WHAT DID WE LEARN?
We examined the history of feminism and understood why women’s history matters and how historical, social, political and economic processes shaped gender inequalities.
Juliet Mitchell described the founding of second wave feminism and the ideas on which it is based. She told us that women have ever been, in some way, disadvantaged. For her, feminism is about understanding what it is that makes women always the Other and always, as it were, No One.
Hannah Dawson highlighted some of the blind spots that have made feminism and the need for it invisible to so many. She stressed how important it is to think about women’s work – from reproduction to child rearing to caring for members of the family older or younger – as a labour that is part of an economy.
We went through the different waves of feminism. Maxine Molyneux showed us how feminism has generally been seen historically to have pursued three prongs of struggle: social justice, rights and political representation. With the fourth wave, a new generation of young women activists brings a new vitality into feminism.
We discovered key concepts and terminology, such as gender, and intersectionality. Durba Mitra reminded us that the history of global feminisms is deeply entrenched in the history of colonialism and the history of the rise and fall of slavery in the 19th century. Hannah Dawson spotted some of the blindspots that make feminism invisible to many. Lucy Delap made us think about what is usable about feminist histories and how can we draw on the experiences of the past. We discovered with them some key figures of the feminist past.
We understood better the gendered meaning of family and “work” in women history and how it influenced family life, family relationships, and women’s ability to organize politically, socially and economically. Sue Himmelweit introduced us to women economics. She raised the importance of an economy of care as an alternative to a model centered in economic growth. She made us aware of feminist economic theory and how gender must influence macroeconomic models. Judy Wajcman shared her thoughts on systemic gender bias and made us think of how technologies can replicate gender stereotypes
We examined contemporary feminist issues and the growing women’s participation in social and political movements. Durba Mitra addressed key contemporary issues surrounding gender, discrimination, sexual violence including the #MeToo movement. She characterized the leadership of women of colour and insisted on the critical role of feminist in imagining a radically different future.
