WHAT IS RADICAL FEMINISM?
Radical feminism is a distinct branch of feminist thought. The core belief of radical feminism is that women, as a sex class, are oppressed by men, as a sex class. Oppression is the effort to subjugate women by controlling their outward actions and inner beliefs. Oppression can and does occur on multiple levels: by the government, by culture, by family, and by interpersonal relationships. Oppression operates on a systemic level and not an individual one, meaning that a select few individual women who gain power, and individual men who do not seek to control women, do not serve as evidence that a larger system of oppression does not exist. Sex classes are large, immutable groups based on anatomy, and one cannot identify into or out of oppression. Across many different cultures and societies, radical feminists have worked to end female oppression.
What is the goal of radical feminism?
The goal is liberation of all women and girls from male oppression. Liberation is defined as removal from all systems of oppression in a patriarchal system. Some of these forms of oppression in the past included preventing women from owning bank accounts, voting, or owning property. Some current forms of oppression women face worldwide are the fear and reality of male sexual and physical violence, barred access to education, and poor access to female-specific healthcare. Instead of adjusting the patriarchal system to accommodate a few select women, radical feminists seek to dismantle the structures and ways of thinking that prioritize men in order to liberate all women. Radical feminists, like many other schools of feminism hope to accomplish this by raising class solidarity amongst women. Female solidarity means that women across the world and across cultures, age, race, incomes, and other social groups, realize that by working together as a group, we can free ourselves from a system which has caused us untold misery.
What do radical feminists work towards?
- Total Autonomy of Women
Autonomy is the ability of an individual to evaluate the risks and rewards of a given situation and make a knowledgeable decision. Radical feminists first and foremost believe that women have the right to self determination in all areas of their life. Fundamentally, every woman must have the right to exist in physical safety, to control her finances, make her own major life decisions in housing and healthcare, access whatever education and career she wishes, associate with whomever she wants, decide if or when she has children, and to freely express her thoughts. Above all else, radical feminists work towards ensuring women have the legal and practical rights to autonomy.
- Gender Abolition
Radical feminists (as well as the majority of feminist thinkers) define gender as a series of social expectations placed on either sex. These expectations are around how to behave, how to dress and appear to others, and how to think of yourself. Since these expectations vary by time and place, and do not appear in the natural world, they are considered a social construct. Radical feminists strongly oppose the concept of gender, as these expectations have been used to control women for millenia. Socializing girls to value their outward appearance instead of intelligence or skills, feel a constant sense of competition with other girls, to apologize often, and to not be confident in their knowledge are all examples of gendered socialization that we look to get rid of. In other words, radical feminists support gender nonconformity.
- De-Commodification of Women
To commodify is to treat someone as a product, a resource to sell. Radical feminists strongly believe women's bodies and bodily functions are not objects for sale. Thus, industries which dehumanize, traffic, and commodify women, such as the sex industry, pornography, and surrogacy, must come to an immediate end. Women's bodies also must be seen as holistic beings and not simply as a collection of parts to be "enhanced". Thus, industries which capitalize on a manufactured insecurity women have in their bodies in order to sell their products, such as the beauty industry, cosmetic surgery, and the diet industry must end or be radically reformed. Radical feminists are critical of capitalism as it enables these exploitative industries to thrive.
- De-stigmatization of the Female Body
Radical feminists believe that biological sex is not a value statement on a human being, merely an observed physical fact. To be biologically female should not mean any difference in how one should behave or be treated by society. Unfortunately, in our current world, those who are female experience much distress around their bodies due to a multitude of demeaning, untrue messages about ourselves in our cultures. Thus, radical feminists want to change public perception about women's bodies. Objectification means 'to treat like an object', in feminist terms it often means treating women (and sometimes girls) not as full humans, but as sexual objects. Growing up and existing in a culture where women are not seen as in control of their bodies creates a lot of harm and psychological distress for women, which is used to control us. Also, beliefs that women's bodily functions, like menstruating, are dirty and shameful is incredibly harmful for women. The belief that the female body is either inherently more dirty or sexual than a male one is a belief that must end. Thus, radical feminists seek to support those with various forms of bodily distress, including eating disorders and gender dysphoria, by changing cultural attitudes around the female body.
What is the point of this website?
This page intends to educate about the basic tenets and concepts of radical feminism in a neutral and non-inflammatory way, as well as provide resources for further learning. Few other resources on the Internet currently do this. Despite much internet discourse throwing around labels such as "TERF" or "radical feminist", few understand what feminism, let alone radical feminism, actually is. Published by a group of radical feminists, this page presents an introductory view to radical feminist beliefs. Even if you do not agree with a particular ideology, it is beneficial to understand its beliefs beyond a surface level in order to critically deconstruct them.