Doesn't it seem like feminism mostly benefits middle class white women?

Question

There is still a paucity of minority women who are judges, CEO's, professors etc. What has feminism ever done for minority women who live in poor, urban neighborhoods ?

Seems mighty suspicious to me.

Answer 1

Feminism benefits the people who choose to reap those benefits. If it seems that most of them are white and middle-class, perhaps this is for reasons beyond feminism. Or maybe you just aren't looking closely enough.

Answer 2

Feminism in the Western world has exclusively benefited wealthy caucasoid women who hate men.  It's done nothing to advance the interest of those of modest means or ethnic minorities.

Answer 3

Feminism is not for every woman.

I never heard about a Filipina or Latina maid or nanny, who gets an extra good payment because she is working for a feminist household.

In the past, feminism was accusing mothers with boys to be traitors of the own gender and was encouraging married women to leave their family.

While feminists complains about the salary gap for a female CEO, I never heard about a company with a female boss who offers better working conditions to ordinary female employees than companies managed by men.

Feminism is a hateful movement, looking for advantages for a certain group of women. It has nothing to do with equality between men and women and has nothing to do with equality between women themselves.

It's a movement following the guideline of 'give as little as possible and take as much as you can'.

Answer 4

I don't know where you grew up, but I know plenty of white women who grew up in and still live in poor urban and poor rural neighborhoods. I also know of many minority middle-class and upper-class women as well-you're asking about the sexism of feminism while asking an extremely racist and classist question!

Since I grew up in poor rural areas, I know what feminism has done for women living in those conditions. Based on the women of color I have worked with, feminism (as well as the civil rights movement) has provided for all US women more access to education and therefore better employment opportunities. Is poverty over? No. Has feminism always been concerned about racism and classism? Of course not all groups-but the 3rd wave of feminism has focused a great deal on racism, classism, homophobia and the issues facing families worldwide. I support NOW's efforts to encourage equal pay, increase family leave benefits, increase the minimum wage, protect social security, and go after big businesses like Walmart that exploit their poorly paid employees by requiring employees to work off the clock, refuse to reward equal pay for equal work, and hire illegal immigrants. Your ideas about feminisim are very outdated.      

Answer 5

Feminism has given these and all women the right to vote, access to birth control and abortion, easier divorce, protection from the law if they are abused by husbands/partners, better pay, protection from sexual discrimination just to name a few which spring to mind.

Answer 6

Valerie is correct. The other answers are based upon  hostility. Feminists do not hate men. There was a small fraction of the feminist movement that wanted a completely separate world from men (all boys would be aborted or given up for adoption), but they are extremists and I'm not even sure they're around anymore.

As for poor people, feminists have long fought for equal rights for all and for equal pay for equal work. That goal has still not been reached, although it is still being pursued. Feminists also pushed through legislation protecting children from employers. If this victory had not come about, your local mill would still be using children as young as 7 to work 12 hour shifts 6 days a week.

I came from a working class family, and when I first read feminist tracts, I was completely baffled by the so called on prohibition on women being allowed to be angry. My mother was very violent and my grandmother often hurled entire dinners at her spouses. I learned that this is due to a cultural gap between rich or middle class women and working class women. "Ladies" don't display anger. It's the lower classes who do this.

Aside from cultural gaps like this, feminism has striven hard to make life better and more equal for women. What is the harm in this goal?

Answer 7

You asked if it benefitted mostly middle class white women, the answer is no, it benefits all women.  

Your question assumes that lower income women are all minorities which makes you the bigot, not feminists.

Answer 8

I would have to agree with your statement.

Answer 9

no its for all of us

Answer 10

Nope.

Answer 11

Feminism is not a government program nor is it designed to rain down goodies on lazy unmotivated uneducated people. It is not 'coming to your neighborhood' because it is a grass roots do it yourself program!

If you are a woman,stand up and get out there in the world and apply for jobs that women once were never allowed to apply for. Apply for math and engineering programs! Apply for blue collar apprenticeships!

If feminism has 'helped' the non poor women more than it is helped the poor, it is mainly because the type of woman who is non poor is more likely to help herself!

I am the oldest off 11 children from two high school drop out parents. I did whatever it took to get out of poverty.  When my parents got divorced in Chicago, Ill, the boys were given support until age 21 through college while we girls had support end at age 18 even if we were in college. MY case changed Illinois law in this regard.

Answer 12

Feminism does have a majority of middle class white women as leaders. But, have you ever heard of a little piece of  american history called the civil rights movement (which feminism played a big part in)? Or Sojourner Truth's 1851 speech to American feminists? Or multiracial feminism?

And to answer your question on what feminism has done for the poor (other than what's stated above):

Feminist activists have campaigned for women's legal rights (rights of contract, property rights, voting rights); for women's right to bodily integrity and autonomy, for abortion rights, and for reproductive rights (including access to contraception and quality prenatal care); for protection from domestic violence, sexual harassment and rape;for workplace rights, including maternity leave and equal pay; and against other forms of discrimination. Ever heard of medicaid?  

Answer 13

It doesn't "seem:  it DOES primarily benefit while middle class women.