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Brady Press
Dr. RudeWalker
ENGL 137H
5 December 2014
The Anti-Feminist Movement
An unfortunate truth of human nature is that our stubbornness regarding opposing ideals
often hinders progress in society. The phenomenon that a group takes “one step forward, two
steps back” describes the current state of the feminist movement. The lack of progression toward
gender equality is due to the paradigm shift in the connotation of the word feminism, which is
now seen as synonymous to “man hater,” steering countless women and men away from
embracing the movement that fared so well in the 1960’s and 70’s. There have always been
opponents of feminism, but unlike the adversaries of the past, today’s opposition is actively
fighting back in an organized movement, as evidenced by the website Women Against Feminism
that is taking the media by storm. A new anti-feminist movement has arose from the tainting of
the term feminism, which occurred due to both an influx of influential conservatism in the 1970’s
and 80’s as well as a more recent rise in technology in society that has resulted in the unification
of women who resist feminist activism, but nevertheless share some feminist ideals.
Historically through both the first wave of feminism in the 1920’s, and the second wave
in the 1960’s and 70’s, the term feminism stood for equality of the sexes, and was favorable to all
women who wanted their own identities and to feel they served a greater purpose in life. The
feminist movement was accepted as being “not rigidly structured or led by a single figure or
group… that [did] things collectively and experimentally” (American). Despite the movement
being divided between young and old, upper and lower class and conservative versus radical
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women, it remained a cohesive and successful fight for civil rights; and while there was no single
leader, there were a handful of influential women who shaped the goals of the feminist
movement. One of the most prominent women of the time was Betty Friedan, whose influential
book, The Feminine Mystique, brought forth the idea that women could excel outside of being
housewives and mothers. Gloria Steinem was also an extremely active feminist who advocated
for the Equal Rights Amendment and revealed the corrupt working conditions and mistreatment
of female employees in establishments, specifically Playboy, where she worked as an undercover
reporter posing as a Playboy bunny. She also launched Ms. magazine, the first publication to
feature the subject of domestic violence on its cover in 1976 (Lepore). Both women, along with
other activists, helped form the National Woman’s Political Caucus exclusively aimed at
increasing female political and social participation (History). Other significant achievements
included the formation of the National Organization for Women, which lobbied congress for proequality laws and battled workplace discrimination, the significant decision in Roe v. Wade,
which gave women the right to a safe and legal abortion, the legalization of birth control, and
Title IX, which banned sex discrimination in schools, college sports, and the workplace.
There have always been opponents to the feminist movement who are wary of women
gaining equal rights, but the degradation of the term feminism began with the emergence of a
conservative movement in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s that drove politics for the next three
decades, and was led by a growing Christian right wing (Conservatism). This backlash neglected
gay rights as well as abortion rights, and hurt the women’s rights movement by blocking the
passage of the Equal Rights Amendment in Congress (American). Just like the feminist
movement, the wave of conservatism had influential leaders such as Jerry Falwell and Pat
Robertson. Jerry Falwell was a conservative political commentator and leader of the “Moral
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Majority,” which lobbied for prayer in schools and opposed the Equal Rights Amendment,
homosexual rights, and abortion. Pat Robertson was the Chairman of the Christian Broadcasting
Network, and also formed the Christian Coalition that prioritized traditional family values over
female independence. Both groups became potent forces in the Republican Party, and the two
men gained huge followings (Conservatism). They promoted that “homosexuality was a crime
against God, and that a woman’s place was in the home in support of her family,” clearly
contrasting the work of Friedan and Steinem (New Right). The use of television spread these
conservative ideals like wildfire in the U.S., and by the mid- 1970’s more than 25% of American
adults identified as born-again Christians (New Right).
Aside from the damage that the wave of conservatism had on women, Republican talk
show host Rush Limbaugh greatly contributed to the feminist’s downfall. Throughout the 1990’s,
Limbaugh coined the term “feminazi” to describe feminists on his radio show, and later in 2004
adopted the term to compare feminist’s “pro-choice” stance on abortion to acts committed by
Nazis, demonstrating an incredibly conservative and exaggerated point of view (Larson).
Limbaugh is a prominent political figure that bashes feminists daily; for example, he proclaimed
that Hillary Clinton “needs Spanx for her fat ankles” (Limbaugh). He is feeding the media
followers with anti-feminist slurs, and although some recognize Limbaugh’s ludicrousness, many
conservatives rally behind his anti-feminist actions and the promotion of gender inequality.
In addition to the conservative movement, the recent surge in technology has also
contributed to the shift in the meaning of the word feminism because these Tumblr pages make is
incredibly easy for anyone to instantly view the anti-feminist propaganda and post their opinions.
