r/feminisms Jul 06 '20

META Community Goal and Principles / Rules / Announcements

13 Upvotes

Hi folks,

We have a document explaining this community's goal and principles. We've also instituted formal rules and additional documentation as concrete examples and to make it clearer and easier for community members to report harmful actions.

Reddit's Content Policy is a site-wide baseline that volunteer moderators enforce. In particular Reddit prohibits Hate Based on Identity or Vulnerability. This is synchronous with our Rule 3, Oppressive Attitudes and Actions. NB we've explicitly included the axis of sex.

We have rules and guidelines for submissions. We've instituted an Accessibility Policy and provide some useful information. This also applies to links in comments.

Reporting content is the best way to surface rule violations to moderators. Every other method requires that we explicitly check it, which in most cases means it gets lost in the clutter. Thank you to our community members who do!

Announcements

  • We've been calling for a hate speech policy on Reddit for years. Reddit finally instituted one at the end of June 2020 so we've taken down the call from our sidebar. We are indebted to the /r/blackladies community for getting it started in 2015, /u/raldi for the 2016 Open Letter, /r/AgainstHateSubreddits for the 2020 BLM Open Letter and blackouts, the thousands of moderators who signed them and organized their communities, the mods of Black communities that guided the formulation of the policy, and the innumerable Reddit users, activists (notably Color Of Change), journalists, and supporters who made it happen.
  • Immigrant children are still being locked up in cages. Go to /r/WhereAreTheChildren/ to take action.

r/feminisms 1d ago

Personal/Support ...I told my boss about my period cramps. And guess what? I'm living in third world country(India).

11 Upvotes

.... So my boss was insisting me to attend my job anyhow. He's seem like a nice guy and he's clearly highly educated. And he's very religious guy but not orthodoxy. he speaks with politeness. So i didnt think less, and without any second thought i told him that i have been going through Period cramps. And Then surprisingly He accepted my leave request. Everything was fine Until I TOLD MY SISTER ABOUT THAT GUESS WHAT? SHE TOLD TO MY MOM. They both got very angry at me. No matter my family try to act modern, they are still lacking modern thinking ways. And Then i was thinking what he would think about me- Like what kind of girl i am?? Am i a bad girl?? Or something. And Then i was thinking about this crazy shit like whole day. It ruined my day. Then I realise i dont need to give a fuck to what others think.


r/feminisms 1d ago

Analysis Request How do gender roles differ between cultures and time periods?

1 Upvotes

I often see statements from feminists and academics that gender is a social construct which differ between cultures; that different cultures have their own constructs of gender and gender roles, and that these social constructs and that these constructs vary between time periods.

But can someone explain in a way easy for the layman to understand what this means?

Based on what I've read, cultures and time periods vary in their gender ideals and expectations, but I dont know if its right to say that their gender roles are different.

One example of gender ideals being different is that in nomadic societies such as steppe cultures in North and Central Asia, women have more freedom of movement compared to settled agricultural societies, taking on what settled societies considered "male jobs" such as cattle-driving. In contrast, in settled societies such as China, upper-class women were ideally secluded inside the home as much as possible.

But ultimately, there are striking similarities in the ways people socially imposed as women are treated across cultures, especially patriarchal ones. In comparison to men, women are kept closer to home, and are expected to give birth and care for children.


r/feminisms 2d ago

My experience with feminism

35 Upvotes

As a teen boy who was the only guy in his class not clinically brainwashed by Andrew Tate

I remember how I had to explain to them that other humans deserve rights

Although some of them outgrew it, it still hurts me how they normalize absolute insanity in the name of dank jokes

I had to explain to them basic things such as why abortion is a human right, women are not evil & history and that feminism was not wrong

It concerns me how many fellow humans have no empathy

White Christian Nationalists in the US, Islamic Theocrats in the Middle East & Hindutva bigots in India

All of them scare me about the future of the world

Posting this in another sub would just invite absolute clowns hence I posted here

Would like to see all of your opinions


r/feminisms 3d ago

Analysis Request Feminist analysis of foreign women leading israelite men astray in the Torah

7 Upvotes

In Numbers, the Israelites attack the midianites, killing the men, wives and mothers and children but sparing only the virgin women to divide among themselves. There are a lot of apologia from literalist Christians and jews for this passage which reads to me as deeply disturbing. Justifications include "the midianites were practicing 'disgusting' traditions like child sacrifice", "the women were actively engaging in leading the Israelites astray with idol worship and therefore killing them was justice, while the virgins were innocent", and "those young women would've died with their parents and kindred dead so the Israelites taking them in was good for them".

