One of the biggest social movements of the 2000s has been feminism: the fight against the patriarchy and for equality between the genders. The movement has surely developed, branching into its own differing ideologies. Take Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminists, or TERFs. TERFs, in essence, don't support transfems. Transfem is an identity-labelling term for those who were assigned male at birth but hold a more feminine identity. Fem is another identity-labelling term for those who generally hold a feminine identity. Fem is  more inclusive of both trans women and those who identify partially with femininity. TERFs generally do not accept transfems identifying as women because of its contradiction to their genitalia. Similarly to individuals of other radical ideals and systems (e.g. the alt-right), TERFs are mostly hiding in their online communities and forums. Instead of calling themselves “TERFs,” they’ll call themselves “gender-critical feminists” — a term that writer Katelyn Burns likens to white supremacists calling themselves “race realists.”

Ecofeminists, on another note, explore the connection between the parallel exploitation of women and the exploitation of nature. Ecofeminism especially emphasizes the similarities between the patriarchal treatment of nature and women. It seeks to destroy all forms of patriarchal dominance. As the threat of climate change becomes more apparent, ecofeminism is poised to become increasingly prevalent and popular. 

There’s the womanist movement. Womanism is a form of feminism that seeks to specifically highlight the experiences of African American women in America. The fact is that African American women are the most oppressed people in America; this fact is not contested by traditional feminism or womanism. However, womanism views traditional feminism as too broad, too thinly spread of a movement to adequately address the inequities that African American women face when compared to white women. This is to say that womanism as a movement is one parallel to feminism. To view these movements as oppositions may be a product of stereotypes of aggression placed on African American women. Still, some have questioned the need for womanism, especially after the rise of intersectional feminism.

Intersectional feminism is largely a development of traditional feminism as an entire movement. Intersectional feminism revolves around understanding the inequities and systems that intersect with sexism. For example, intersectional feminism emphasizes an understanding of where racism and sexism intersect — Black and Brown fems face a greater level of sex-based oppression because of their race, especially in comparison to their white counterparts. It emphasizes an understanding that LGBTQIA+ fems face greater discrimination than their white counterparts. It is due to this emphasis on intersectional feminism that modern feminism has been successful, though feminists have a ways to go until true gender equality is attained in the United States. 

Arguably, our feminism has become intersectional feminism, at least in a shallow sense. Our feminism preaches a doctrine of “your feminism is not feminism unless it is for all women.” However, our feminism has not yet fully embraced this doctrine, and because of this feminism still largely and disproportionately benefits the white, cisgender, heterosexual woman. In order to combat this, we must begin to fully embrace the ideas and principles of intersectionality. We must continuously work to understand and adapt intersectionality to the context of our world and the issues that women of color, LGBTQIA+ fems, and lower-income women face. 

Fully embracing the idea of intersectionality means targeting white feminists and what they currently fight for. White women who fight for abolishing the tampon tax may not realize that, with the systems of oppression in America, Black and Brown fems are not able to afford or access menstrual products in the first place. White women fight for wage equality and breaking the glass ceiling — that is, the barrier that prevents white women from being promoted into higher level positions in the workplace — whereas Black and Brown fems’ glass ceiling is even lower and much more resilient. In order to make our feminism intersectional in a meaningful way, we must make white feminists aware of the further inequities that their counterparts face. This can be done in a multitude of ways, but we can start at an ideological level. The focus should be on giving women of color more seats at the table and elevating these marginalized voices. 

Our current understanding of intersectional feminism has led to a “white-savior” take to the matter. The aforementioned notion that “your feminism is not feminism unless it is for all women” has enabled white women to justify their single-faceted actions of reform by allowing them to claim that they had the interests of fems of color and LGBTQIA+ fems in mind when they preached ideals that did not benefit those people in the first place. This white-washed take on feminism has now become white feminism. Coined “White Supremacy in Heels” by writer Rachel Elizabeth Cargle, this type of feminism is a manifestation of the fragility of white activists. It is a reflection of defensiveness and the inability to learn from the experiences of women of color. It is a deflection of the influence of race in these issues and as well as any accountability for the blatant lack of consideration. In short, white feminists used and continue to use their white privilege to continue to benefit themselves and silence other voices. 

Ultimately, white feminists and political organizers must hold themselves personally accountable for the space they occupy with their organizing and the influence they possess. Through this, society can begin to dismantle the impact of white feminism and the restrictions it has placed on true intersectional feminism. 

Works Cited

“A Brief History of Civil Rights in the United States: The Womanist Movement.” HUSL Library, library.law.howard.edu/civilrightshistory/womanist. 

Burns, Katelyn. “The Rise of Anti-Trans ‘Radical’ Feminists, Explained.” Vox, Vox, 5 Sept. 2019, www.vox.com/identities/2019/9/5/20840101/terfs-radical-feminists-gender-critical. 

“Ecofeminism.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2018, www.britannica.com/topic/ecofeminism. 

“Intersectional Feminism: What It Means and Why It Matters Right Now.” UN Women, 1 July 2020, www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/6/explainer-intersectional-feminism-what-it-means-and-why-it-matters. 

Kagan, Julia. “Glass Ceiling.” Investopedia, Investopedia, 19 May 2021, www.investopedia.com/terms/g/glass-ceiling.asp. 

Person. “What Does It Mean to Be Transfeminine?” Healthline, Healthline Media, 14 Jan. 2021, www.healthline.com/health/transfeminine#definition. 

Rachel Elizabeth Cargle Rachel Elizabeth Cargle writes and lectures on things that exist at the intersection of race and womanhood. “When Feminism Is White Supremacy in Heels.” Harper's BAZAAR, 2 June 2020, www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/politics/a22717725/what-is-toxic-white-feminism/. 

“What Is Ecofeminism?” Women and Life on Earth: What Is Ecofeminism?, 2020, www.wloe.org/what-is-ecofeminism.76.0.html.