YOUR miniGUIDE
<Feminism
what is feminism? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The belief in working towards the social, economic, and political equality of the sexes.â&#x20AC;?
why do we need it? Women around the world fight sexual, and domestic violence, pay inequality, poverty, rape culture, and discrimination. White women make $0.77 for every $1.00 a white man makes. There is an even larger gap of, $0.64 for women of color. Women do not have complete autonomy to their reproductive health.
brief timeline 1869
Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton form the National Woman Suffrage Association
1920
19th Amendment passes, giving white women the right to vote
1966
The National Organization for Women (NOW) is Founded
1848, Seneca Falls, NY First womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rights convention
1916, Brooklyn NY
Margaret Sanger opens first birth control center, it is closed after just 10 days
1923 Alice Paul drafts the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
1972
The ERA is passed by Congress and sent to states for ratification
1973
1982
ERA ratification efforts fail
source: www.pbs.org/ independentlens/ sistersof77/timeline.html
In Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court legalizes abortion
1994
The Violence Against Women act increases services for rape and domestic violence victims
common misconceptions
Arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t all feminists, man-hating, bra burning lesbians? No, because feminism is not exclusively for women, and many of those women are not man-hating, bra-burning lesbians, that means men can be feminist too. Plus, feminism is not anti-men, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s anti the patriarchal society we live in.
You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be feminine and a feminist.
As long as it by choice, and not because of society telling you what to do or who to be, then there is not a problem with being feminine.
definition of terms sex:
identification of biological gender; refers to o chromosomes gender: behaviors, roles, expectations, and activities sexual orientation: whether a person feels sexual desire for peo gender, or both genders gender identity: how you feel about and express your gender sexism: a set of beliefs claiming that real or alleged d men establish the superiority of men patriarchy: a system which puts men in power over wom male traits misogyny: the hatred or dislike of women or girls intersectionality: study of intersections between systems of op complex multiple facets of identity of an indiv sex and age sources: University of Texas Gender and Sexuality Center, American Psychology Association, Planned Parenthood
Feminism ONLY helps women.
Not at all, feminism stands with transgender, non-binary,
? genderqueer, and agender individuals as well as those with many other gender identities.
Things are already equal for men and women, we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need feminism.
Actually, things are not equal for men and women. Women are still discriminated against for their race, class, and sexual orientation. They are still not paid the same as their male peers, do not have full autonomy of their reproductive rights, and are not equally represented in media, politics, and business.
our sexual anatomy and
s in society; masculine vs. feminine ople of the other gender, same
r differences between women and
men and children, and favors
ppression by examining the vidual such as race, gender, class,
what you can do Read. “Read about history, power structures, race relations, gender, the problematic waves of feminism in the past, and intersectional feminism.” “Educate yourself, listen to others as they talk about their experiences, and stand in solidarity with those who are trying to make change.” “Educate your friends and peers.” Talk to other people about it. Engage in discussion about feminist issues.
reminders “Since forms of oppression and identities are intertwined, we must fight racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and other forms of oppression to truly combat misogyny.” “The biggest inequality a woman faces differs woman to woman based on her circumstances and privileges. To try to pick one or a few inequalities speaks over women and presents a onedimensional feminism that is not intersectional.” “If you are privileged, use your privilege to amplify the voices of women who are silenced. Never speak over them.”
resources authors
Angela Davis Audre Lorde Betty Friedan bell hooks Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Gloria Steinam Margaret Atwood Naomi Wolf Roxane Gay
websites
bitchmedia.com everydayfeminism.com feministing.com feministcurrent.com
Š Maddie George 2015
*Quotes were taken from interviews I conducted for this zine. The information presented comes from those interview answers, unless otherwise specified.