The Rise of the Feminist is it good or bad?

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I was flicking through Youtube (as you do) I found some video's with feminists asking stupid questions. Really dumb stuff, why are men seen as the stronger sex? Men should be taught not to rape etc.

Ricky Gervais answered that one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYbQ3O1ebv8

I understand Feminists want (wanted) equality, that's fine, but men and women are not physically "equal" . Our bodies are designed to do different things.

Men are physically stronger. Men's bodies are designed to fight to breed with women, to defend their women and children. Men have around 50% more upper body strength.

Women's bodies are designed to build babies, a lot of energy goes into building a baby inside your body. Women are generally more resistant to disease than men.
Just look at the ratio of covid deaths. July 20 to July UK - 21 222 per 100,000 males, 158 per 100,000 females.

I was shocked to find how many women say they are feminists in the UK. Most of the women I know are in no way feminists. They are happy in traditional roles and wouldn't want it any other way. I am getting on though and many of the ones I know are over 50.

The two I know are in their 20' and 30's. The older one accused me of manslpaning once, I got my own back later by accusing her of womansplaining. She didn't think that was possible until she looked it up on her phone. She was working at an event for me. Later she was chatting with another woman about how much they hated men who dyed their hair. I pointed out she dyed her hair ginger. She said it's not the same thing, and men who dyed their hair were being dishonest? She couldn't see the double standards.

The other is a woman I work with. She is really nice, and accepts guys as just being guys. She even asked for a woman to be sacked when she drunkenly grouped a colleague. I laughed at the time , and she quite correctly pointed out "what do you think would happen if he was doing that to her ?" That to me is a real feminist. She wanted real equality.

The woman was sacked much later for not doing her job well. Strangely enough she accused the guy she had grouped before , of later,at a Christmas party of coming onto her and intimidating her. That same night she asked me to feel her breasts and "see what you think of them". I told her how inappropriate that would be. She was drunk , I wasn't.

This is one survey about women who say they are feminists.
One the most feminist countries, always seemed to me to be the USA, It seems to have the most vocal feminists. I wonder who has the TURFest?

Sweden
Sweden leads the pack in self-identifying feminist with 46% of the women in that country giving the nod to that description. Considered the gold standard of gender parity, Sweden’s equal opportunity in employment, health care, and a litany of social safety protections.

France
France ranks directly behind Sweden with a 30% of women claiming that they are feminist. Sharing many of the societal safety nets as Sweden, French women benefit from a standard of living that allows for a sense of parity in the country.

Italy
Italian women self-identify as feminist at an approximate rate of 25% of the population. Woman enjoy a myriad of policies aimed towards parity of genders in the economy, and the country has in place family-friendly policies, such as paid maternal leave.

Great Britain
Great Britain’s female population roughly mirrors the numbers shown in France, 25%, which has witnessed growth in rights and privileges under the auspices of the nation’s social safety net. Heath care and economic parity fuels the belief of this portion of the population in feminism.

Australia
In the Land Down Under, Australia’s women consider themselves feminist by a fairly large percentage. Like all nations in the Commonwealth, social engineering and access to healthcare allows for a feeling of gender parity.

United States
Of women in the United States, 20% of the country have given the nod to the self-identification as feminist. Unlike some European countries however, the lack of an adequate social safety net belies the actual level of parity between the genders.

Turkey
Long the most western looking of the Arab nations, Turkish women have outstripped their Arab colleagues in identifying as feminists. This secular outlook, as compared with other nations in the region, helps boost the identification of women in the nation as feminists.

Denmark
Like many countries of Northern Europe, women in Denmark identify as as a feminists, but unlike those other nations, Danish women are probably more likely to ignore catcalls as unimportant or trivial. It can be postulated that the Dane’s opinions on what is acceptable in society.

Comments

Interesting data

RobertaME's picture

I always find statistical data like this to be fascinating. As a former Statistical Data Analyst I can't help but see the myriad of ties between seemingly unrelated data.

One slight correction to your point though. I've been doing a lot of research for my next book, Silver Lining which is set in the 19th century when the first "feminist movements" were beginning. You used the term, "I understand Feminists want (wanted) equality," but that's not exactly correct. The first feminists wanted equal rights... that is, to be treated equally with men under the law. When they got that, they moved the goalposts to want equal opportunity in employment, housing, etc. All that was fine and I agree with wholeheartedly.

