Does western feminism reflect colonial attitudes?

Question

btw I will point of once more wendy that FGM is a very controversial issue so perhaps rights from certain forms of oppression such as wearing certain clothes or not being able to drive etc. No real suffering is occurring there, but we can both accept I think that they are clearly lacking rights and this may affect what we perceive as dignity.

Answer 1

I think you are highlighting an important issue. Feminists want to spread their idea of equality all over the world. Sounds great, right? Wrong, if your idea of equality means giving one group of people rights and advantages over another, and this is an idea that has been hothoused in the West (especially feminist academic departments) to help 'develop' the rest of the world. You only need to see what spreading equality means in practice before you realise that feminism is gynocentric/ethnocentric ideology that has no place in the real world (see Section 4 here re UNIFEM http://www.freewebs.com/feminism-evaluat...

And yes, this whole Girls Own adventure is not a little  patronising to 'the natives'. And once men realise that 'equality' means men are severely disadvantaged (e.g. can be arrested or jailed on phony domestic violence allegations) what chance do women have of being listened to if they want equality in genuine cases?

Answer 2

Not being allowed to drive; not being allowed to exit the house without a male companion; being blamed for rape; being severely punished for revealing a tiny bit of skin, even by accident. I'm as in favour of cultural relativism as anyone, but these are violations of basic human rights and should NEVER be permissible.

Answer 3

I am generally loathe to jump into an already convoluted debate but...

I feel there is much larger threat inherent to cultural relativism than there is to feminism whether it is considered 'colonial.' Perhaps I am -by the definition of cultural relativism- 'morally' unjust to suggest such, but women in developing countries (where a strong male hand is always seen) and misogynistic countries have sought assistance from countries in which women are perceived as equals and thus I think it is incumbent upon us as a nation to assist these women- and it is certainly expected to be heralded in the feminist community.

Some women seem more content than others and it is not these women with who I am concerned. For instance, there's a vague misogyny that "plagues" Japan but it isn't particulalry harmful and the women seem to not be terribly distressed about it. So c'est la vie.

However, women in Africa are screaming at the top of their lungs for help. We cannot ignore them in the name of cultural relativism or in the name of avoiding being called 'imperialists.' They understand that atrocities are being committed against them and they're already doing all they can managed to remedy the situation themselves but frankly they just can't do for themselves what we can do for them.

NO matter what anyone says, it is wrong and unjust that girls are being cut up and sewn shut. This isn't defensible on any front.  They could choose to have the "surgery" as adults- thus not inflicting this inhumane torture on 3 and 4 year old girls. Selling women as though they are cattle. Actually, worth considerably less than cattle. The rape rates are astronomical.

A company introduced the "Rapex" condom for female use and feminists were thrilled... it's essentially worn like a female condom, and if a man forces himself upon a woman his p***s is ensnared by hundreds of sharp barbs which must be surgically removed. This device was created specifically for the women in Africa to protect themselves from the constant attacks and rapes... however, conservatives in America decried the rapex condom as "barbaric."

Because rape is socially acceptable.

I'm a bit fed up right now, so this will be the end for now. Ciao.

Answer 4

In regard to female genital mutilation...how many of them, exactly, have "agency?" I think, ultimately, VERY few really do. Even if a girl is actually given the opportunity to "agree" to it, (which is, indeed, rare) they are conditioned to believe that if they don't do it they will never find a husband, never be loved. They will be outcasts, and freaks. How much autonomy do they REALLY have? Of course they are "ambivalent," on the one hand they are brought up to believe that they will not be "true women" if they do not go through with it, and on the other hand, they have seen their sisters held down (in many cases) and cut with sharp rocks, they've heard the screams of the other girls in the tribe who endured it. They've seen the suffering that it causes thereafter, the infections, the difficult births that leave women who would otherwise have no problems disabled for life, the fistulas that cause the women who suffer from them to become outcasts, deserted by their husbands and kin.

They're damned if they do, damned if they don't. But, lucky for them, such choices generally aren't theirs to make, anyway.