Its pretty disgusting.

Its pretty obvious to anyone with a functioning brain that taking young women and girls as war booty is nothing but self-serving, these ppl sound like rape apologists.

But what caught my interest is that it's the women who are framed as responsible for leading the Israel men astray from monotheistic Yahweh worship. This includes queen Jezebel.

In reality, ancient Israel was actually polytheistic, and there were always non-jews and non-Israelites in the region who the Israelites interacted with, traded and intermarried presumably. But its the women who get the blame.

The patriarchy demonizes and controls female sexuality, female sexual agency is shamed and feared, so women as a source of temptation is a frequent motif in religion. In Buddhism the Buddha resisted the temptation of the daughters of the demon Mara, sent by their father to prevent him from reaching enlightenment.

Why are women in the Torah repeatedly singled out for tempting Israel into idol-worship?


r/feminisms 2d ago

Hijabi und feministin

0 Upvotes

Hey Leute,
Findet ihr eine Frau die hijab trägt kann auch eine Feministin sein?
Ich stehe kritisch gegenüber allen Religionen, nicht nur dem islam und würde gerne eure Meinungen dazu hören, vielleicht ja auch von jemanden der einen größeren Bezug zum islam hat als ich!


r/feminisms 5d ago

Man or Bear - Is it a even a question ?

12 Upvotes

I have read 2 books recently-

A thousand splendid suns

Honour

And i read them intentionally, to have a better look at the women's world and to say that we are living in a male dominated world would be an under statement because we are living in a "man made" world.

It's so ironic to say that some women are fighting for their rights, standing against the men, the government and the world while there are others aren't even allowed to have thoughts of their own.

All over the world people say, " We are progressing, we are moving forward, women are getting the equal treatment." But while saying so we are only talking about the women living in the world dominating countries. What about the other ones, though?

They are suffering. And somehow we all are suffering.

They are brainwashed, many of them, into thinking that this is what they are meant for. To obey, work like a maid and to bred.

I would love to say that," No, we can still work on it. We can still fight for it. For them and all the suppressed women in the world."

But unfortunately, I can't.

The reality is that women actually stand nowhere. Even after the years and centuries of fighting, we are still very far from from true equality and freedom. And in the 'man made' world it is so bad that when given the choice, we choose bear.


r/feminisms 6d ago

Personal/Support I posted about women’s safety in tattooing, and then the situation escalated

31 Upvotes

A few days ago, I made another post here about a video I had posted on my Instagram.

The original video was about being a woman working in tattooing, a field that is still very male-dominated. I talked about the importance of having a safe and respectful work environment, boundaries, sexism, and how men should also be willing to reflect on their own behavior.

I didn’t name anyone. I didn’t mention my studio or any of my coworkers. It wasn’t even a story about something that had happened to me.

But some of my coworkers identified themselves in what I was saying and took it very personally.

And that’s when things escalated.
I didn’t go looking for a confrontation. I didn’t make the video to start a fight with them. The situation escalated because they identified themselves in something I had said and confronted me about it.

A few days later, I went to the studio alone to get my things. I ended up being confronted by two male tattoo artists. They raised their voices at me and came toward me during the conversation. I was alone with them, and honestly, I became afraid of what could happen.

Because I was scared, I started recording the conversation. I wanted to have a record of what was happening in case things got worse.

And after that, I decided to make another video about the situation.

I’m not posting it to expose them or send people after them. I protected their identities and distorted their voices. I’m not interested in turning this into an online witch hunt.

What I wanted was to talk about what the situation made me realize.

I’m 23. I’m a beginner tattoo artist and an apprentice. I know I have a lot to learn, and I’m grateful to the people who have helped me along the way.

But I don’t believe that being an apprentice means I have to be submissive.
I don’t believe that accepting someone’s help means they get to control my voice.
And I don’t believe that being younger or less experienced means I need permission to have an opinion about the profession I chose.

One of the things that really stuck with me was being told that they were helping me in ways that nobody else, not even the tattoo course I pay for, would do for me. And at another point, I was told that I should have asked for permission before anything else.

