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Feminism requires embrace of intersectionality

Modern+feminism+primarily+favors+privileged+women%2C+reinforcing+the+exploitative+system+of+patriarchy.+The+movement+must+drive+further+progress+in+uplifting+all+women+%E2%80%93+race%2C+ethnicity%2C+sexuality%2C+age+or+socioeconomic+status+aside.+
Grace Hamilton
Modern feminism primarily favors privileged women, reinforcing the exploitative system of patriarchy. The movement must drive further progress in uplifting all women – race, ethnicity, sexuality, age or socioeconomic status aside.

Amid the quiet hum of concentration in the newsroom finalizing our penultimate print issue, one of my female co-editors declared, “I should write an anti-feminist article.” Perplexed, I whipped around and asked her to explain. 

For 30 minutes, we debated our respective positions on feminism. I fundamentally believe men and women should have equal rights, while my co-editor argued that the feminist movement overlooks women of color, the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalized groups.

Entering our dispute, my position was staunch. In my eyes, feminism stands for equality, and anyone against equality is sorely misguided. Yet, as we continued discussing, my position softened. As a white heterosexual woman, I benefit from the movement’s gains. My co-editor, a woman of color, felt the movement overlooked discrimination she faced regularly.

As a white heterosexual woman, I benefit from the movement’s gains.

Womanhood has influenced the biases I hold, the topics I write about, the questions I ask and the books I read. We agreed on its hardship, but her layered experience had shifted her approach to the movement as a whole.

That debate served as an introduction to the notion of intersectional feminism. It is crucial to reform the feminist movement to advocate for women’s equality, particularly women who belong to marginalized groups.

Since its founding a century ago, the feminist movement has made strides in eliminating entrenched racism. Namely, the feminist movement played a crucial function in the Civil Rights Movement, where feminist activists such as Fannie Lou Hamer and Ella Baker worked alongside Black activists to secure the right to vote for Black women, according to the Feminist Majority Foundation.

Nonetheless, the movement must drive further progress in uplifting all women – race, ethnicity, sexuality, age or socioeconomic status aside. 

In fact, only 10% of Americans believe the movement has provided equal benefits to women regardless of socioeconomic status, according to Pew Research Center. Moreover, a mere 21% of Americans believe feminism has rendered significant benefits for Black women.

Thus, modern feminism heavily favors privileged women and upholds the stringent system of patriarchy. Bolstered by a culture of whitewashed activism, most notably seen on TikTok and other social media platforms, feminism’s current function drives against the true potential of justice, simultaneously undermining the movement’s goals to solidify women’s equality.

The movement must drive further progress in uplifting all women – race, ethnicity, sexuality, age or socioeconomic status aside.

Instead of forcing women to succeed within oppressive systems, our school community must strive to dismantle them and contribute to a society where every woman can succeed, regardless of their identifiers. This reformation of feminism requires voting for candidates who prioritize women’s issues and acting against the various manifestations of misogyny. 

We must also consciously avoid tearing others down in our pursuit of personal success. To achieve success, some may perpetuate systemic discrimination and inequality. If a white woman seeks to advance in her career by reinforcing racist stereotypes about women of color, she is perpetuating harm to individuals belonging to that intersectional identity.

Racism has endured for centuries and pervades systems and communities across the globe. Sexism and misogyny similarly continue to impact women today. It is time the two are considered in tandem, not as mutually exclusive.

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About the Contributor
Grace Hamilton, Editor-in-Chief
Grace Hamilton (’23) is the Editor-in-Chief of The Standard. Her love for writing stemmed into a passion for journalism, and she became involved with The Standard in Grade 9. Journalism provides her a powerful platform to inform the ASL community and learn more about local and global perspectives, issues and events. Outside of journalism, Hamilton leads the Sustainability Council, writes creatively and sails competitively.

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    NickApr 26, 2023 at 8:16 pm

    I wonder how that intersectionality will work when other cultures ( and indeed many people within the predominantly white (and other )societies have very different ideas about modern day feminism…

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