What I personally disagree with is the modern feminist that wants equal outcomes... i.e. an equal number of men and women in all occupations, regardless of what women actually want, or are fit, to do. Life is inherently unfair. Women will never have equal outcomes with men, unless the distinction between the two is entirely eliminated... which is physically impossible because, as you point out, men and women are not physically equal... and never will be. Nature and biology won't let us. The strongest man will always be stronger than the strongest woman... but then, men don't live as long, being much more likely to die in dangerous work such as police, firefighting, construction, etc. which their stronger nature makes them fit for... at a cost.

I guess the difference with me is that I'm OK with that inequality. As the French say, Vive la différence! I may be a lesbian and find no attraction to men personally, but I wouldn't want my two boys to be shoved down in life just because they're men now.

Just a perspective to consider,
Roberta

I totally agree. Some of the

leeanna19's picture

I totally agree. Some of the video's showed young women spouting utter nonsense. It was like they were indoctrinated into a cult where everything wrong everywhere was men's fault . Much of it made no sense and was illogical. She spouted how women were paid less than men, but when a guy countered the survey did not take into account the hours that men and women worked she just got upset. If you argue with these women you get called a misogynist.

There was one great clip with a female pro sports women was being poked to complain about pay gap between the man. She said " When the women's sport attracts the same audience, then the pay should be the same."

These women that are taught they are just as good as men at everything lead to rows like John MacEnroe got in. A reporter seemed to take offense with him when he said Williams was the best female tennis player in the world. She said why didn't you just say best tennis player? he said she isn't.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSwJrQ3-1tQ

Most guys would agree women should not be discriminated against , because they are women, but they should not be given privilege because they are women,

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Leeanna

Some facts

leeanna19's picture

Here are some facts some guy posted about "equality" it was an od post so it has probably got worse.

Unsheltered Homeless (2009)
Women – 12,000 – 4%
Men – 240,000 – 96%

Life Expectancy (2006)
Women – 80.8 Years
Men – 75.7 Years

Suicides (2008)
Women – 7,585 - 19%
Men – 28,450 - 81%

Deaths by Homicide (2004)
Women – 3,856 – 20%
Men – 14,717 – 80%

Deaths from Cancer (2004)
Women – 269,819
Men – 290,069

Deaths from HIV/AIDS (2004)
Women – 3,357
Men – 8,756

Federal Funds for Sex Specific Cancer Research
Women – Breast Cancer – $631,000,000 - 40,000 Deaths
Men – Prostate Cancer – $300,000,000 - 33,000 Deaths

Deaths on the Job (2010)
Women – 355 - 7%
Men – 4,192 - 93%

Injuries on the Job (2007)
Women – 36%
Men – 64%

College Enrollment (2009)
Women – 58% - 11,658,000
Men – 42% - 8,770,000

Affirmative Action Education Programs (Gender Specific)
Women – Yes
Men – No

Unemployment Rates (2010)
Women – 8.6% – 6,199,000
Men – 10.5% - 8,626,000

Average Hours Worked Per Week (2010)
Women – 36.1
Men – 40.2

High School Graduation Rates (2005)
Women – 72%
Men – 65%

Incarceration Rates (2009)
Women – 114,979 - 7%
Men – 1,502,49 - 93%

Child Custody Rates
Women – 11,268,000 custodial mothers
Men – 2,907,000 custodial fathers

US Military Deaths From 1950 – 2010
Women – 139 - 0.001%
Men – 100,063 - 99.99%

Federally Funded Battered Shelters
Women – 2,000+ $300,000,000 per year
Men – None – $0

Federally Funded Health Offices and Research 1970 – Present (not including cancer research)
Women Only – Office, Projects and Programs 70+ – Funds – $100,000,000,000
Men Only – None – $0

Forced Selective Service
Women – No
Men – Yes

Drug and Alcohol Addiction and Abuse Rates (2010)
Women – 5.8%
Men – 12.2%

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Leeanna

My definition of a feminist

Ghandi said (I believe he wasn't the first)

to each according to his need, from each according to his ability

My definition of a feminist is someone who wishes to remove gender from the pronouns in that aim.

With a definition like that, I would hope everyone, whether or not a man or woman, would be a feminist.

Not Sure How Gandhi Would Feel...

...about being confused with Karl Marx, who popularized the slogan "from each according to his ability; to each according to his need," in 1875.

Eric

He wouldn't mind

RobertaME's picture

https://www.mkgandhi.org/momgandhi/chap55.htm

In the above link it quotes Gandhi as saying, "The real meaning of economic equality is "To each according to his need." That is the definition of Marx."

In many of Gandhi's writings he espouses the Socialist ideal stated above.

