the future, on a continent populated entirely by women, where procreation occurs through parthenogenesis, without participation of men. What is your vision for a postpatriarchal world? Is it similar to what you described in the book? MD: You can read Quintessence and you can get a sense of it. It's a description of an alternative future. It's there partly as a device and partly because it's a dream. There could be many alternative futures, but some of the elements are constant: that it would be women only; that it would be women generating the energy throughout the universe; that much of the contamination, both physical and mental, has been dealt with.'' Source - Mary Daly, 2001 interview with "What is Enlightenment" magazine

''And let's put one lie to rest for all time: the lie that men are oppressed, too, by sexism--the lie that there can be such a thing as 'men's liberation groups.' Oppression is something that one group of people commits against another group specifically because of a 'threatening' characteristic shared by the latter group--skin color or sex or age, etc. The oppressors are indeed FUCKED UP by being masters (racism hurts whites, sexual stereotypes are harmful to men) but those masters are not OPPRESSED. Any master has the alternative of divesting himself of sexism or racism--the oppressed have no alternative--for they have no power--but to fight. In the long run, Women's Liberation will of course free men--but in the short run it's going to COST men a lot of privilege, which no one gives up willingly or easily. Sexism is NOT the fault of women--kill your fathers, not your mothers.'' Source - Robin Morgan, Goodbye to All That, pg 245, (emphasis hers)

''SCUM will kill all men who are not in the Men's Auxiliary of SCUM. Men in the Men's Auxiliary are those men who are working diligently to eliminate themselves, men who, regardless of their motives, do good, men who are playing pall with SCUM. A few examples of the men in the Men's Auxiliary are: men who kill men; biological scientists who are working on constructive programs, as opposed to biological warfare; journalists, writers, editors, publishers and producers who disseminate and promote ideas that will lead to the achievement of SCUM's goals...'' Source - Valerie Solanis, SCUM, (Society for Cutting Up Men), Manifesto. Note that some feminists try to dismiss criticism of the SCUM Manifesto by claiming it was satire, though its author went on to try and murder Andy Warhol. This Manifesto was published in the Robin Morgan's book Sisterhood is Powerful. Robin Morgan later became an editor for Ms. Magazine and the President of the National Organization for Women in the 1990s.

Famous Feminists -

Lila Abu-Lughod - Anthropologist

Rachel Adler - Jewish theologian

Susan B. Anthony

Gloria Anzaldúa - Poet

Simone de Beauvoir - Philosopher

Ruth Behar - Anthropologist

Judith Butler - Philosopher

Margaret Cho - Actress, Comedian

Kate Chopin - Writer

Sandra Cisneros - Writer

Hélène Cixous - Philosopher

Nellie McClung - Writer, Teacher, one of the "Famous Five"

Mary Daly - Christian theologian

Andrea Dworkin - Writer

Henrietta Muir Edwards

Jean Bethke Elshtain - Philosopher

Marilyn French - Writer, author of ''Beyond Power'', an extensive "history" of patriarchy

Betty Friedan - Writer

Diana Fuss - Professor of English

Jane Gallop - Professor of English

Sandra Gilbert - Professor of English

Emma Goldman - Anarchist, writer

Deborah Gordon - Anthropologist

Germaine Greer - Writer

Sandra Harding - Philosopher

Donna Haraway - Anthropologist

Susannah Heschel - Jewish theologian

bell hooks -Writer and critic

Luce Irigaray - Philosopher

Alison M. Jagger - Philosopher

Kumari Jayawardena - Sri Lankan feminist scholar

Maxine Hong Kingston - Novelist

Biddy Martin - Professor of German studies

Suzanne MacNevin - Writer/chemist

Emily Martin - Anthropologist

Nellie McClung - writer, one of the "Famous Five"

Louise McKinney

Kate Millett - Critic

Chandra Talpade Mohanty - Sociologist

Toril Moi - Professor of literature

Henrietta Moore - Anthropologist

Iris Murdoch - Novelist and philosopher

Emily Murphy - Writer, Magistrate, one of the "Famous Five"

Judith Newton Professor of English

Susan Okin - philsophical and political theorist

Emmeline Pankhurst

Sylvia Pankhurst

Irene Parlby

Judith Plaskow - Jewish theologian

Janice Raymond - Writer

Rayna Rapp Reiter - Anthropologist

Audre Lorde - Poet, essayist, activist

Andrienne Rich - Poet and essayist

Gayle Rubin - Anthropologist

Margaret Sanger

Alice Schwarzer - Writer

Joan Wallach Scott - Historian

Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick - Professor of English

Cindy Sherman - Artist/photographer

Dorothy Smith - Sociologist

Kiki Smith - Artist/sculptor

Valerie Solanas - Author of the SCUM Manifesto

Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak - Professor of English

Judith Stacey - Sociologist

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Carolyn Kay Steedman - Professor of Arts Education

