A phrase widely credited to Mahatma Gandhi reads that unless others are free, we cannot say that we are free.
No proof exists that Gandhi stated or
wrote this, yet the notion has resonated with liberation movements of every
kind. As with many universalist arguments, though, it enshrines a fine ideal
that might pose practical difficulties.
Feminist discourses, for instance, have long
held that if s single woman is oppressed, all women are oppressed. Therefore, in
theory, "Universal sisterhood among women" is excellent — feminism is
an internationalist struggle in which the battle against sexist oppression
transcends class, culture, and race.
However, when viewed closely, it may be
problematic.
A colonialist past of feminist universalism
Gender-based discrimination manifests itself
differently in different cultures, and what liberates women in one region of
the world may not be very beneficial to women in another. Too frequently,
Western feminists have used the concept of "universal sisterhood among
women" to impose the conditions of emancipation on women in the third
world.
It is not merely a matter of good-intentioned
people in the West mistaking their worries for the problems of all people
worldwide. Postcolonial feminists feel that a colonialism background taints
female universalism.
This is somewhat unsurprising, considering
that feminist ideas have long been co-opted into blatantly imperialist goals in
the West. According
to Dr. Khader, a political philosopher, suffragists used imperialist arguments
in the nineteenth century.
People in the United Kingdom frequently argued
that India and North Africa required colonization because the males cloistered
their wives and could not be trusted to govern themselves.
Similarly, the Bush administration, in the
early 2000s, in the United States, used concerns about Muslim women wearing
veils as a justification for conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
More recently, Donald Trump used the rape of
women at the US-Mexico border to legitimize border militarisation by appealing
to public concern about women's safety and sexual assault.
All of this is not to say that feminism is
synonymous with imperialism. But missionary feminism is a strain of Western
feminism that maintains colonial notions.
Missionary feminism has three main features:
The first is the idea that the notion that gender equality has a predetermined
endpoint that is the same in every society. The second feature is the belief
that Western nations have succeeded in eliminating gender disparity because of
their inherent moral superiority and that other countries fail to do so due to
their moral obscurantist. The third one is treating world politics as if it
were a game of chess. No one, not even moralists, gives a damn about the
potential consequences of their charitable efforts.
In non-Western societies, liberal feminist
beliefs about a desirable life may not always be simply translated.The capacity
to break free of familial ties and go it alone in search of financial
independence is not always a virtue shared by all feminists.
We hear many stories about women in the Global
South being able to leave their husbands if they had access to microcredit,
which would end their oppression. However, even though money may allow her to
flee an abusive partner, she will not be relieved of her disproportionate load
of childcare and housework as a result of her flight.
What should women in the West do to help women
in the Global South?
So, what are Western women obligated to do for
women in the developing world?
How can they avoid perpetuating the
imperialist mindset when it comes to fulfilling their commitments? The answer rests
in attempting to alleviate the various injuries we all inflict on women across
the world.
Start with environmental action.
Many enterprises in the developing world
contribute to environmental damage. Women, in particular, bear the brunt of
this since having to go longer to get gasoline or water adds to their already
heavy workload and leaves them more open to harassment and abuse.
Another important step is to fight unjust
trade restrictions and the consumer products that come from them. The West is
enacting free trade regulations that allow women to be selected as sweatshop
workers all over the world. They are intentionally recruited since they may be
paid less than males, are more submissive, and will not unionize.
People in the West should prioritize
investigating how their actions contribute to gender-based discrimination and
oppression of women in the third world.
For
further reading please visit Learning Comets
