The discourse of feminisms (in plural) is definitely an aspect that is many times overlooked when observing the way women have come to terms with their identity and establish their place in a political, private, public and intimate contexts. Questioning structures of power and inequality not always results in the simple elimination of the external force that install such structures, as Rubin says in her introduction (770), because our own perspective is also destabilized, renewed and redefined in the process. The emancipation and awareness is also painful for women who have lived with the belief of achieving happiness as long as the foundation of social relations, unequal or equal, remains intact.
Far from a unified, homogeneous movement, Western feminism reproduced the same structure of negligence to different determinations that affect women inside the movement. Lorde (856) looked into her own case when explaining all the layers that interact in her identity and its implications: African American (or Black to be more precise), lesbian, women and how not even African American literature is included in women’s literature or any literature course in general in her critique to the movement from the inside. Heng reveals in a similar way the dynamics and determinations that the State, society and the market play in the development of particular feminisms in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, usually judged by Western feminists for not following a confrontational, opposed-to-the-state activism or for having ground in the tradition or folklore as archaic ideas, ignoring the need for legitimation in the local context.
The complexity toward adopting and defending feminist ideals in the 3rd world also includes the “theoretical dependence” taboo that undermines any serious attempt to question ancient frames of thought and representation. When I lived in Colombia in the 1990s and volunteered in an shelter for abused women, the executive board was always afraid of adopting a feminist approach as the organization would be seen as copying a foreign discourse that has no sustainable ground in Colombian society, and the same women in need might refuse to ask for help. Another fear was to be perceived as “too leftist”. Since the organization received funding from the government, they wanted to avoid being identified as a guerrilla-supporter- organization. In that case, we can observe how male oppression is not the only determinant in the emergence, development and survival of a movement that need to recognize all the variables (social stigma, economic and political conditions) at play in specific contexts.
Something interesting that I also observed while was there was the different attitudes and contradictions toward self-proclaimed “feminist”. The first reaction women and men had toward the feminist was that she was miserable, bitter, lesbian and that was raped once at least. Surprisingly, women in Colombia are encouraged to study and work although there is still inequality in a lot of areas (i.e. salary), but it is still expected that they carry out all domestic tasks if there are not female maids around. Usually, when this structure is questioned by a girl, is another woman (the mother) who corrects the deviant behavior. I always thought our emancipation in the public sphere (vote, representation) served to increase our burden as it was not accompanied by education and acceptance in the private/intimate sphere. Of course, this does mean we have to go back in order to be the “angel of the house” and have an “easier” life, but to be aware about internal mindsets in both women and men about feminism.
Hola Liliana,
I wanted to thank you for writing such an interesting blog post in which you shared with us some of your insights into the everyday manifestations of feminism during your experience in Colombia. It was very interesting to hear that since the organization received funding from the government, they were weary of being perceived as ?too leftist? and that they didn?t want to be identified with possibly supporting guerrilla organizations. I definitely agree with you that these fears are indeed the result of how hard it is to recognize all of the variables that are at play in different contexts and how hard it is for a women?s organization to function inside an established hierarchical system. I also really liked that your post touched on how sometimes women are weary of identifying themselves as ?feminist? ? in my experience in undergraduate courses especially, female students often didn?t want to identify themselves as ?feminist? because they were weary that this term meant something really aggressive, militant, and that implied a hate of men ? when I don?t think it really means that at all; in my books it means that one supports women?s rights, whether one is male or female.
Hi Liliana! In the last part of your very interesting post, you mention something that I wondered about a couple of times that is to say the domination of a feminist discourse by women over women themselves: I have observed that somehow, it became not “politically correct” not to be feminist, especially in an academic feminine lefty background. Therefore, wanting to be a housewife is seen as the reproduction of social order and a mistake from women’s part. But I am wondering about the oppression that feminism can therefore exercise on women, through such a discourse. And that is when external measures or act of speeches (such as proclaiming the equity of right, vote …etc) Can not be followed by actual practises of self liberation by women. Indeed, we are still expected to be at home to take care of the kids. It is important to be able not to do it if we don’t want to but what if we want to?
All in all, I feel that the fight in an endless one, as shows Lorde’s text: we can always find more oppressed people than others. I guess my question is : isn’ t the imperative of “fighting” sometimes masking or impeding the real liberation of women, that is not directed towards an hypothetical male enemy or system, but rather the awareness of the constructed world we live in, day after after day, and a renewal of personal choices or at least the possibility to question our choices?
I totally agree with you on the right to choose what we want and fight against cultural constructs on what to be a woman means. That’s an answer that only everyone can find inside and it’s hard when you find all these prejudices and negative perceptions that oppress even more. I have to recognize that I am part of the problem because whenever I hear a woman to say that she wants to have children and be a housewife, my first reaction is “how come?”. For me this is such a negative thing (and I’m a mother!!), and that only shows that I am not listening and respecting that person’s right to develop herself however she would like to.