I don't think any woman - or any person regardless of gender - should be *against* feminism. There are some people who find themselves not as oppressed as others, which is fair enough, but if they're against feminism just because they personally don't believe they need it, they shouldn't be assuming that automatically means other people do not need it.

It's especially dangerous when women are against feminism. If a man is against it, it is usually assumed that he just doesn't know what it's like to be oppressed by his gender, and therefore doesn't know what he's talking about. Females are assumed to have more of an idea of what feminism is, and when a woman claims to be anti-feminist it's only a matter of seconds before a swarm of sexist people are using her opinion as "proof" that feminism doesn't need to exist.

This apparently happened to suffragettes long ago. The majority of anti-suffragettes were actually women, not men - women who personally did not care for the right to vote. So naturally it didn't occur to them that different human beings may have different interest and wants. I'm guessing?

I'm hoping that some men would be more mature than to cave in to anti-feminist women. I'm aware, though, that there are still guys around who have this mindset that, while "not all men" can be generalised, all women can. So if a man with that kind of mind meets a woman who is against feminism, he'll most likely jump to the conclusion that feminism should not exist for anyone because he has met an individual who claims to not need it.

Also, does anyone else think that a lot of people who are anti-feminist just simply do not have a proper understanding of what feminism really is? I seriously think lack of education is one of the biggest problems here.

^^Agreed, I do think women being against feminism is perhaps even more dangerous than men being against feminism precisely for the reasons you've stated--because of course, if a woman agrees with your statement, it can't possibly be sexist. *sarcasm*

The issues that the women's suffrage movement faced is a very good comparison actually, because many of the reactions given by women towards feminism are very similar. I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that a female anti-feminist once claimed that feminism was dangerous to young women as it caused them to forget about caring for other people like husbands and children, and even make them more likely to commit violent crime--much like the anti-suffragist/suffragette claims of women also becoming similarly selfish and domineering should they be given the vote.

If there are some lucky women out there who manage to get through their whole lives without being subjected to any form of sexism at some point in their lives (which I find highly unlikely, given how deeply and insidiously ingrained it is into society--more likely they just wouldn't notice it), then good for them; but don't use your position to belittle or ignore those of us who really are suffering. Just because you apparently 'don't need' feminism, doesn't mean other people are the same.

I think it's important for women who actually believe in equality for both genders to not identify as "feminist" but "egalitarian" or "humanitarian" since the word "feminist" itself is sexist and therefore makes the entire thing hypocritical.

glelsey: "t's especially dangerous when women are against feminism. If a man is against it, it is usually assumed that he just doesn't know what it's like to be oppressed by his gender, and therefore doesn't know what he's talking about. Females are assumed to have more of an idea of what feminism is, and when a woman claims to be anti-feminist it's only a matter of seconds before a swarm of sexist people are using her opinion as "proof" that feminism doesn't need to exist.

I find the amount of sexism in this paragraph to be so worrying. Practically every sentence has a sexist claim. "t's especially dangerous when women are against feminism Because one gender has a claim on feminism? Where is the proof that there were more women for feminism than men? Women only got feminism through men's voting for women to get to vote too. They didn't have to vote yes but they did. " If a man is against it, it is usually assumed that he just doesn't know what it's like to be oppressed by his gender, and therefore doesn't know what he's talking about." Because somehow men cannot be oppressed by their own gender? There's some rule of physics that only men can oppress women, period? That's ridiculous. Men give each other a much harder time than they give women. And it's assumed that he must not know what he's talking about? Only by sexists. "Females are assumed to have more of an idea of what feminism is, and when a woman claims to be anti-feminist it's only a matter of seconds before a swarm of sexist people are using her opinion as "proof" that feminism doesn't need to exist." If it's assumed that women have more of an idea of what feminism is, which is sexist in itself, then maybe they want to prove the point that "feminism" doesn't need to exist because "humanitarianism" or "egalitarianism" would be much better, especially in America.

"This apparently happened to suffragettes long ago. The majority of anti-suffragettes were actually women, not men - women who personally did not care for the right to vote. So naturally it didn't occur to them that different human beings may have different interest and wants. I'm guessing?" Or maybe they thought that women didn't handle politics well which is why they were against it. The first vote women got to influence after gaining the right to vote was Prohibition which was a disaster and created the Mob who then went on to commit many other crimes including murder.

"I'm hoping that some men would be more mature than to cave in to anti-feminist women. And anti-feminist women are hoping that most men are mature enough and have enough wisdom and backbone to not cave to feminist women who have a movement named after females yet claim to care about females and males equally.

"I'm aware, though, that there are still guys around who have this mindset that, while "not all men" can be generalised, all women can." Are you also aware of how incredibly prejudice that sounds? Just because some men are anti-feminist doesn't mean they think "not all men can be generalized but all women can". Has it ever occurred to you that people who don't call themselves feminist see the "feminists" as thinking that you can generalize all women by lumping them into feminism?

"So if a man with that kind of mind meets a woman who is against feminism, he'll most likely jump to the conclusion that feminism should not exist for anyone because he has met an individual who claims to not need it." Because all men think the same thing and this is all it could be? Maybe she's a smart woman who makes really good points and he believes her when she says "Feminism isn't needed" because he respects women enough to know what they're talking about and value what they have to say on the subject!

"Also, does anyone else think that a lot of people who are anti-feminist just simply do not have a proper understanding of what feminism really is?" No but I do think that a lot of the people who identify as "feminist" in America don't really have a proper understanding of what feminism really is or who really runs it or what the feminist lobbyist groups in America are really doing with our taxpayer money.

"I seriously think lack of education is one of the biggest problems here." Me too. Do you know who started Feminism?

LaughingHyena: " I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that a female anti-feminist once claimed that feminism was dangerous to young women as it caused them to forget about caring for other people like husbands and children, and even make them more likely to commit violent crime.." Actually there are several female anti-feminists who argue about how harmful feminism is to children and women. There have been female anti-feminists who have said this the whole time because in America, it's true.

"If there are some lucky women out there who manage to get through their whole lives without being subjected to any form of sexism at some point in their lives (which I find highly unlikely, given how deeply and insidiously ingrained it is into society--more likely they just wouldn't notice it), then good for them" I think you are severely mistaken. Our society is not insidiously ingrained with sexism against women. I am a woman in America and I don't think there's any legitimacy to what you are saying, at least for America, unless you are talking about the South who are far behind on tons of issues beyond "sexism".

"but don't use your position to belittle or ignore those of us who really are suffering." So where do you live in the world and what suffering have you encountered solely due to your gender and nothing else? Please enlighten me with examples if you have them because I sure don't have any examples of sexism in the USA.

^ LOL garbage.

misanthrope86 I agree laylastepfords comment is indeed Garbage!.

laylastepford-Modern day example of a "Stepford Wife". LOL! XD

I used to be one of them back when I genuinely believed modern feminism was a hate movement. And frankly, some of it is hateful. But a lot of those anti-feminists are exactly the same if not worse. As someone who's sat on both sides of the fence, I think a lot of them don't know what they're talking about and actually think women by default have it better than men objectively in America which just isn't true. We may have it better than Iran or Nigeria but... so? Is that hard to do?

Also, there are some who really come off as "one of the boys" and seem to just want male approval.

I'm friends with a few non feminist though and while I doubt they'll ever join the other side, they're still sensible people who don't hate women at all.

What planet are these people from? I thought Stepford Wives was a movie?