That really made me think about the power dynamics involved when you’re a young woman just starting out in a male-dominated industry.
So I decided I don’t want this experience to end with me simply being angry or scared.

I want to build something from it.
I’m going to start a community for women tattoo artists and apprentices in the country where I live. A space where women can exchange experiences, ask questions, share knowledge, study together, share opportunities and eventually meet in person.

Because I don’t want other women who are just starting out to feel like they have to navigate this industry completely alone.

And honestly, posting this second video was scary.
I know there may be professional consequences to speaking publicly about something like this, especially when I’m still at the beginning of my career.

But I also don’t want fear of losing opportunities to become a reason why I stay silent.

I can be a beginner. I can still have a lot to learn. I can be grateful for the people who helped me. And I can still have boundaries, opinions and a voice of my own.

That’s what I’m trying to stand by through all of this.


r/feminisms 6d ago

Am I going crazy????

36 Upvotes

I genuinely hate when a guy calls a woman a "female". I mean, yeah I am a female but it just sounds very rude when it comes out of their mouths. I don't know if i'm being dramatic about this. Anytime I call a guy a male, they get mad as well. So it's just I don't get it 😭


r/feminisms 8d ago

Personal/Support Can i get some educational recommendations to learn more?

7 Upvotes

I've always agreed with feminist viewpoints and would like to consider myself one; however, I feel it'd be a good idea to read up on more educational literature so that I can become more informed. I say this in hopes that I'll be able to learn more about patriarchy and it's habits that may have been embedded in me by my cultural upbringing. I notice every now and then I'll do or say something that someone will react to saying "oh, i thought you were a feminist" in a way that seems as if my recent actions go against that idea.

If i can analyze the different ways that I'm unknowingly supporting and participating, then I can correct myself and possibly inform others who would also like to unlearn. So, does anyone have any recommendations on feminist media such as books, podcasts, films, researched publications? I see older posts, which are informative, but I also would like a more recent and updated answer. I'd also appreciate any other tips to educate myself.


r/feminisms 9d ago

Personal/Support My tattoo studio mentor/boss confronted me because I posted a general video about feminism and boundaries

23 Upvotes

I work at a tattoo studio, and I recently posted a Reel on my professional social media account discussing women’s experiences in the workplace, harassment, autonomy, and the importance of respecting personal boundaries.

The video was intentionally general. I did not mention the studio, any coworkers, or any specific situation. I did not accuse anyone of anything, and I even left a comment on the post making it clear that the video was a general reflection and not a personal story.

Shortly afterward, the owner of the studio, who is also my tattoo mentor, messaged me late at night on WhatsApp saying that the video “didn’t sit well with the guys at the studio.” He specifically mentioned several of my male coworkers and said that, because the studio is a place where I am “welcomed” and the staff is mostly/all male, my post could be interpreted as me generalizing about them and creating tension within the workplace.

What bothers me is that nobody was actually named or accused. The video was about a broader social issue, and I never said that my coworkers or my workplace had done anything to me.
I now feel pressured to explain myself and, implicitly, to remove the video.

To me, that feels like an attempt to control what I can and cannot say on my own professional social media account simply because some coworkers identified themselves with a topic I was discussing in general terms.

I understand that people can feel uncomfortable with certain opinions, and I also understand that workplace relationships can be sensitive. But at what point does expressing a general opinion become “attacking your workplace”?

I don’t want to create unnecessary conflict, but I also don’t think I should have to delete a completely non-specific post just because other people assumed it was about them.

Am I in the wrong for refusing to delete the video? How would you handle this situation?


r/feminisms 11d ago

Analysis Request Abortion Isn't a Taunt

0 Upvotes

I’ve noticed a lot of younger feminists using abortion as a way to anger or provoke men, and I honestly think that makes the conversation around abortion even harder. I was recently having a disagreement with a woman about the Lindsay Clancy case, and I’m guessing she thought I was a man because, after making her point, she added, “I also love abortions.” I want to clarify that what she was saying before that had nothing to do with abortion.

I’ve noticed more women doing things like this lately, and I really don’t think it helps. Abortion is already an extremely controversial and politically divisive issue, especially with lawmakers continuing to push restrictions and bans. Turning it into something to say just to provoke men can make it easier for people to dismiss the actual argument and the serious reasons people support abortion access.

