Radical Feminism

Radical

Feminism

Why, who, when, what?

A basic definition

Radical feminism seeks to eliminate male dominance in all areas of society and recognizes the impact of other social divisions on women, such as race, class, and sexual orientation.

radical feminism timeline

The rise of the movement

Reaches peak

Emergment

1980s-Present

1960s-1970s

1970s

1960s

Gains popularity

Divisions and criticism

“Women have two choices: Either she’s a feminist or a masochist.”

radical feminist

Gloria

Steinem

Her ideals

Gloria Steinem, a key feminist figure, spent 50+ years as an activist and author advocating for women's liberation and gender equality. Steinem used her platform to advance feminist causes and support political candidates. She co-founded the National Women's Political Caucus to increase women's representation in politics. Steinem values empathy and connection to build a just and peaceful society.

Dorothy

Hughes

Feminists vs porn

Radical feminists are against pornography and call for its elimination because they see it as a patriarchal instrument that upholds women's exploitation and oppression on the basis of gender.

Joanna Angel

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Andrea Dworkin

Radical feminist Andrea Dworkin said pornography normalized sexual violence and exploitation, objectified and degraded women, promoted damaging gender norms. Dworkin argued that pornography reinforces harmful gender roles, promotes misogyny, and is a product of patriarchy designed to perpetuate male dominance and control over women's bodies and sexuality. Dworkin called for the abolition of pornography, stating that it is inherently exploitative and harmful to women, and cannot be regulated or reformed. She proposed the creation of non-exploitative alternatives.

Her ideals

Andrea

Dworkin

"Pornography is used in rape - to plan it, to execute it, to choreograph it, to engender the excitement to commit the act.

Andrea Dworkin

KILL ALL MEN

Radical feminists tend to use it a lot, meaning to kill men's sexist and patriarcachal ideology. Some people have also tried to commit suicide after hearing this phrase said against them, such as an 11 year old boy from the USA.

A feminist is any woman who tells the truth about her life.

The Women's Organisation

Virginia Woolf

Bibliography

“Don't Write off Radical Feminism – It's Always Been Ahead of Its Time | Finn Mackay.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 17 Oct. 2021, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/oct/17/radical-feminism-social-justice. Duriesmith, David, and Sara Meger. “Returning to the Root: Radical Feminist Thought and Feminist Theories of International Relations: Review of International Studies.” Cambridge Core, Cambridge University Press, 4 May 2020, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/review-of-international-studies/article/returning-to-the-root-radical-feminist-thought-and-feminist-theories-of-international-relations/89763892A2973CE63AE77E1B17767EB9. Lewis, Jone Johnson. “What Is Radical Feminism?” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 25 Nov. 2020, https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-radical-feminism-3528997.