In the 1920’s, 60’s and 70’s it was difficult for women who were against feminism to broadcast
their views to the public and to gain a following. Opponents existed, but were by no means of
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political movement status. That has changed with this generation, where a single “selfie” sparked
an entire backlash movement that is not only prevalent because of its own postings, but also
because it is now being discussed on the televised news and in online articles. The use of
technology is convenient for the activists, but it also poses the issue that none of these claims are
filtered. In other words, these women are posting bold statements about feminism that are not
necessarily true or factual by any means.
Although differing views of women did not inhibit the progression of women’s rights in
America in the 1960’s and 70’s, worldwide today they are separating the once unified gender
into two groups, feminists and anti-feminists, whose opposing ideals are impeding the movement.
The bold actions of feminists are alienating large groups of women who feel that the feminists
are victimizing themselves and that the feminist movement dubs all men as rapists and sexists.
These alienated women also feel that they are attacked and rejected by feminists when they
express any opinion that challenges the feminist perspective. This has spurred a viral Tumblr
page called Women Against Feminism where modern women post pictures of themselves holding
up signs explaining why they do not need feminism. This contrasts the second wave of feminism
in which activists worked around their differing opinions and the focus always remained on the
goal of reaching equality, whereas now these two groups are pitted against each other. The
Women Against Feminism Page includes statements such as:
I don’t need feminism because I already have the same equal rights as men…and fighting
for gender superiority is not fighting for gender equality…I don’t need feminism
because being a woman is not a disadvantage…Paying for your birth control is no one’s
responsibility but your own. If you can’t afford it, be a responsible adult and don’t have
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sex…I don’t need feminism because I don’t hate all men, I love my boyfriend, I am not
a victim, and its not wrong to believe in traditional family values (Women Against).
Similar to the Women Against Feminism page, there are additional anti-feminist Tumblr pages
such as Why We Don’t Need Feminism, which bluntly states that “society as a whole would be
better off if feminism did not exist.” This page has similar quotes:
I don’t need feminism because I don’t need to rely on other women to empower me. I’m
strong enough to do that on my own…I don’t need feminism because it creates a larger
gap between men and women than there was before…I don’t need feminism because I
can do anything a man can do…I don’t need feminism because my brother who was
domestically abused by his girlfriend doesn’t matter according to feminists (Why We
Don’t).
There is clearly a disconnect between how feminists were viewed in the past and how they are
viewed today. The anti-feminists are attacking feminists and the feminist movement as a whole.
Whether or not feminists take responsibility for these claims against them does not matter
because, nevertheless, these websites reflect how they are viewed in today’s society.
While some of these quotes bring forth good points about the flaws of modern feminism,
a lot of the women proposing that they “don’t need feminism because…” are actually advocating
feminist ideals within their own backlash movement. One argument is that the anti-feminists do
not understand the definition of the word feminism, which is “the theory of political, economic,
and social equality of the sexes” (Young). The women who declare that they do not need
feminism because they support equality of the sexes express this misunderstanding. While the
feminist movement might focus on equality for women, the ultimate goal of the movement is
equality for all sexes. Since the male standard of living and treatment is what women are aspiring
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to reach, it makes sense to focus on the females because they are the ones not already at that
point. The women who debunk feminism because they love the men in their lives are also
missing the point of the movement. Of course there are good men out there who respect women,
and it is great that these women have found them, but these are not the relationships the
movement is targeting. Domestic violence is still very prominent in both Westernized and
developing countries, and while a lot of these women are not victims, many of them are. Not all
women feel the effects of gender discrimination as harshly because there have been significant
strides toward equality, but the movement is not complete. In addition, feminism is not about
disrespecting men. It is about gaining the same respect as men in the workforce, educational
spectrum, and social settings.
Many claims of the anti-feminists are indeed contradictory, but on the contrary, the cons
of modern feminism that they draw attention to are problematic. The feminist ideals look
admirable on paper, but “the anti-feminists are judging modern feminism by its actions, not by
the book” (Young). It is true that modern feminism walks a fine line between female
empowerment and female helplessness, where the advocates that argue how powerful women are
actually act weak by reverting to “the victim card.” The movement is said to have “become a
divisive and sometimes hateful force…that dramatically exaggerates female woes while ignoring
men’s problems, stifles dissenting views, and dwell’s obsessively on men’s misbehavior”
(Young). Feminists are not man-haters, but the harsh term is not necessarily far-fetched. The
notion that feminists stereotype men as predators and portray women as helpless victims does not
apply to all of these activists, but a large amount do succumb to these generalizations. Antifeminists condemn the fact that contemporary feminism “cites gender itself- rather than evil
human behavior- as the cause [of conflict]” (Durgin). This sex and class warfare is something
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Betty Friedan, the founding mother of the 1960’s feminist movement and the author of The
Feminine Mystique, warned society against (Valenti). Some feminists begin to blame men for all
of their problems, and men take offense when they are automatically grouped into the category
of oppressive, violent, sexist men. Many of the anti-feminists are simply proposing movements
of sexual equality rather than calls for female equality, which at times turns into female
superiority. Feminists are reacting to the Tumblr pages with anger and mocking the participants
for their ignorance, but in reality the voices of the anti-feminists should be heard. Perhaps simply
ditching the term feminism would remedy the current problems within the movement by
reinstating the women who are turned off by the belief that feminists want equality only for
women, not equality for all.
