The Feminist Movement in the 2016 Election Was Nonexistent

In literary theory, women who study human rights for women and research how women are viewed globally would be shocked at how women turned on one another during (and before) the 2016 election. It was a turn away from how far women have come in North America. When so many women agreed on camera; there was no shock factor from women that voted for Republicans. Women in America wore printed t-shirts that backed up those dirty words. Words that if a stranger on the corner said it, women would be insulted. Is that what the women's rights movement has come to in 2016? Really! Is that the direction women black, white, Asian, or middle-eastern are preparing themselves to tolerate?

There were three waves of the feminist movement that emerged in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1990s according to the history and theory of feminism. During those three waves combined Feminism altered dominant perspectives in a vast area within Western society, ranging from culture to law. Activist campaigned for women's legal rights (rights of contract, property rights, voting rights); for women's right to bodily integrity and autonomy, for abortion rights, and for reproductive rights; (including access to contraception and quality prenatal care).

Furthermore, women activist fought for protections for women and girls from domestic violence, sexual harassment and rape for workplace rights, including maternity leave and equal pay (Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009) pay equity, rights against misogyny; and against other forms of gender-specific discrimination against women. History shows that most feminist movements and theories had leaders who were predominantly middle-class white women from Western Europe and North America. During the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, the trend by other races accelerated alternative feminism since the speech given by Sojourner Truth in 1851. Also, black feminist, such as Angela Davis, bell hooks, and Alice Walker shared that view.

The most compelling statement I read and wanted to add to this article is one by Simone de Beauvoir (1949) in her article The Second Sex. Firstly she admits that she hates writing about women because it's an irritating subject for most women in general. But she goes on to write, "Even in Russia women still are women," "Woman has lost her way." She said, "One wonders if women still exist if they will always exist, whether or not it is desirable that they should? Next, the question is, what place will they occupy in this world, what their place should be. "What has become of women?" That is my question of this past election. Where did we go? What exactly did we gain that will take women further into their essence of feminism? Have women enlightened themselves or do they continue to be 'otherness'?

Perhaps, women, have superficial differences and those differences led them to vote for and reject with the real gains that feminism has fought to gain mentioned above. These feminist views are not to tear men and women away from each other, but to define truth and the real relation of the sexes. Aristotle said; "The female is a female under a certain lack of qualities; we should regard the female nature as afflicted with a natural defectiveness." St. Thomas goes on to say, woman to be an 'imperfect man,' and 'incidental being.'

In this election and the process and behaviors that women took; are alarming going forward from the 2016 election. Listen, "Man can think of himself without women." But she cannot think of herself without a man. And that is what happened in this election. Women took the side of most of the middle-class white males, who wanted to give back power to other white men."

Women in this election were not aware when they succumbed to the thorny incidentals of sexism. "Thus Beauvoir (1949) complained, "humanity is male, and man defines woman not in herself but as about him; she has no independence of being." The gains that have existed regarding feminist rights as human rights are in jeopardy if we continue in this direction. This is the Fourth Wave of the Feminist movement, which was our participation in the past election? The women of the 21st Century will now have to determine--where do they go from here.

Tracy T. Brittain is a commentariat, journalist, and writer who will give her opinions about politics, human rights, human dignity, democracy, and how women see themselves in the 21st Century. She has over 30 years of writing experience and contributes on topics like marketing, business, women and other subjects. She can be contacted by  tbwriter2016@gmail.com.



By Tracy T. Brittain 



Article Source:  The Feminist Movement in the 2016 Election Was Nonexistent