Introduction to Political Theory

the civil war and women’s suffrage was attained in the USA as a result of the

nineteenth amendment to the constitution in 1920. In Britain, Mill’s classic work

had been preceded by the campaign against the Contagious Diseases Act (1864)

that gave the police draconian powers to arrest prostitutes and those considered

prostitutes, and when limited suffrage for women was achieved after the First World

War, the struggle for its further extension was consolidated in the National Union

of Societies for Equal Citizenship.

Liberal feminism appeared to have its greatest triumph in Britain when all women

became eligible to vote in 1928. In other countries this was attained later – in France

after the Second World War, while in Switzerland, women only received the vote

in 1970. In Britain the Sex Discrimination Act and the Equal Opportunities

Commission were established in the late 1960s.

Liberal feminism identifies itself, in the words of Winifred Holtby, ‘with the motto

Equality First’ (Humm, 1992: 43) and it extended its concerns with the publication

of Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique(1963) which argued that middle-class

American women suffered from depression and alienation as a result of giving up

a career outside the home. They were incarcerated in a ‘comfortable concentration

camp’ – Friedan’s dramatic name for the home. She was instrumental in setting up

the National Organization of Women in 1966 that not only campaigned for equal

rights (including ‘reproductive rights’ – a right to abortion and birth control), but

also assisted American women in re-entering the labour market, and supported the

establishment of childcare facilities in workplaces.

Problems with liberal feminism

Liberal feminism has been criticised on a number of grounds.

Radical feminist critique

Radical feminists protest that liberal feminism is too superficial in its approach. All

feminisms agree with the extension of liberal principles to women in terms of the

vote and civil liberties, but radicals argue that the notion of equality is too abstract

to be serviceable. The point about women is that they are different from men, and

to argue for equality implies that they aspire to be like men. But why?

Men not only oppress women but they are responsible for war, violence, hierarchy

and the exploitation of nature and their fellows. Is this the model to which women

should aspire? Radicals argue that it is not equality which women should want, but

liberation – and freedom for women means being separate and apart from men. It

means celebrating their difference from men and their own distinctive sexuality.

Liberal feminists not only regard sexuality as irrational and emotional, but they

uncritically accept that feelings should be transcended and they adopt a notion of

reason that reflects male experience.

Feminism is not an extension of another ideology. It is concerned with the

interests of women, and a new set of words needs to be developed to reflect the

separateness of women. Some radicals like Mary Daly adopt a different style of

316 Part 3 Contemporary ideologies