Faith Haddad

9/16/2014
Action Assignment 1


The fight between feminist and anti-feminist groups has existed since the beginnings of
the first wave of feminism in 1848. Over time, the issues have changed, but the struggle remains
the same. Feminist groups push for more rights and opportunities in their mission for equality,
while anti-feminist groups portray these women as angry, radical, dissatisfied misandrists and
stigmatize their goals. Today, a major proponent of the Feminist movement is an organization
called The Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF). This organization recognizes that over two-
thirds of young women self-identify as feminists and most young men view themselves as
supporters of the womens rights movement. It is the mission of the FMF to empower this
feminist majority by developing bold, new strategies and programs to advance women's
equality, non-violence, and economic development. A significant opponent to the Feminist
movement, The Eagle Forum (TEF), claims to have been leading the pro-family movement
since 1972. This organization is dedicated to building a better, stronger, safer America based
on traditional values.
TEF believes that women dont have the same sexual drives as men, and should not be
treated as if they do. They honor the fulltime homemaker and the role of the mother. They
believe that women do not belong in military combat, and do not have a right to abort fetuses on
grounds that it is murder. They believe that unmarried women are a threat to the Republican
Party, because the Democratic Party targets the sort of voters (unmarried women) who will do
what they are told.
FMF believes that women of all race, socio-economic status, religion, and sexual
orientation have equal rights and should have equal opportunities. They recognize that our
society is dominated by white men, and consequently, women are oppressed, socially,
economically, and politically. FMF wants to empower and encourage women to achieve their
full potentials. They want to create opportunities for women to become leaders in society.
These two organizations have little in common, not only in their missions, but also in the
manner in which they present these goals and ideals. TEF frames their concerns as a matter of
patriotism and loyalty to God. They present their mission as one of protection protection of
traditional American ideals and values (Supports the Constitution and American identity),
from the secretive and radical feminists and liberals (Exposes the radical feminists and
misnamed Equal Rights Amendment with its hidden agendas). The conservative, republican
organization, largely driven by religion, scatters verses and blessings from God throughout
their website. The Eagle Forum frames America as a place of holiness and goodness, and paints
the rest of the world as a terrifying, immoral, disease ridden wilderness. This organization plays
to a feeling of guilt, in that if you, as an American, dont support TEF, you are unpatriotic and
un-American.
The FMF is much more straightforward about their missions and ideals. They do not
attack other groups, point fingers or lay blame. In fact, they fight for the rights of everyone, and
oppose the discrimination of anyone based on sex, race, sexual orientation, socio-economic
status, religion, ethnicity, age, marital status, national origin, or disability.
The driving force behind the FMF is a majority of people who recognize systems of
oppression within our society and fight to alter them. However, people with privilege dont want
to give it up. Those in power want to remain in power and in a society that favors men
(particularly white men), it can be expected that those in power will oppose movements that
challenge their privileges. Nevertheless, as more people become aware of our societys systems
of oppression, more people will choose to fight these structures. The Feminist movement relies
on spreading awareness to those who are unaware of the ways in which women struggle because
of these systems of oppression.
It seems to me, that the struggles between modern-day feminists and anti-feminists are, in
many ways, still the same as those of the past. Although the priorities within the feminist
movement have shifted since the first wave of feminism, anti-feminist groups have and continue
to attempt to stifle the advancements made by the progressive group. The underlying issues are
the same; Feminist groups push for equality, non-violence, equal opportunity, and the
empowerment and liberation of those oppressed, while anti-feminist groups attempt to subjugate
them. As the Feminist movement develops and evolves, anti-feminist organizations such as The
Eagle Forum, must rely increasingly on scare tactics, religious persuasion and early
indoctrination to draw new supporters. These methods of coercion are not novel by any means
and can be very effective in achieving this goal. I personally hope that as the Feminist movement
continues to grow, the blare of anti-feminist organizations will fade out and the oppression of
women will cease to exist.