And generally, Western feminism has provided the seeds for change. They've introduced many of the women in countries where women are valued very little to the notion that they ARE worthwhile human beings. And many of these women are doing it for themselves. Learning to read, when such could get them beaten, fighting for their most basic rights. They don't need us to swoop in for them...they can, and ARE, doing it for themselves. As we speak. WOMEN will change their cultures...for the better. Wait and see.

EDIT-You don't believe in the concept of basic human rights? The idea that all people, regardless of such social constructs as "culture" and "group identity" should have the right to freedom, life, and, yes, even dignity? It's not hard to determine when a person is being afforded their basic human rights. it's when they are treated like a PERSON, and not a thing, a bartering chip, a slave, or an animal.

I think it's important to note the difference between Imperialism/Colonialism and the attitude that many westerners have regarding people in countries where human rights violations occur on a regular basis, sanctioned by the government. Imperialism/Colonialism ALWAYS imposed it's values and norms on the colonized peoples in order to control them, subjugate them, and exploit them. And that is generally no different than what some western countries STILL do today. There was no real interest in improving the lives of the people colonized, in fact, the plight of the colonized group was generally and quite intentionally, made worse. This made them easier to control. But when a group, such as Amnesty International, and several feminist groups seek to to bring about change (often to improve the lives of people suffering from the after affects of Imperialism), they do so with the real intent of helping people. Are we imposing our own cultural values on these groups? To an extent, perhaps. But we are also trying to prevent child-rape, (parts of Africa) child-trafficking (Africa, Asia, parts of Eastern Europe), mutilation, genocide...Often these things are NOT the result of cultural differences, they are the result of chaos, famine, poverty, and war. And considering that the West created much of this chaos by divvying up the world, exploiting it's people and resources, and then leaving them to deal with the after math, the least we can do is help them now.

Edit-Rape is, in a sense, becoming a "cultural practice" in parts of Africa, where it is believed that raping a virgin can cure, or prevent, HIV/AIDS. It is so commonplace, that it is largely ignored. It is simply too big a problem to deal with. I am not saying that it is a "rape culture," per se, but when myth informs behavior and practice, and that practice because widespread, how does one separate the common practice from the culture itself?

And I realize that the human rights issue is an argument that can go on forever, circling around and around, but, eventually, at some point, as obtuse as it may be, we have to draw the line in the sand, DECIDE that every human is deserving of life freedom, and dignity, and then do something about it. NOT obliterate cultures, and impose all of our values on other groups, but try to ensure that, at the very least, people are not enslaved, beaten, tortured, raped, and murdered.

FMG is a form of torture. With long-lasting consequences. Am I making a value judgment? Yes. But since when is wanting to prevent suffering wrong? And how is it oppressive?

Answer 5

In some places more focus on equality or equal rights is needed.

      But I am personally more alarmed at the spreading of radical feminism in the world. A good many law proposals that feminist's have said relax this is just a joke or we would never do this is what they are doing globally.

From making it a serious crime in mexico for a husband to refuse s*x if he is upset, to banning urinals in finland and similar push's for law's like that in spain, making sexual harrasment a criminal offence to the massive parental alienation and paternity crisis in the UK.. And now India has fallen to radicals with the passage of there open season on male's law....

      Some people are scared of islamic terrorist's but we got bigger problems. Radical feminism is such a threat to men's basic human rights that they make Osama look like a punk kid who spray paints grafiti as an act of defiance.

Answer 6

As see what your missing...is "white" western feminist figured out a long time ago that we couldn't just walk into the Saudi Arabia(for example) and change everything.

There are cultural differences, that they accept, and we dont.  just b/c something is different doesnt make it bad.

However....and there is no argument here.  Many things arnt just bad they go beyond bad...beyond compromising basic human rights.

Truth is....western feminist cant just walk in and change things. THEY have to change things themselves....and they are.

There are many Muslim Feminist groups now....western feminist support them with ideas, education, funding, general support....but they are making the changes themselves.

Answer 7

Femmunism is just a little hobby for bored white middle class girls who want to pretend that their liberal arts degrees have value

In the rest of the world women understand that they are different to men and aren't bothered by this biological FACT