Feminism explores themes of patriarchy, stereotyping, objectification, and oppression. It is a diverse collection of theories and movements that are critical of gender inequality and aim to promote women's rights and gender equality. Feminism addresses issues such as gender roles, power relations, reproductive rights, and discrimination.

1. Feminism Women have been taught that, for us, the earth is flat, and that if we venture out, we will fall off the edge. ~Andrea Dworkin Feminism is the radical notion that women are people. ~Cheris Kramarae and Paula Treichler I see my body as an instrument, rather than an ornament. ~Alanis Morissette, quoted in Reader's Digest , March 2000 Men are taught to apologize for their weaknesses, women for their strengths. ~Lois Wyse I do not wish them to have power over men, but over themselves. ~Mary Wollstonecraft There are very few jobs that actually require a penis or vagina. All other jobs should be open to everybody. ~Florynce Kennedy One is not born, but rather becomes , a woman. ~ Simone de Beauvoir Feminism’s agenda is basic. It asks that women not be forced to chose between public justice and private happiness. It asks that women be free to define themselves – instead of having their identity defined for them, time and again, by their culture and their men. ~ Susan Faludi

2. What is feminism? Diverse collection of social theories, political movement and moral philosophies Critical of past and present social relations Focus on social constructions of gender and sexuality Focus on studying gender inequality Attempt to promote gender equality, women’s rights, interests and issues Focus on gender politics, power relations Critical of gender roles and relations Political campaigning and social activism on reproductive rights, gendered and sexual violence within the domestic sphere and public spaces, sexual harassment, maternity benefits, discrimination at work

3. ICONIC IMAGES WE CAN DO IT!

4. ICONIC IMAGES INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY MARCH 8

11. The feminist preoccupation Themes that feminism explores: PATRIARCHY STEREOTYPING OBJECTIFICATION OPPRESSION

12. PATRIARCHY SOCIAL ORGANIZATION MARKED BY THE RULE AND SUPREMACY OF THE FATHER IN THE FAMILY OR THE MALE CHIEF OF THE CLAN DEPENDENCY OF THE WIFE AND THE CHILDREN ON THE HUSBAND/FATHER MALE LINE OF DESCENT IS PRIVILEGED DISPROPORTIONATE POWER CONCENTRATED IN THE HANDS OF MEN MOST POWERFUL ROLES ARE HELD BY MEN WHILE THE LEAST POWERFUL ROLES ARE ASSIGNED TO WOMEN MASCULINE ATTRIBUTES, ASPECTS, AND ATTITUDES ARE VALUED OVER FEMININE ATTRIBUTES AND ACTIVITIES (MALE CENTRED) PATRIARCHAL SYSTEMS ARE BINARY AND STRICTLY GENDERED WITH REPRESSIVE SYSTEMS OF CONTROL

13. OBJECTIFICATION POTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN WAYS AND CONTEXTS WHICH SUGGEST THAT WOMEN ARE OBJECTS TO LOOK AT, OGLED, TOUCHED, USED, ANONYMOUS THINGS OR COMMODITIES PERHAPS TO BE PURCHASED, TAKEN, TRIED, EVEN DISCARDED AND THEN REPLACED BY A NEWER, YOUNGER VERSION LARGE PART OF THE MEDIA SERVES UP BROKEN, DISEMBODIED FEMALE IMAGES THAT ARE VULNERABLE, INFANTILE, SEXUALIZED AND DE-INDIVIDUALIZED WOMEN WHEN OBJECTIFIED ARE REDUCED TO BODIES OR PARTS OF A BODY SELECTED TO ATTRACT ATTENTION, SELL OR PLEASE OBJECTIFICATION CONTRIBUTES TO A CLIMATE WHERE VIOLENCE AND EXPLOITATION OF WOMEN ARE BOTH TACITLY TOLERATED AND ENCOURAGED

14. CONSEQUENCES LOW SELF ESTEEM WORRYING ONESELF TO DEATH OVER LOOKS AND BODY IMAGE ANOREXIA NERVOSA AND BULIMIA PSYCHOLOGICAL IMBALANCE WOMEN ARE NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY RISING INCIDENCE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN DIMINISHED SENSE OF DIGNITY, AUTONOMY, PRIVACY AND SAFTEY

25. STEREOTYPING CONVENTIONAL AND STANDARDIZED CONCEPTION OF GENDER ROLES AND GENDER IDENTITIES BELIEFS HELD BY SOCIETY THAT CERTAIN TYPES OF CHARACTERISTICS, ATTITUDES, TRAITS AND ACTIVITIES ARE GENDER SPECIFIC AND ARE TO BE FOLLOWED BY MEMBERS AS DEEMED APPROPRIATE TO THEIR GENDER FEMALE TRAITS: WEAK, EMOTIONAL, PIOUS, PURITY, SUBMISSIVE, DOCILE, QUIET, SHY, VULNERABLE, DOMESTIC, TOLERANT, OBEDIENT, PASSIVE, CONVENTIONAL, SUPPORTIVE MALE TRAITS: STRONG, LOGICAL, CONTROLLING AND DOMINATING, AUTHORITARIAN, ACTIVE, ADVENTUROUS, RATIONAL, MANAGER, CREATIVE

29. Feminism as theory; feminism as activism Feminism as theory has been heavily critiqued as being predominantly though not exclusively - WESTERN, URBAN MIDDLE CLASS, WHITE, and ACADEMICALLY ENTRENCHED - Ignoring the multiple and specific perspectives of women around the world: third world, eastern bloc, black, hispanic, poor, marginalized groups Feminism as activism is a GRASS ROOTS MOVEMENT that seeks to cross boundaries of CLASS, RACE, CULTURE, RELIGION. It is CULTURALLY SPECIFIC and addresses issues relevant to particular societies (Female circumcision in Sudan, dowry death in India, glass ceiling in developed economies)

30. Feminism: the universals Issues RAPE BATTERY MOTHERING DOMESTIC RESONSIBILITY SEXUAL HARASSMENT WOMEN AND HEALTH WOMEN AND LEISURE

31. Feminism?? I have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is; I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat. ~ Rebecca West 1913

32. An intellectual movement HISTORY Till 1800’s the term feminism meant “qualities of females” At the First International Women Conference, Paris, in 1892 the term came to signify advocacy of equal rights based on the idea of equality of sexes Prominent influence: Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) John Stuart Mill’s The Subjection of Women (1869) Margaret Fuller’s Woman in the Nineteenth Century (1845)