A few of the remarks on the anti-feminist Tumblr pages were women who were baffled
that feminists in westernized countries claim to be oppressed when there is “real” oppression
toward women going on in other parts of the world. For instance, women still cannot drive cars
in Saudi Arabia. In many Islamic countries, women are required to wear a hijab that covers both
their face and hair so that they are not a temptation for men in public. The Iranian Ayatollah
Khamenei is a prime example of an oppressive leader who believes that women need to veil
themselves in order to “keep our society from being plunged into corruption and turmoil”
(Eltahwy). In Iran, men are allowed to have temporary marriages and get divorces whenever they
want, yet women who stray from the sanctity of their marriages are stoned to death for adultery
(Eltahawy). Evidently it is true that women in other areas such as the Middle East suffer far more
oppression than westernized women, but how are we as a people supposed to ignite change in
other parts of the world if we are not setting a prime example of gender equality in our own
homeland? Emma Watson is correct when she states that “no country in the world can yet say
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they have achieved gender equality,” and I do not believe that the greater degree of female
oppression in the Middle East is a valid reason to accept any level of female oppression in
westernized countries. Not to mention, the progression of westernized countries is spreading to
the Middle East. Although gender equality is not even close to tangible, the Arab Spring
revolutions are evidence that the Middle East is taking baby steps toward democracy, which is a
bridge toward equality. Westernized countries need to uphold to highest standard of gender
equality in order to promote it elsewhere.
Fortunately, this issue of gender segregation within the women’s movement is being
globally recognized. In her recent speech to the United Nations, the new UN Goodwill
Ambassador Emma Watson explained how the word feminist has become a negative one and
how feminists are viewed as too strong, too aggressive, too anti-men, and even unattractive.
She addresses the “man-hating persona” adopted by the term feminism, and exclaims: “if you
still hate the word- it is not the word that is important but the idea and ambition behind it.” She
announced the launch of a new campaign called HeforShe, which recognizes that men are also
“imprisoned by gender stereotypes,” and it proposes that if men join the gender equality
bandwagon, it will evidently benefit women as well. For example, “if men don’t have to be
aggressive in order to be accepted women won’t feel compelled to be submissive. If men don’t
have to control, women won’t have to be controlled” (Watson). Watson explains how gender
stereotypes affect both men and women. By recognizing this, she caters to the views of the antifeminists who think modern feminism has too much focus on women’s rights rather than equality
of the sexes. Since she is a feminist herself she is bridging the gap between the feminists and
anti-feminists and showing the world the proper focus of the feminist movement. Although it has
not yet caught wind, the HeForShe campaign could be that necessary umbrella that unites the
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anti-feminists and feminists of today. In order to rejuvenate the fight for gender equality in a
healthy way, society needs to be properly educated in what the term feminism actually means;
and a uniting movement focusing on egalitarianism rather than solely women’s rights is
necessary.
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Works Cited
"The 1960s-70s American Feminist Movement: Breaking Down Barriers for Women." Tavaana.
N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2014.
Durgin, Celia. "Anti-Feminists Baffle Feminists." National Review Online. N.p., 28 July 2014.
Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
"Early History." National Women's Political Caucus HOME. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2014.
Eltahawy, Mona. "Why Do They Hate Us?" Foreign Policy Why Do They Hate Us Comments.
N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2014.
Larson, Beth, and Lara Orlandic. "The Negative Connotation of the Word "feminism"
Explained." VOMNCK The Witch Library. N.p., 4 Mar. 2013. Web. 03 Dec. 2014.
Lepore, Meredith. "Hope and Gloria (Steinem): The State of Feminism Today." Levo League.
N.p., 26 Aug. 2014. Web. 05 Dec. 2014.
"The New Right." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2014.
"United States History - Conservatism and the Rise of Ronald Reagan." United States History Conservatism and the Rise of Ronald Reagan. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2014.
Valenti, Jessica. "Punching Gloria Steinem: Inside the Bizarre World of Anti-Feminist Women."
Theguardian. N.p., n.d. Web.
Watson, Emma. "HeForShe." UN Women HeForShe Campaign. United Nations Headquarters,
New York. 20 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkjW9PZBRfk>.
"We Don't Need Feminism!" We Don't Need Feminism! N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2014.
"Women Against Feminism." Women Against Feminism. Tumblr, n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2014.
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Young, Cathy. "Stop Fem-Splaining: What Women Against Feminism Gets Right." TIME.
TIME Magazine, 24 July 2014. Web.