Feminism: From Theory to Tool for Change

Nadine Moawad | July 3, 2010 | Comments (0)

There is no one definition of what feminism means, so we sometimes refer to it as “feminisms” in the plural. However, the one thing all feminists agree on is that sexism is indeed a well-established problem in our societies (so well-established, in fact, that we say or do things sometimes that demean women without knowing it) and it affects us at every level of our lives – inside our homes, on our TV screens, in the workplace, in our schools, on our streets, etc.

As feminists, we strive to recreate a world free from sexism, and all other forms of exploitations and discriminations that collaborate with it: classism, racism, sectarianism, heterosexism, capitalism, etc. We wee all these problems as interrelated and equally oppressive, yet we insist on addressing them from a progressive grassroots feminist perspective.

Here below we offer six very basic notions about Nasawiya‘s feminism.

6 Things You Should Know About Nasawiya‘s Feminism

Feminism is the radical notion that women are human beings.
Feminism is about choice. It’s simply the idea that women are free to choose to be whoever they want to be, and do whatever they want to do.
Feminism focuses on gender rather than the restrictive fight for women’s rights. And as such, it makes the distinction between sex and gender. While sex is biological, gender is acquired and learned, changes over time and varies widely within and across cultures. Gender is relational and refers not simply to women or men but to the relationship between them. Gender is not natural and is acquired through socialization. It’s constructed through societal roles and expectations, stereotypes, media portrayals, profession… And so, feminism is not about pitting women against men, but rather challenging what’s expected of women and what’s expected of men.
Feminism is for both men and women. Think about it: Every time you liberate a woman, you liberate a man.
Feminism is a personal and political struggle that covers intersecting issues including class, race, sexual identity, different forms of oppression such as patriarchy, state control over citizen’s bodies, particularly women’s bodies, sectarianism, capitalism, consumerism, fundamentalism, etc. And as such, it is an all-or-nothing approach.
Feminism is simply a tool that allows us to achieve gender justice and ultimately social justice. And as such, it is at the heart of our training program “Ghayreh 3adtik Bitzeed S3adtik – Feminist Tools for Change.”