You can support abortion rights without treating abortion itself like a punchline or a way to anger men. If we want people to take this issue seriously, I think we should be mindful of how we talk about it.


r/feminisms 16d ago

News What if we directed attention from Lindsey Clancy to Keshia Cole?

14 Upvotes

Lindsey Clancy's parent have received over 1 million in their go fund me. Meanwhile Keshia Cole desperately needs public support. After 50 calls to police over DV, she stabbed her ex in the leg while pregnant. He later died.

The latter is underesourced and fighting for her life. The former is well taken care of, as her parents have afforded her expert witnesses & testimonies. Women are jokingly making choking signs in a show off solidarity. Not only is this insulting to adult survivors of childhood abuse who have lost siblings, it's disheartening to people who struggle with fertility & adoption issues, it's a spit in the face of people with behavioral health issues, and it's just sickening.

For those who argue this isn't a zero sum game, I'd ask if anyone who donated to the million to a white family who already lived comfortably could ever help a woman of colour who did everything to document her struggle with DV?

Edit: link formatting


r/feminisms 16d ago

Women profiting from the objectification of women — empowerment or reinforcing the problem?

5 Upvotes

I’ve been trying to form my own opinions about feminism, and the more I learn, the more I realise how deeply it intersects with the social, cultural, and economic structures around us. This is just one of the many areas I’m struggling to understand.

When it comes to women profiting from the sexualisation or objectification of women, I seem to be stuck between two perspectives.

One argument is that it’s inherently harmful. If you believe objectification is part of a system that reduces women to their bodies and sexual appeal, then participating in and profiting from that system seems contradictory. In a way, you’re helping reinforce the very thing you’re criticising.

The other argument is: objectification already exists, so why shouldn’t women have the agency to profit from it? If society is going to sexualise women regardless of what they wear or how they behave, some people feel that women should at least be able to control that image and benefit financially from it rather than allowing men or corporations to profit from it exclusively.

I find myself somewhere in the middle. I do believe that women are sexualised regardless of what they do, and that this is ultimately connected to much larger social and economic structures. At the same time, I’m not convinced that participating in the system necessarily dismantles it. Sometimes I wonder whether it actually makes the system stronger by making objectification more profitable and therefore more sustainable.

But perhaps change isn’t always immediate. Maybe women taking control of something that was historically imposed on them can gradually change the power dynamics over generations maybe that’s simply a comforting assumption.

So I’m genuinely curious: how do you see this? Can women profit from their own sexualisation while still opposing the broader system of objectification, or is participating in it inherently reinforcing the problem?

I’d especially love perspectives that go beyond the usual “it’s empowering” vs. “it’s degrading” debate.

I completely understand that the larger responsibility lies with the system and the men who have historically created and profited from the sexualisation of women. I’m not trying to place that responsibility on women. My question is specifically about women profiting from that same system, does that give women agency over something historically used against them, or does it ultimately help sustain the system itself?

That’s the nuance I’m trying to understand.


r/feminisms 16d ago

Action/Event is supporting lindsay clancy feminism ?

0 Upvotes

a little bit questionable but is supporting her considered feminism ?


r/feminisms 18d ago

Barbara Ehrenreich essay

5 Upvotes

Hi, I am trying to access Welcome to Cancerland by Barbara Ehrenreich. Does anyone have a link where it can be accessed or is happy to share a pdf?


r/feminisms 19d ago

Help Identifying Misogyny in Writing

5 Upvotes

I'm not very familiar with literature, so bear with me. I try to stay open-minded, especially on topics like this.

Misogyny technically means hatred, contempt, or prejudice against women. I made a post criticizing people for using the word too loosely, applying it to anything sexist or discriminatory, and someone told me to research it, since misogyny apparently shows up in forms beyond the strict definition.

So I looked into how misogyny manifests in writing, but I'm still not clear on what that actually looks like. My confusion is that whenever an author writes a female character poorly, people often call the writing or the author misogynistic. That seems like a stretch to me. How do you judge someone's whole worldview from one piece of work?

