What happened to Feminism?

Feminism has been struggling with the subject of difference and diversity over the years in both theory and practice: largely forced to do so by the critiques made by Black and Third World women. In essence, they have had to deal with what Adrienne Rich called feminism's "white solipsism," that is, the tendency to think, imagine, and speak as if whiteness described the world.

Feminist theorists are discovering how white, Christian, middleclass, heterosexual experiences have often been treated as representing the universal norm for all women. Global Feminism requires cross-cultural communication. This can be quite a challenge between women of the "developed" and "developing" nations.

Our well-meant and sincere thoughts are not necessarily the remedies for someone else's struggle. Bernadette Devlin-McAliskey, Irish activist and former Member of Parliament for Northern Ireland in a. speech at a meeting on Women, War and Resistance: "If I choose because of my own history and culture to behave in a certain way, don't you women come here and tell me you know a better way of doing it. I am capable of learning for myself. If I am capable of choosing for myself. If I want to dress in the manner of my culture or yours, that is my decision. And while you’re at it, don't make an issue about whether my war or my position is right or wrong. If we are going to work together as women, I think we have to be very clear about a number of things. What has to be understood is that while we are all women together with a common struggle, some of us are women in countries, which are exploited by imperialism, and some of you are women in the countries, which are the imperialist exploiters. This makes a very fundamental difference in your experience and history. It makes a crucial difference our conception of war, I don’t know peace; I’ve never seen it. I've never seen it. My mother never saw it. My grandmother never saw it. When an American woman comes along-and asks me about 'Is there not a non-violent way of dealing with this question?' I get very angy. I feel like hitting her a non-violent punch in the face. I want to say that in a very sisterly way of course. This question of peace is popular today in the broad anti-war phenomenon, but it does not include me because I'm not a pacifist. It makes me angry that my sisters who are supposedly better informed than me (and interestingly enough, all come out of countries like Britain and America and France) think they know better than me. Don't tell us, don't tell the women in Kurdistan, don't tell the women in Palestine, that the way forward is to educate women on issues such as family reproduction rights, or the role of a woman in the family. These women are very bad on, the question of gay rights and on the question of abortion information. And don't come here and tell us we are ignorant. It is being said about women whose houses are being raided whose children are being dragged off to prison. We are women in our countries fighting for the survival of ourselves, our children our mothers, our partners, and our sons. We are women fighting for our culture and our land. This, dear sisters is our fundamental difference. American women are fighting for women's rights; some of us are fighting for our lives. So let's actually do the revolution right here and let's all head off to those countries and make sure that those ignorant women get the question of reproductive rights right. Then when they have that right, and only then, will we be sisters together."

Samouhi, Sudan:

"Freedom?" Western women's idea appears to be equality. Certain things can be pushed for, equal wages, job opportunities, etc., but there have to be limits and a realization that pushing too far results in positive discrimination for women, and that is not wise as failure to fulfill a role that they fought for will detract from their efforts. To an extent. They fight for "freedom" in a sense that is only compatible or suitable with their own societies and lifestyles.

Many women's groups are now established enough to be able to help women in the Third World. It is understandable that before, a few decades ago, Western women had to fight for their own rights, 'but they have moved on now and it is somewhat of an obligation to help other women.

There is a striking difference between rural and urban communities in the Third World. One man, out of spite, took his daughters and genitally mutilated them as a way of expressing his disapproval for the campaign being held to educate the women of his village. Careful assessment is the key and a readiness to not push too hard as penetration to those cultures is quite difficult, let alone changes.

Western feminists should distinguish and respect that not all that applies to them applies to women elsewhere. But part of the education is to make women in countries like Sudan aware of the differences between them, their lives, their communities and those in the rest of the world, not just the west.

Hannoya, Saudi Arabia:

Bridging the gap? I don’t think so. That's why some issues are better left on a national level, not global. Gay Rights? Come on - in our societies, homosexuality is a sin! What are you talking about? See? That's the insult I mean. Disrespect to other mentalities, and wanting YOURS to prevail, just because you think it's right? Right and Wrong arc qualities relative to where you are in the world.

Salma, Egypt:

I think American women are not aware of many of the living styles and daily struggles of women in the Third World. I can give you an example; my African-American friend wanted to know if women in Egypt go for regular breast check up. She is asking this about women who live in a country where treatment and medication are a luxury enjoyed by the few who can afford it. A regular check up? Out of the question!

Hanaa, Kuwait:

Oh, I don't think there can be a comparison between global and western feminism. Women in Kuwait can't even vote for gods' sake! But I do believe that nobody can change the nature of the woman. The creator made man and woman different in biological structure, and instinct. For a woman to rebel against her very nature is absurd to me! Why are women in the US fighting for freedom? Freedom from what? You are independent, you are making money, and you are proving whatever, yourself? What more is there? However, in our part of the world, women rebel not against the law, which gives us right, but against tradition, against the men themselves. Gay Rights? You know that this discussion has come to an end, don't you?

Who Are the Sisters Together?

Many majority group women are in fact enjoying privileges in a racist, white supremacist, white dominated, capitalist society. Educated white women must acknowledge this privilege and accept the fact that privilege and oppression can co-exist. The fact is that in the present class structure of the United States, women have been allowed to rise economically to positions of power and as such often enjoy a measure of economic success and privilege.

My Own Two Cents

While we are all women together…we do not have a common struggle! The differences between us are manifold, differences of race, religion, class, political orientation, sexual orientation, ability, and personal beliefs. In the United States, class has led to the division in the women's movement