Feminism

Introduction

Historically, feminism was the struggle of women to gain equal rights to men in society and was coined in the nineteenth century by Charles Fourier.^[1] Feminism has had four Waves throughout history, each with a different purpose. Securing women’s suffrage and eliminating legal disparities were central goals of Feminism’s First Wave, which flourished in the 19th and 20th centuries. The 1960s saw the rise of Second Wave Feminism, which expanded the movement’s focus to cover broader social concerns such as sexuality, family, the workplace, reproductive rights, and de facto discrimination. Third-wave feminism, which emerged in the 1990s, emphasized autonomy, diversity, and intersectionality in its critique and redefinition of feminism. Fourth Wave Feminism, which began around 2012, utilizes technology to mobilize and resolve issues such as sexual harassment, bodily autonomy, and the intersectionality of race, gender, and class. Online activism and the #MeToo movement are of Fourth Wave Feminism.^[2] 

Conservative Perspective

Modern Feminism, in the eyes of conservatives, frames gender relations as a zero-sum power struggle between oppressor and victimized, which encourages unnecessary hostility between the sexes. There are similarities here, between the proletariat vs. Bourgeoise power struggle that Marx speaks of. Conservatives hold that discussions about toxic masculinity, male privilege, and a rampant rape culture do more to divide society rather than advance women’s rights.

Conservative support of 1^st and 2^nd wave Feminism

Conservatives are ardent supporters of womans suffrage, equal pay for equal work, and fair playing field across society for both men and women. So, conservatives were and are supporters of the first two waves of feminism. This support is consistent with conservative values of justice, equity, and individual liberties.^[3]

Conservative against 3rd and 4^th wave Feminism

The third and fourth waves of feminism directly contradict conservatism. Having achieved relative equality across society, modern feminism sees the whole world in terms of power struggles and intersectionality. In the eyes of conservatives, such feminism frames gender relations (and all relations) as a zero-sum game that encourages unnecessary hostility between the sexes.  

Conservatives generally believe that equality of opportunity between men and women has largely been achieved in most Western countries, but outcomes should be naturally determined on the basis of merit. Since men and women now have equal legal status and most of the same opportunities to excel in education and the workplace, Conservatives oppose a feminist victim mentality. Conservatives typically prioritize the family unit, viewing it as a fundamental building block of society. And whereas modern feminism has tended to make the sexes interchangeable, Conservatives emphasize the importance of recognizing the distinct roles of men and women. Feminists celebrate the reproductive freedom offered by the birth control pill and abortion access, but Conservatives object that young women shouldn’t be encouraged to indefinitely postpone marriage and childbearing for the sake of a career. This isn’t to say that women and men can’t have non-traditional gender roles, but that traditional gender roles are probably naturally preferred by most people.  

Meanwhile, Conservatives have also argued that by stressing women’s independence from men, modern feminism tends to diminish the uniquely masculine virtues of chivalry, strength, and protectiveness. In the end, Conservatives believe men and women need each other, and they are best served by a frank acknowledgement of their complementary virtues, strengths, and weaknesses.