Gloria Steinem - Journalist and publisher

Martha Stewart- Television and magazine personality

T. Minh-ha Trinh - Writer, filmmaker, composer

Sojourner Truth

Alice Walker - Novelist

Monique Wittig - Novelist and critic

Virginia Woolf - Writer

Mary Wollstonecraft - Writer

Sylvia Yanagisako - Anthropologist

Iris Marion Young - Philosopher

See also -

Anarcha-feminism

Anti-racist math

Equal pay for women

Female roles in the world wars

Feminazi

Feminist history in the United States

Feminist history in the United Kingdom

Feminist history in Latin America

Gender-neutral language

History of feminism

Igbo Women's War of 1929

Islamic feminism

Lesbianism

List of feminism topics

List of notable feminists

Marriage strike

Misogyny

Misandry

Radical feminism

Revolutionary Association of the Women of AfghanistanRAWA

Sex in advertising

Sisterhood is Powerful

Testosterone poisoning

Women's Cinema

Books -

Antrobus, Peggy. ''The global women's movement - Origins, issues and strategies'', London, Zed Books 2004

Bradley, Martha Sonntag. '' signaturebooks.com - Pedestals and Podiums: Utah Women, Religious Authority, and Equal Rights'', Salt Lake City, Signature Books 2005

Judith ButlerButler, Judith (1994). "Feminism in Any Other Name", ''differences'' 6:2-3: 44-45.

Kate ChopinChopin, Kate. ''The Awakening''. 1899.

Lorraine Code, ed., ''Encyclopedia of feminist theories'', Routledge 2000

Echols, Alice. ''Daring to Be Bad: Radical Feminism in America, 1967-1975'', University of Minnesota Press 1990

Faludi, Susan. "Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women". 1992 (ISBN 0385425074)

Farrell, Warren. ''Why Men Earn More'' 2005 (ISBN 0-8144-7210-9)

French, Marilyn. ''Beyond Power''; ''War Against Women''; ''From Eve to Dawn'', a 3-volume history of women

Kampwirth, Karen. ''Feminism and the Legacy of Revolution: Nicaragua, El Salvador, Chiapas'', Ohio UP 2004

Gerda Lerner Lerner, Gerda. ''The Creation of Feminist Consciousness: From the Middle Ages to Eighteen-Seventy'', Oxford University Press 1994

Margaret MeadMead, Margaret. ''Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies'' (1935)

Silverman, Kaja. ''Male Subjectivity at the Margins'', p.2-3. New York: Routledge 1992

Sommers, Christina Hoff. ''Who Stole Feminism? - How women have betrayed women'' (1996)

Thomas, Calvin. (ed.) "Introduction: Identification, Appropriation, Proliferation", ''Straight with a Twist: Queer Theory and the Subject of Heterosexuality'', p.39n. University of Illinois Press (2000)

Wertheim, Margaret. ''Pythagoras' Trousers - God, Physics, and the Gender Wars'', W.W. Norton & Co. (1995, 1997)

External links - wikiquote

Feminist organizations -

awpsych.org - Association for Women in Psychology

cawinfo.org - Committee for Asian Women

feministinitiative.bc.ca - FemINist INitiative of BC

feminist.org - Feminist Majority

feministsforlife.org - Feminists for Life - Anti-abortion group in the United States.

naral.org - NARAL Pro-Choice America

now.org - NOW - National Organization for Women in the United States

ppfa.org - Planned Parenthood Federation of America

wluml.org - Women living under muslim laws

Supportive of feminism -

amynelson.co.uk - Women's Wiki Women's Wiki Organization

asian-nation.org - Asian-Nation: Asian American Feminism & Gender Issues

wifp.org - Directory of Women's Media

iinet.net.au - Feminist support pages (Australia)

womenorganizingwomen.com - Don't Be Scared By Feminist Theory

egs.edu - Donna Haraway - Bibliography

fnsa.org - Feminism & Nonviolence Studies

montages.blogspot.com - "I Had an Abortion"

liberalislam.net - Islam from Patriarchy to Feminism from LiberalIslam.net

egs.edu - Judith Butler - Bibliography

synaptic.bc.ca - Naomi Wolf - Resources

fembio.org - FemBio - Notable Women International

synaptic.bc.ca - Susan Faludi - Resources

!personalispolitical.tripod.com - The Personal Is Political

yourquotations.net - Famous Quotes on Feminism

ladywiki.org - LadyWiki - open site for discussion & exchange

ericdigests.org - The Seneca Falls Convention: Teaching about the Rights of Women and the Heritage of the Declaration of Independence

library.arizona.edu - The Sophie Treadwell Collection

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

* plato.stanford.edu - Approaches to Feminism

* plato.stanford.edu - Feminism and Analytic Philosophy

* plato.stanford.edu - Pragmatism and Feminism

* plato.stanford.edu - Topics in Feminismche-lives.com - Smash Patriarchy, Smash the State

