Feminism Must Reach Out To All The Affected Women

Feminism is a global movement and its not only women empowerment it’s also against capitalism, sexism and now it’s high time that the world addresses this.

The media marked by debates on equal rights, sexual violence seems to be an omnipresent subject, the feminist discourse at its peak, that was the year 2018 so far. The next movement has started rolling, change is in the air, the feminist word is no longer a dirty word – it seems to be running, you might think. Unfortunately, no.
What we can currently observe is at the same time a maximum of capitalistic excess.

And Ain’t I A Woman?

Feminism, what exactly does that mean? First and foremost, to feel that equality is justice. And of course, justice as something worth striving for. Basically, to lift categorizations, to work towards an egalitarian society. So, what’s the problem?

The new feminist cyber movement, triggered by #metoo and co, is largely confined to a specific group of people: White, western, heterosexual women. As much as one may enjoy the developments so far, they should also be considered as critical. Because a very large proportion of the affected was left out. It’s about women worldwide, women of colour, homosexual women, trans women, women without access to the Internet, women living in societies dominated by much more primitive sexism.

White, European, heterosexual women remain a minority who remain discriminated against, no question.

But just as Sojourner Truth did almost two centuries ago, many people today could ask symbolically:

“And ain’t I a woman?”

Double minorities are always exposed to double discrimination.
And as a result, in this feminist discourse, they have completely disappeared.

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Capitalist sexism

What is happening is important and good. But not enough.

This is not a “what about ism”. But a call to involve inter-sectional minorities more.

The German women’s quota has brought nothing to the average middle-class woman, who will never work in a leadership position, #metoo has never reached the southern hemisphere.

Most feminists have properly identified capitalism as the source of racism and sexism, but are we not part of the problem if a whole feminist wave benefits only the winners of this economic system?

Feminism in the context of global developments

The world is currently on the brink – social disparities are widening, climate change threatens to become the hangman of humanity, and the social center is slipping to the right worldwide. In short, capitalism shows its long-anticipated extent. But in one respect, something seems to be moving. The women’s movement is blossoming again. A reason for joy. But also to become even more alert! If the focus remains as one-sided as it has been, it will not move outside the barriers of capitalism, its source, and thereby support it. And by that, it becomes part of the actual problem.

So, to all the fighters out there: Feminism works only consequent! It is important to reach out to all the affected and to include their problems. Because national emancipation is exclusionary and does not serve its own purposes at all.

Image Source – Pixabay

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