Radical Feminism

Radical Feminism, a trend in the Women’s movement, takes up men as enemies. The argument behind radical feminists is that men have always been the cause of women’s oppression. Some of the feminists believe that women must seize control of what it means to be a woman. From the radical feminist perspective, since the beginning of time, women have shaped their roles as women. Therefore, women should now create new roles and also form a culture on their own to ensure liberation especially from a patriarchal system. It is through this that we seek to explore how women have been oppressed in radical feminism.

For radical feminists, the origin of oppression amongst women lies in the patriarchy. Most men hold many positions of power. In the past, women remained in oppression since only men ran institutions and states. According to radical feminists, men are innately violent, aggressive, simplistic and destructive. Women are innately democratic, peaceful, complex and passionate. The society they build would be based on the female principles where all people are treated well and equally. Radical feminism has existed since the overthrowing of the matriarchy. Notably, women were under control in the matriarchy. Additionally, they were also were considered as supreme beings. However, the thriving for power and domination over power overthrew the matriarchy.

Misunderstandings occurred because critics claimed that radical feminism had already rejected its theory. In fact, radical feminism kicked off as a political movement to end male supremacy in areas of both economic and social life. Remarkably, it rejected the idea of opposing female and male values. Within the first years of its existence, radical feminism had all signs of becoming a true massive movement. Women had enormous enthusiasm and energy and used varieties of tactics, speak-outs and demonstrations, tireless organizing among coworkers and friends, in supermarkets, on street corners, and ladies rooms. Radical feminism movement exploded later on public consciousness. Some of the feminists argue that nearly all women share same oppression. However, there are women rulers who oppress women since they have bought into the idea of “male value systems”.

There are arguments that the source of women oppression is the social institution of gender. In its original sense, radical feminism barely exists today. Women who call themselves feminists have subscribed to politics and are labeled “cultural feminists”. According to them, the primary goal of feminism is to free women from the so-called “male values” and creating other cultures based on female values.