BY:
HABIBU GENTE
DATE: Saturday, 25 February. 2017
As last week, let us continue the mental journey ;
Feminism was divided by scholars into different movements according to the prevailing problem of that era. Here are some of the approach of feminism.
1. Radical feminism :They blame the exploitation of women on men. Be radical feminist, It is primarily men who have benefited from the subordination of women. According to Valerie Bryson (1999), radical feminists see women as an oppressed group who had to struggle for their own liberation against their oppressors that is, against men.
Under this there are subgroups emerged from 'radical feminism'
*Separatist feminism : They argue that women should organize independently of men outside the male dominated society. A few like lead revolutionary feminist group (1982), argue that only lesbians can be true feminists, since can be fully independent of men.
*Female supremacists :They argue that women are not just equal but equally morally superior to men. They wish to see patriarchy replaced with matriarchal,. And they believe men are not responsible only for the exploitation of women, but also for many other problems like war, conflict, destruction of environment, the abuse of science so that it's fail to meet human needs.
2. Radical-liberalanin feminists : They believe that it's both possible and desirable for gender difference to be eradicated, or at least greatly reduced. They therefore, aim for a state of 'androgyny' in which men and women are not significantly different. They believe that difference between masculine and feminine are socially constructed,. If they are removed, then equality between men and women will can follow,.
3. Radical cultural feminists : They believe in the superiority of the feminine. As Tong put it;
'Far from believing that the liberated women must exhibit both masculine and feminine traits and behavior, these radical - cultural feminists expressed their view that is better to be female /feminine than it is to be male/masculine. Thus women should not try to be like men'.
4. Liberal feminism :They moderate and it's views pose less of a challenge to exciting values. Liberal feminists aim for gradual change in the political, economic, and social system societies. To liberal feminist nobody benefits from exciting gender inequalities. Both men and women are harmed. The explanation of this situation, according to liberal Feminist lies not so much in structures and institutions of the society, but in its culture, and activities of individuals.
The creation of equal opportunities, particularly in education and work, is the main of liberal feminists. One of the example where they succeeded is in Britain where 'sex discrimination act of 1975' was enacted through gradual legislation process.
This liberal feminism is the exact perspective of 'Feminism' we have in Africa although, in a different name 'Black feminism'. But all their outlook are very the same with that if liberal feminism in the western world, if this is the case I see no reason why majority of people will be having misconceptions about the movement of Black feminism. Though, many people thoughts and believe that what feminists are aiming for is equal rights on every thing even the Divine ordained stratification like share of inheritance which if should be equally shared between men and women Islamic laws has totally frown upon it. I tell you today it's not the case, take that believe off your mind. Black feminism is about creating equal opportunity in education and work and not any other which is spiritual and purely Divine.
