Feminism Doesn't Empower All Women
By the Editorial Board
As fourth-wave feminism has become a tenet of American culture, women grapple with where they fit within the movement. Modern feminism has reignited political passion in the hearts of many women across the country. However, some women have decided to distance themselves from the “feminist” label altogether. The divide is evident to anyone who’s paid attention as it falls almost entirely along partisan lines. While the Left has seized the feminist narrative, the Right has skeptically abandoned it. As the feminist movement claims to empower women by fighting for “abortion is healthcare,” “believe all women,” and “destroy the patriarchy,” they pan anyone who disagrees with them as “anti-woman.” Where does that leave conservative women who are pro-life, who support due process, and who are uninterested in tearing down men? Feminism promotes a monolithic conception of the modern woman that casts aside conservative women, because conservative women embody the inconvenient truth that not all women think alike.
Feminists have painted the women’s rights movement as a unitary struggle of all women united against the patriarchy. However, the so-called movement that is supposed to unite women fails to include a significant portion of women. The Left frames “women’s rights” as a fundamental issue of justice that only a misogynist would dare oppose. However, as many women on the Right know, the feminist movement has long progressed from its rational goals of gender equality. The modern feminist movement has no place for women who do not blindly support #MeToo, Roe v. Wade, and the Democratic Party. While feminism should celebrate women for their distinct beliefs and encourage women to speak their truth, the movement instead seeks to silence women who do not subscribe to their progressive orthodoxy.
As feminists march across American cities in pink hats and proudly brand themselves as the “resistance,” we have to ask ourselves what exactly are they resisting? Being a part of “the resistance” implies there’s a risk associated with speaking truth to power. Except, there is no risk related to being a feminist in 2020; in fact, not being a feminist in 2020 is the real risk. The Women’s March and every feminist movement since, have been received with widespread celebration by the media and Hollywood, which serve as the most significant forces in American culture. Women today stand on the shoulders of past generations of women who overcame vast historical injustices, and who fought tirelessly for equality on every front of American life. Previous generations of feminists stood against an oppressive power, feminists today reinforce a power that oppresses other viewpoints.
The media promotes female candidates, so long as they aren’t vying for the Republican ticket. The media praises women for speaking their truth, as long as they aren’t reporting on Fox News. The media celebrates women in power, so long as they are not in President Trump’s cabinet. Feminists praise “dissent” so long as it is not aimed at the Left. The feminists’ promise of empowering women is an empty promise for conservative women. As a result, the modern feminist movement is better characterized as a political rather than a social movement. A “social movement” is apolitical; it brings people together, the feminist movement on the other hand, divides. How can the feminist movement even call itself “feminist” and for “all women” when they exclude half of the voting female population? Conservative women who speak against the feminist movement represent real bravery in 2020. Criticism of the feminist movement is met with shaming and alienation— both tactics that the powers who control American culture use to maintain the progressive status quo.
Conservative women are not afforded the empowerment or platform that the feminist movement promises. However, instead of ditching feminism altogether, conservative women can offer an alternative. There are millions of women in this country who care about the advancement and protection of women, without blindly supporting #MeToo, Roe v. Wade, and the Democratic Nominee. Women on the Right should be bold about their beliefs and never let the Left, the media, Hollywood, or other feminists silence their right to free speech. Conservative women must challenge the current feminist narrative, and ensure feminists live up to their promises of empowering ALL women.
Photo via Vogue
