Do people here understand that feminism isn't just about equal rights, it's about equal respect?

Question

I hear tons of c**p about there being no need for feminism because women can vote, drive, own things, etc... It seems that people forgot that feminism was never solely about "rights." Sure legal mechanisms are very handy for changing *behavior* but feminism is, at its core, about changing how women are perceived, valued, treated, etc.

It seems to me that until people conceive of the Divine as female, or better yet, genderless/androgynous, there will be a need for feminism. Isn't that what misogyny is all about. God is a man who is mad at women. That's the core, so it seems feminism would be necessary until the feminine is also seen as divine, sacred, valuable, worthy, respectable, good, etc...

Seems like feminism got caught in looking for the legal rights men had and women lacked. Seems like now that women have (mostly) equal rights, maybe we should start looking at feminism as the movement it was always at its core, a movement to elevate the value and respect accorded women.

Answer 1

Women(or anyone else for that matter) aren't automatically entitle to respect.  Sorry..   It's something you have to earn.

If women want respect then they have to earn it.

Answer 2

You, and women everywhere do not truly want equal rights.  You want to be treated better.   You want your man to buy you meals, you want him to baby you.  You want to play on womens teams for sports, even though men are physically superior ( due to testosterone. )   So, the question is.............. Do you REALLY want to be treated like men.  Think about it.

Answer 3

How the divine is perceived has nothing to do with how mortal women are perceived.  In the days when people worshipped a multitutde of gods and goddesses, women were not perceived with any more respect than they are now.  Societies that have powerful goddesses are no more likely to respect women than those that don't.

Christianity, far from being detrimental to how women were perceived, actually raised their status.  that's why women were enthusiastic converts to Christianity.  When Paul said that in heaven there was neither male nor female, slave nor free, jew nor Greek, he was voicing what was, for his time, a revolutionary concept.  No pagan society saw women as equal to men in any respect.  

You can have a campaign for equal rights, but it is impossible to have a campaign to force men to feel something that they don't feel.  If a man doesn't feel respect for a woman, no campaign is going to make him feel more respect.  Respect is something that has to be earned.  Whining about not being respected is not going to make women more respected.  They can only earn respect by behaving in a way that will get them respected.

Whether modern feminism has actually done anything to increase the degree of respect that men feel for women I personally doubt, but I think in any case there is only so much that a campaign can do about that.  You can pass legislation giving women the vote, equal pay etc, but you can't legislate for respect.

Answer 4

I hear you, and I agree. But you can't change all of society right away....Every woman needs to make changes in herself. Changes such as- not putting up with bad men, not getting knocked up by creeps, not raising daughters that are obsessed with their looks. If you act in such a way that indicates you do not respect yourself, then you are throwing away the only control you have.

Answer 5

Woah, woah, woah sweetheart!  Respect is earned not given.

Answer 6

If God is a man, no wonder he's mad at women. He hasn't gotten any for several billion years. ////////////// Cnralph is right. Respect is earned, not given. These men on here who are always complaining about women not giving them respect should realize that as well.

Answer 7

I believe in equal rights for all - men, women and kids. Our elders deserve respect, as do those who have come before us that have helped me appreciate what we DO have now.

I believe in equality for all races and creeds, and that includes whatever religious or spiritual affiliation.

I do not support hate in any form. This is the only thing I do not tolerate.

EDIT - Kris K beings up a good point. I don't what it's like to be a man so I wouldn't know if I'd want to be treated as such. I never thought about it that way. Good point!

Answer 8

Yes-- I know exactly what you mean. :) Rock on!

Answer 9

Nah, that's legislating morality, how people should behave.  Yuk.  What perhaps you are referring to is social civility and in that the "rules" vary from neighborhood to neighborhood and culture to culture.  I respect democracy and the principle of a common ground on which we have equal opportunity to rise.  After attaining the legal protections for that equal opportunity, the rest doesn't matter to me, about "civility".  And, we finally have some legal protections for the "chivalry" of spousal rape and domestic violence and such "traditional" so-called male-female "civilities".   I couldn't care less if people respect me and I respect very few people.  I mean, do YOU respect all women or all men?  Me either.

Answer 10

I agree. Feminism has some intangible goals that ought to be recognized and fought for.