It sounds good on paper... until you get to that sticky word "from" in from each according to his ability. That implies a taking from those with ability to produce. Nobody likes things taken from them... and few will do it willingly without a good reason. So how do you get from those with ability if they won't give it up willingly? The only alternatives are to either give them a good reason, which is difficult and often a pointless exercise in futility due to the nature of greed, or to force it from them against their will.

It gets ugly after that...

Feminism is a necessary thing of course

That is how we got the right to vote, advocating for what we are.

My mother grew up in Chinese society where a healthy dose of feminism was way overdue,

What is never quantified is the overall oppression women are in terms of freedoms due to their 'physical inferiority' in the vast parts of the world.

Being as a women means you cannot do things solo due to the ever present possibility of being raped whereas men can or the ever present possibility of rape in certain societies due to the entitlement of men (I am looking at you India).

Men own most of the wealth in the world too as well as the bulk of political power.

Sorry but I have the tiniest violin for the few drawbacks being men have.

Nope, I am not 'anti-men' but please I will not accept the victim card being played here.

I hear a lot of justifiable criticisms of the radical feminists of course but that is true of any form of radicals be it radical lefts or the radical or alt rights and that sort of people.

I think the problem is that

leeanna19's picture

I think the problem is that feminism only gets reported on when it's radical. Like protests only get reported when they are ugly. While I agree about rape. Men are 3 times as likely to be attacked and killed than women, but they are not specifically targeted for their sex. Men commit most of the crime, but just saying men sort it out, is pointless. Most men would just say how? What do you want me to do?

A woman should be able to walk anywhere without fear, so should men. It won't happen soon, there are too many evil people around. OK mostly men, but men are the ones currently that keep our world going so you can't lock them all up.

Men in general support women's rights. No reasonable man wants to see his sister , daughter, wife or mother being discriminated against.

But saying "I will not accept the victim card being played here." Kimmie, is exactly what some men are saying about feminism.

Everyone is too close to their own problems to see anyone else's . There should be no need for women's rights, there should just be human rights. Everyone's need should be accounted for.

Someone told me once the ruling elite keep the rest of us at each other throats to stay in power. I often think that it true. Race against race, class against class, rich against poor, even men against women.

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Leeanna

Uhh

Ricky Gervais is a rampant transphobe. I don't really give a crap what he says.

Feminism is necessary. The only problem is, it has no place in it for trans women or AMAB/CAMAB nonbinary trans people. At least not currently, maybe that will change. Anecdotal evidence, is not proof of anything. Peer reviewed and accredited studies have proven feminism necessary, especially in well the world. There is numerous cases of women not getting the same pay as men, and it's not just limited to gender. Race plays a HUGE factor too with Latina women earning the least in the US at least.

TERFs exist, but they are not the majority of feminism.

They are basically 2nd wave boomers who refuse to acknowledge the problems second wave feminism has. IN my experience radical anything has always been bad, radical feminism is not an exception. The best feminism to date is Intersectional Feminism. It still isn't the best towards AMAB/CAMAB trans people, even Black AMAB/CAMAB trans people, which is really unfortunate.

Gender roles are Bull Shit, they don't need to exist at all. If a woman wants to be 'submissive' then that's her choice. She doesn't need to be pressured into it because of religion or some other dumb reason. Same with a guy doesn't need to be pressured to be "dominant" or some other stupid thing that is just femmephobia or homophobia. Legit seen guys who think wiping their butt is gay and so they won't do it. Utterly disgusting they were. Men shoudln't be like that

Then there is nonbinary people and they should be allowed to do whatever they want to do.

Mandatory gender roles, can die in a fire

Gender is a spectrum, and there is nothing wrong with that ♥

For the record I'm a very binary latina trans woman, so I'm not advocating removing gender, just gender roles. Also feminism is necessary, I'm just not one for the aforementioned reasons

I know who I am, I am me, and I like me ^^
Transgender, Gamer, Little, Princess, Therian and proud :D

I'm not trans, at the moment

leeanna19's picture

I'm not trans, at the moment anyway. If I were I'd understand trans problems better, and to some degree, women's problems. Not all women's problems as many are due to reproduction.

I present mostly as a straight white guy .I'm not, but that's my face to the world. I'm told that as such I'm king of the world and everything is my fault.
I don't feel like king of the world and I don't know how to stop everything being my fault, because this is how I experience life.

It's hard to see inequalities if you don't live them. I don't think the UK has the same degree of racism as the USA. We never had laws on segregation., but again I'm white so that could be bullshit . The only person who would know is someone of colour that has been to both countries.

An easy test is to say to yourself "Would I like to be" etc

Yes gender roles were an necessary evil due to physical differences in early societies. You are right we don't need to rely on them now.

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Leeanna