[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

But the suggestion that equality can be achieved by addressing only women's rights is a gross oversimplification... To the extent that the two are, in my opinion, barely related. They're both valuable causes, sure, but entirely separate... In fact, trying to ensure equality is respected whilst trying to tackle women's rights issues specifically is hugely difficult, AND trying to address equality issues whilst keeping the focus squarely on women's rights is near impossible. In both cases, it's needlessly tying one arm behind our backs, and to be frank, there's a reason that it quite blatantly isn't really working as a combined cause. Is there anyone who can say with a straight face that it's currently effective? It's a bar brawl.

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

No, there are plenty of issues facing women still, especially globally, that need to be tackled for what they are, and by all means call that movement feminism, though I personally think the term itself is permanently damaged.

When it comes to the actual pursuit of equality, though, feminism monopolies the narrative in destructive ways and that's what needs to end. The idea that the path to equality lies solely in female empowerment is fundamentally flawed. In fact the idea that any equality battle is limited to "imbalances between the sexes" is hugely short sighted... There are huge amounts of oppression in our society, massive inequalities across the board, and yes maybe a lot of those "at the top of the pile" happen to be men but that misses the point by a country mile. Real inequality has absolutely nothing to do with penises and vaginas, its all just a distraction.

..that’s the thing, your first post...it’s almost like we have to look at feminism and equalism as two separate things which are being striven for, even though feminism is about equalism and equalism is feminism...it all feels as though it’s becoming quite blurred and hazy, in keeping a female perspective in feminism...and that’s sad, that’s wrong but it’s strange how things can start to feel as though their positives values and intentions are being perceived as more negatives...this is not a man v woman thing, not a battle of the sexes in any way, it’s an all on board thing because how could anybody not want equality in humans in society...?...and if the term feminism has suffered permanent damage, as you fear...then the striving to ‘reclaim’ it, as it were...would take too much time, which hinders the progress whilst that’s been focused on.../..that reclaiming process and turning it back to the positive necessity that it was meant to be, kind of sets it all back a bit, which is very frustrating...