Feminism is a very common topic today, where it is increasingly campaigned; Many times in the right way, respecting theirideals and principles, but other times it is misunderstood and is not handled in the same way as it is built.
Feminism is something complex to understand without having general culture and the history of the female gender. The women who belong to this movement have a myriad of motives, which on a solid foundation, are in their freedom to defend their rights equally.
However, it is still a topic that the male population and in general, continues not to understand, so in the following article you will know more deeply what feminism is and what are some of the types that currently exist.
What is feminism?
The real definition is not about superiority over men, much less a social or political movement.
In the words ofthe Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), it defines that feminism is “the principle of equal rights of women and men as well as the movement that fights for effective realization in all orders of feminism.”
In this sense, feminism seeks equality in women’s rights without being an antonym of machismo or encouraging hatred towards the gender of men, it tries more to promote cooperation and respect for the female gender, allowing a strong voice of protection towards them.
Main types of feminism
There are many types of feminism, which must be known so as not to be misunderstood, this also helps to understand more why feminism exists and how it is so relevant today.
Philosophical
This is a very cultured type of feminism, of deep and reflective thoughts, perhaps its existence is due to many years ago in Greek times, long before knowing it as it is today.
But there is a study called The Philosophical Feminism of Celia Amoros , where she defines it as the review of the history of thought, of ideas and, therefore, also of the feminist movement.
So, this type of feminism functions as a critical reflection, which is situated in the present, in which it participates as an involved conscience and as a political phenomenon. All this in the field of feminism, to give it a reason, a reason to exist and representation.
Liberal
Here we find one of the most serious and honorable types of feminism, for its purpose. This defends the individual and social freedom of women, specifically in the political sphere.
Its objectives are specific, seeking to promote equality, guided by political and legal reforms. Thus seeking the participation of the female gender in the public sphere, politics is initially heavily involved here.
Radical
Feminism has been the opposite of liberal, having very different objectives from other branches of feminism, which is why it is sometimes misunderstood.
The Libertalia Magazine , in a brief introduction to feminism, explains that the radical part of a new analytical method of the situation of women and gets to the root of the problem, that is to say, to its origin.
In this sense, radical feminism identifies patriarchy and speaks of oppression, and not only of discrimination, as is usually the case in other branches of feminism.
abolitionist
This branch of feminism began with good intentions and affected a large sector of women across the globe.
With sensitive and controversial issues at the beginning, they fought for the abolition of prostitution and pornography, as well as surrogacy, but more specifically, to abolish the sexual and reproductive exploitation of women.
However, it has been a branch highly criticized for having contradictions in its arguments, as mentioned in the Political Timing Magazine regarding prostitution “that providing a sexual service for money is not worthy”
Egalitarian
It is also called equality feminism, unlike the general definition of feminism, this is a moral doctrine on equal treatment, which does not bet on any empirical issue still under discussion in the field of psychology or biology . Therefore, it shares a lot with the main objective of feminism, seeking equality.
In this sense, the Doctor of Philosophy Susana Carro in her article Feminism will be egalitarian or it will not be feminism , states that “Feminism is a vindication of equality and only has a place within ideologies that prioritize equality over any other value” .
Of diference
It is a very different type of feminism than that of equality. Because of its confusing but understandable premise, with a more global objective.
Its objective is to create a truly egalitarian world, not for women to integrate into the current society, which is already built on unequal foundations.
In this sense, society is built mostly by the male sector, favoring men. Therefore, it is a type of feminism that is difficult to understand. Being taken as a utopia, it began to decline, but it is still remembered for its ideals.
socialist
It shares a similarity with radical feminism, due to its strong and ambitious ideologies. It is a branch of feminism that seeks to end social classes, as well as gender differences, with the aim that a woman can have the freedom to decide and live.
It also censures patriarchy and capitalism for considering them a very abusive method of exploitation for women, thus benefiting the interests of capital and the ruling classes. He also intends to attack domestic slavery, sexual submission, and economic dependencies.
Anarchist
It constitutes a very strong historical feminism since the 1960s, which was known as an anarchist movement, this anarchist feminism tries to keep feminism out of the influence and domination by authoritarian ideologies, both from the right and from the left.
The anarchists of feminism also point out that authoritarian traits and values, such as domination, exploitation, aggressiveness or competition, are highly valued in hierarchical civilizations and are traditionally classified as “masculine”. They also say that it is not possible to feminize women. the population without direct democracy or decentralization.
Provided
This is the feminism that opposes an issue as controversial and discussed as abortion, only from the point of view of a group of feminists.
There are NGOs and blogs such as Feminists for Life , which have visions and specific objectives such as ensuring the basic human rights of everyone, especially women and children, through non-violent strategies, from conception to the natural end of the life.
Scientist
Scientific feminism arises from the need to give a vision of gender problems based on scientific evidence, something that is absent in world feminism.
This feminism is different from several branches, it fights for equality, it is based on scientific evidence such as biology and evolutionary psychology, through which it states that the differences between men and women are not only cultural.
The Vitamin M page has an article where they mention that “Scientific feminism, for example, rejects that heteropatriarchy is responsible for inequalities
Ecologist
This type of feminism has another synonym, ecofeminism, which is currently a minority current of feminism. It is a branch of thought and praxis in the political sphere, since the 20th century.
The author Yolanda Fernandez Vargas describes it as “the need to transform society, and at the same time it is articulated as an individual practice, a different way of being and being in the world, more just, equitable and supportive.”
It also converges with environmentalism, with the objective of responding to an unsustainable situation of ecological crisis and care crisis, which currently endangers the planet and the living beings that inhabit it.
Cybernetic
Also known as Cyberfeminism, it is a movement with a different scope from other branches of feminism since it adopts the philosophies of the feminist community, but the interests are focused on cyberspace, the Internet or technology.
It is a branch developed in current times, although it originally arose in the 90s by Donna Haraway, who at the time justified her reasons by saying that “The so-called masculine domination computer does not affect everyone equally and women, as part of unprotected groups, which is their main domain”.
Today, everything that happens to the female gender through technology is irrefutable proof, being more affected and exposed, which is why it is a movement of the utmost importance.
Male
It will sound strange, but it is considered a branch of feminism, it is not even something contradictory, it is to tell the truth, the result of one of the objectives of the feminist movement.
Put simply, it is the branch made up of men in favor of the feminist movement (whatever its branch), ensuring equality with the female sex and in turn over the influences and alibis of experiences and freedoms.
Dissident
It is a special and unique branch of feminism, for good reason, it seeks to promote and encourage equal rights for women with respect to men, with the exception and as its name says, separating the ideas of other existing feminist movements .
Normally this branch has many aspects, whose objectives go against other types of feminist movements, such as radical and ecofeminism.
Transfeminism
Arriving at the last branch, we found a current that shared a lot of activism with the LGTB community, from the transsexual point of view.
This branch is made up of transgender women, who decide to ensure their freedoms and rights, as the feminist movement should allow.
Transfeminism also broadens the identity of the oppressive system, therefore we would no longer speak of “hetero-patriarchy” but of “cishetero-patriarchy”, including in this group people whose gender adapts to the tax at birth, since it considers that it is the normative and socially accepted.
University Professional in the area of Human Resources, Postgraduate in Occupational Health and Hygiene of the Work Environment, 14 years of experience in the area of health. Interested in topics of Psychology, Occupational Health, and General Medicine.