F*CK THE PATRIARCHY
A radio show intended to revolutionize our societies by untangling the power dynamics in the patriarchal structure. It will address the cause of systemic issues that perpetuate social inequalities that we still struggle with today.!
Host –Shatha Elhag
Wednesday1PM
F*ck The Patriarchy January 16th Broadcast
Today’s show introduced the concept of the patriarchy: a society consisting of a male-dominated power structure branching out from the traditional family order, which systematically oppresses and exploits women throughout society.
Power is associated to privilege- In a system in which men have more power than women, men have some level of privilege to which women are not entitled.
(This definition of men is specific to white straight cisgender males)
The topic discussed today was Feminism. In our current day feminism is associated with a negative connotation, so we delve into the history of feminism and why it is like that today. It all began with First Wave Feminism (1848-1920); which is concerned with basic rights such as the right to property, voting, and education. The movement had begun inclusive with it being integrated with the abolitionist movement but unfortunately it “eventually established itself as a movement specifically for white women, one that used racial animus as fuel for its work”.
Then there was Second Wave Feminism: which was about the casual, systemic sexism ingrained into society, with focus on unequal social and economic status despite formal equality. It included things like; equal pay, glass ceiling, sexuality, and reproductive rights. It had good intentions as it “tried to be anti-racist, but black women increasingly found themselves alienated from the central platforms of the mainstream women’s movement”. It served purposed for middle-class white women and alienated women of a minority. For example; “Women who had to work to support themselves experienced their oppression very differently from women who were socially discouraged from working”. While white women were fighting for contraceptives and abortion rights, Black women were still fighting against forced sterilization. It later “in the 1980s, the comfortable conservatism of the Reagan era managed to successfully position second-wave feminists as humorless, hairy-legged shrews who cared only about petty bullshit like bras instead of real problems.
We then spoke about White Feminism which depicts the way white women face gender inequality as the way all women experience gender inequality; which took us to a manner in which we can be more inclusive; Intersectional Feminism. “By adding the idea of intersectionality to feminism, the movement becomes truly inclusive, and allows women of all gender, races, economic standing, religion, sexual orientation, disability.” For example: ”When you are a black woman or a queer, immigrant woman, your experience of violence isn’t ‘gender inequality plus racial inequality,’ but it’s all of those things at once.”
We then spoke about the 6 forms of patriarchal oppression according to Sylvia Walby:
1.Paid Work
2.Household Production
3.Culture
4.Sexuality
5. Violence
6.The state
We then answer the 6 most googled questions for feminism and spoke about we can feminism more inclusive and how men can participate as well.
Thank you for listening and see you next week!
–Shatha
Links:
https://www.thoughtco.com/
https://www.vox.com/2018/3/20/
https://intercontinentalcry.