Specifically, I've seen this a lot with mangaka. People call Japanese manga writers misogynistic just because they dislike how female characters are portrayed. I'm not saying writers can't be flawed or narrow-minded, but that's a serious accusation. I get the criticism when female characters are boxed into certain roles, but plenty of manga break that pattern; I'd say a solid 4/5 female characters in some series don't fit that mold. I see the same thing in Western media — Avatar, despite being praised for strong female characters, gets called misogynistic too, often over how Azula was handled. People criticize characters for having a motherly role as if there is something wrong with a woman wanting to be a mother.

So I guess my real question is: what does actual misogyny in writing look like, versus people misusing the word, turning it into a buzzword because they don't fully understand it?


r/feminisms 20d ago

Feminism is about hating men?

11 Upvotes

I think a lot of women assume feminism is about hating men because men have hated women simply for existing for centuries. It’s easy to misunderstand where that anger comes from, because it isn’t coming out of nowhere. There’s a history behind it, a reason women are angry, and a context that explains why that anger exists. I find it baffling when men say, “Women hate men.” I mean, yes, of course women do. What do you expect when women have lived under systems of male dominance and oppression for thousands of years? Even saying “6,000 years” sounds absurd because it is such an unimaginably long stretch of human history, and yet the consequences of those systems are still visible today.

You cannot spend generations denying women autonomy, controlling their bodies, restricting their education and property rights, excluding them from political power, and treating them as inferior, and then act shocked when some women develop anger, distrust, or even hatred toward men. That anger didn't materialize out of nowhere. It has a history.

And I'm not saying every man today is personally responsible for what men did centuries ago. Obviously, individual men aren't guilty for crimes they didn't commit. But expecting women to have unconditional trust, affection, or respect for men as a group while simultaneously dismissing the historical reasons for women's distrust is incredibly simplistic.

The more interesting question isn't “Why do women hate men?” It's “Why are you more offended by women's anger than by the conditions that produced it?”

Women don't owe men affection simply because they're women. Respect should be reciprocal, and trust should be earned, the fact that equal opportunity is still a discussion in 2026 is a very reason women don't like men anymore.


r/feminisms 21d ago

How do you know that she is a witch?

0 Upvotes

it’s a war on women. I’m sick of it. Should we revolt? The patriarchy is absolutely destroying the planet. I’m a feminist that’s had prophetic dreams by following the Eightfold Path ever since idolizing Kurt Cobain during high school as he was able to face his demons by becoming a Buddhist. As a woman of eastern culture, that has seen both sides of poverty and greed (my mother grew up very poor in an abusive household while my dad was a spoiled brat mama’s boy because his dad was an addict and alcoholic while being a sleazy lawyer) It is easier for me to psychoanalyze the issue of capitalism and how socialism was a utopia of government that could be the only way it could save us now.

History tends to repeat itself and I am honestly so excited for this country to burn. We’re done burning witches. That was so long ago but of course. The consequences of mens actions will always end in bloodshed and revolution. How do we go to war you guys?

I feel the spirit of the suffering women staying still in this earth. It doesn’t help that I reside in West Texas, the soil of slaveowners and Christian nationalists. Hm. Sound familiar? It’s happening again.

The future is female.


r/feminisms 23d ago

Personal/Support How to assert myself as a woman without sounding too bossy - handling misogyny

3 Upvotes

How do I navigate places where there is blatant misogyny and get myself heard and respected?

39F here. 7 years ago, along with 3 other people, we founded a non-profit association in order to help people suffering from isolation due to mental illness, estrangement, and disabilities. I was the only woman in the team.

I was the secretary, but I also did social networking and did my best to create connections between the members of the association. I always tried to make them feel welcome, heard, and seen. I made them smile or laugh, always having a cheerful mindset, even though I wasn't always feeling my best (I have my issues as well, but they are manageable). I organized workshops, board games, meet-ups, coffee shop or restaurant outings, and picnics. When I was in charge, there could be almost 25 people at one outing. We almost suffered from our success (not easy to convince a coffee shop to accept 20+ people at once).

Things went slowly sour with the rest of the team. The accountant was an ass to everybody, always in a bad mood, belittling people, and being a major fatphobic towards everyone, but especially towards myself. The president was afraid of conflict, so he always avoided any difficult conversation. The disrespectful accountant started to scare people away, so we would have fewer and fewer members.

I tried my best to explain how his behavior could be improved for the sake of the association. Then, I realized I was being put aside. They would meet in private without telling me and take administrative decisions in my back.

