Bits and Bobs on Feminist Theory #6: Gender Equality

Equality is the fictional top of a really fucked up, cold, hard-to-live-on mountaintop.

Men are at the top of that mountain, chilling out, maxing, relaxing all cool, but women are still trying to grapple up the side of the mountain and get to flat land.

That is not to say that the mountaintop is awesome. There are TONS of problems! The air is thin, there's no electricity. It's cold, so you can't grow shit to eat; but you can pitch tents, get shelter, stay warm, and basically live in relative safety.

All the while, WOMEN ARE HANGING OFF THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN.

It's not that men don't have it bad. It's that women
have it worse, and because we have it so much worse (hello, hanging off a mountain here) it is necessarily a priority to get us up to the top of the mountain before we can start tackling the mountaintop problems.


How can I help you insulate your tent against the cold if you refuse to help me get to the top of the mountain?

Not to mention, an intersectional approach would dictate that not only are all women hanging off the side of the mountain, but women of colour are at an added disadvantage because they, as a group, have had less access to the economic means to buy the equipment they need to get to the top of said mountain. So Black women, Asian women, Hispanic women and other WOC are trying to get to the top of the mountain without proper grappling hooks, or even warm clothing.

*****

Feminism is not about ignoring the issues that plague men in the patriarchy. The patriarchy hurts everyone. But because of the historic subjugation of women, it simply necessary to attend to the issues of women first. We have to get women to the same level as men first, so that we can all start building higher and better together.

By being feminist allies, men can help accelerate the closing of the equality gap, and help women get closer to being able prioritize issues that affect men.