Critical of feminism -

Mensactivism.org - Men's Activism News Network

shethinks.org - Independent Women's Forum

ladiesagainstfeminism.com - Ladies Against Feminism

savethemales.ca - SaveTheMale.com by Henry Makow Ph.D.

ifeminists.net - ifeminists

cblpolicyinstitute.org - Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute

nvsh.nl - NVSH

debunker.com - The Domain of Patriarchy

users.bigpond.com - Against feminist sexism: A balanced view of male and female power

jkalb.org - Turnabout: Sex and Gender

equityfeminism.com - Equity feminism

ejfi.org - Equal Justice Foundation: Domestic Violence

eagleforum.org - Eagle Forum

debunker.com - The Noble Lie

ukmm.org.uk - The Masculist Perspective: Response to Feminist Claims

cooltools4men.com - Freedom, Independence & Power for Men

Feminism and religion -

irfi.org - Riffat Hasan on ''Religious conservatism: Feminist theology as a means of combating injustice towards women in muslim communities/culture''

jwa.org - Jewish Women and the Feminist Revolution from the Jewish Women's Archive

History of feminism -

gerritsen.chadwyck.com - The Gerritsen Collection - Women's History Online, 1543-1945

jwa.org - Jewish Women and the Feminist Revolution from the Jewish Women's Archive

web.quipo.it - Frankenstein: A New !Reality!Category:Feminism*Category:WomenCategory:Issue in the Culture !Warsbg:Феминизъмca:Fe minismecs:Feminismusda:Feminis mede:Feminismusel:Φεμινι σμόςes:Feminismoeo:Feminis mofa:فمینیسمfr:Féminis mehi:नारीवादia:F eminismoit:Femminismohe:פמי ניזםlt:Feminizmasmk:Фем инизамnl:Feminismeja:フ ェミニズムno:Feminismenn: Feminismepl:Feminizmpt:Feminis moru:Феминизмsimple:Fe minismsl:Feminizemfi:Feminismi sv:Feminismtr:Feminizmzh:女� �主義

Feminist Studies
Feminist Studies is committed to publsihing an interdisciplinary body of feminist knowledge that sees intersections of gender with racial identity, sexual orientation, economic means, geographical location, and physical ability as the touchstone for our politics and our intellectual analysis. Whether work is drawn from the complex past or the shifting present, the pieces that appear in Feminist Studies address social and political issues that intimately and significantly affect women and men in the United States and around the world. Feminist Studies is published three times a year (spring, summer, and fall).
http://www.feministstudies.org/

The gift economy
This website proposes a point of view on economics which includes the free work of women and the free gifts of nature as the basic gift economy of which exchange economy and the market are abberrations.A paradigm shift is needed which bases the interpretation society on gift giving and discounts Patriarchy and Capitalism.
http://www.gift-economy.com

Women into Politics
Women into Politics is a cross-community organisation, independent of all political parties, promoting good relations and actively encouraging the participation of women in all their diversity.Women Into Politics provides support, encouragement and training to women in order to bring about their full participation at all levels of public and political life. We seek to facilitate the empowerment of women and the transformation of existing political processes and structures. The work in which Women Into Politics engages is based on feminist principles, responsive to the needs of women and children and grounded in a community relations and community development ethos.
http://www.womenintopolitics.org/

Sophia Happening
The writings of Tanis Mager. Contemporary feminism and Goddess writings.
http://www.sophiahappening.net

The English Server
Includes a variety of literature-related materials, including etext archives of prose, poetry, fiction, non-fiction; links.
http://eserver.org/

Center for Digital Discourse and Culture
Publishes hypertext journals, hosts digital research archives, and cooperates with many international cyberculture organizations.
http://www.cddc.vt.edu

Feminist.com
News and community site for information sharing among women on political issues that affect their lives. Includes news, resources, and directory of women-owned businesses.
http://www.feminist.com/

Eskimo North
Provides dial-in and remote access Internet accounts, web hosting and virtual domain services, Frame Relay, T1 connections, and NNTP/UUCP accounts.
http://www.eskimo.com/

The Proceedings of the Friesian School
An electronic journal of philosophy, promoting the principles and the further development of the Critical Philosophy of Kant and the Friesian School.
http://www.friesian.com/