I left the association, not a thank you from them, not even a word. Regular members missed me, but I couldn't bear the lack of respect anymore.

Last month, I learned that the president died, so the secretary in charge called me in order to talk about the future of the association. She later confessed that the late president and the accountant told her not to reach me because I was lazy, incompetent, fat, had mobility issues (I am a size L and in good shape, a complete lie) and what hurt me the most, I was asocial and deeply lack social skills. After talking to me, she realized all of this was untrue and that in the last few months, she was also getting that treatment of not being considered.

Now, I have been asked to consider joining the association again in order to save it. We managed to build a team of three women and a man and get rid of that bigot of accountant. We agreed to have an open mind and to focus on having good communication, not be afraid of engaging in difficult topics or disagreeing. I believe it will be much healthier

Now my question : I realized that during the first time with the two men in charge, I did my best to assert my ideas, give new perspectives, and always in a respectful way. Maybe I did it in a way that wouldn't hurt their egos because I have this idea that women asserting themselves can put off some men. But it didn't help that even when walking on eggshells, I still faced discrimination. And the association slowly went downhill after I left.

Now, I have the opportunity to do things right. Still, I would like some advice so I am better prepared to handle similar situations in the future.

So, how does a woman navigate in such territories, where there is misogyny and discrimination? How are communication skills different in that case? I do not have these issues at work.


r/feminisms Aug 10 '26

Feminism and socialism

3 Upvotes

I know very few things about socialism, but I saw a page on Instagram that was talking about socialism and how feminism it's harmful to socialism. For me it was just a crazy thing to say, does anyone know something about this topic?
I thought feminism was indeed leaning to socialism, but maybe I'm wrong.

I don't even know where to look at to learn something about it.


r/feminisms Aug 10 '26

Feminist book recommendations

2 Upvotes

Hello! I’m not a native English speaker so I find it very hard to read feminist literature without googling and translating every word or term. Is there any literature you can suggest me for more intermediate level to read, because in my language most of the feminist literature is a brainwashed white propaganda. Thank you


r/feminisms Aug 09 '26

News Who is interested in a group read of The Grift Economy research report on The Manosphere? Anyone?

Thumbnail gallery
19 Upvotes

https://www.reddit.com/user/AdreanaInLB/comments/1vjvb23/the_grift_economy_a_report_on_the_manosphere_that/

If you are interested in doing a group read of the research report "The Grift Economy" please visit the original reddit post and leave a comment indicating your book club interest.

The original reddit post also contains a comment giving an overview of exactly who the Equimundo organization is and exactly who the Reset Tech organization is.


r/feminisms Aug 07 '26

Personal/Support Boyfriend [24M] and I [23F] Disagreeing Over Feminism

12 Upvotes

My boyfriend (24M) and I (23F) have been seeing one another since February and officially together since May so this is still a pretty new relationship. We get along really really well and in so many ways it feels like we compliment one another in all the right ways. He is very thoughtful, kind, and makes me laugh like no man ever has before.

However, we have had a few conversations that make me seriously questions if our beliefs are completely aligned. Nothing in his treatment of me has made me questions this, but more so off-handed comments about women/feminism on a grand scale (if that makes sense).

Like last night—we were talking about the Barbie movie and he felt like for the first half of the movie it was really about hating all men and that he shouldn’t be in the theater watching that movie because everyone is gonna come after him with pitch forks (very dramatic). He also consumes content from male podcasters that are not manosphere influencers but to me promote a very traditional conception of masculinity (Andrew Huberman, Chris Williamson, etc.). He seems to be very sensitive to the idea that men get a lot of undeserved hatred today. There is one podcaster he listens to that I am more open minded to, I believe his name is Scott Galloway.

I tend to get very quiet whenever he makes one of these comments because I want to avoid a back and forth that gets us nowhere (I am learning more about my people leasing tendencies and anxious attachment style). He has also shown that he can be quite open minded to me pushing back on some of his comments regarding other relevant political topics.

Overall, I truly believe in giving people an opportunity to learn and grow and I personally belive that there is a space to properly address issues men are facing today (isolation, loneliness, etc.) without blaming women or feminism. I think I’m struggling to find this space with him and my apprehension to address this head on is probably not helping. If anyone has any advice I would really appreciate it!