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Julie Bishop doesn't find feminism useful? What do rightwing women want, anyway? Julie Bishop doesn't find feminism useful? What do rightwing women want, anyway?
(about 9 hours later)
Her speeches were about the sanctity of the home, about how women should stay home. Serena Joy didn’t do this herself, she made speeches instead, but she presented this failure of hers as a sacrifice she was making for the good of all.Her speeches were about the sanctity of the home, about how women should stay home. Serena Joy didn’t do this herself, she made speeches instead, but she presented this failure of hers as a sacrifice she was making for the good of all.
Serena Joy is the wife of one of the men promoted to the rightwing authoritarian leadership of a post-revolution United States in Margaret Atwood’s brutal 1985 novel, The Handmaid’s Tale. By the time the protagonist encounters her, Serena’s campaign for traditional gender roles has been successful. She’s trapped within the sanctity of the home she so ardently fought for with little else to do than sit around and smoke.Serena Joy is the wife of one of the men promoted to the rightwing authoritarian leadership of a post-revolution United States in Margaret Atwood’s brutal 1985 novel, The Handmaid’s Tale. By the time the protagonist encounters her, Serena’s campaign for traditional gender roles has been successful. She’s trapped within the sanctity of the home she so ardently fought for with little else to do than sit around and smoke.
The infamous character is often invoked by feminists when discussing the involvement of rightwing women in debates about gender roles and feminism. Because Serena Joy is a female avatar of the anti-feminist endgame, she’s a useful means of exploring one of the persistent questions of Australian politics: foreign minister Julie Bishop and her conservative female colleagues in the Abbott government have declared they are not feminists, so what do these rightwing women really want?The infamous character is often invoked by feminists when discussing the involvement of rightwing women in debates about gender roles and feminism. Because Serena Joy is a female avatar of the anti-feminist endgame, she’s a useful means of exploring one of the persistent questions of Australian politics: foreign minister Julie Bishop and her conservative female colleagues in the Abbott government have declared they are not feminists, so what do these rightwing women really want?
Bishop hasn’t been advocating for women to stay home but Australia’s first female foreign minister did tell an audience at a women in media function this week that “feminist” was not a word she found “particularly useful”.Bishop hasn’t been advocating for women to stay home but Australia’s first female foreign minister did tell an audience at a women in media function this week that “feminist” was not a word she found “particularly useful”.
“It’s not part of my lexicon,” she said. Similar statements have been made by her female colleagues on the right: Fiona Scott declared that “feminism has a PR problem”. Linda Reynolds reckons that feminist language “has had its day”. Michaela Cash is on record as saying that she finds being labelled a feminist - just because she’s the minister assisting the male prime minister for women - “ridiculous”. Joining their chorus, Concetta Fierravanti-Wells concurred with Scott’s comments that jobs should be awarded based on “merit and ability to do the job”. “It’s not part of my lexicon,” she said. Similar statements have been made by her female colleagues on the right: Fiona Scott declared that “feminism has a PR problem”. Linda Reynolds reckons that feminist language “has had its day”. Michaelia Cash is on record as saying that she finds being labelled a feminist - just because she’s the minister assisting the male prime minister for women - “ridiculous”. Joining their chorus, Concetta Fierravanti-Wells concurred with Scott’s comments that jobs should be awarded based on “merit and ability to do the job”.
Bishop is the Abbott government’s only female cabinet member; the most optimistic conclusion to draw from Scott and Fierravanti-Wells’ comments is that the women who are drawn to involvement in the LNP lack merit and ability, or they’d rise higher. The pessimistic view is that right-wing men are somehow inherently superior to right-wing women, which is why they proliferate at female expense.Bishop is the Abbott government’s only female cabinet member; the most optimistic conclusion to draw from Scott and Fierravanti-Wells’ comments is that the women who are drawn to involvement in the LNP lack merit and ability, or they’d rise higher. The pessimistic view is that right-wing men are somehow inherently superior to right-wing women, which is why they proliferate at female expense.
There doesn’t seem to be an awful lot of biological evidence for this superiority, unless it comes from the separate universe in which Tony Abbott discovered that female creatures just aren’t “physiologically suited” to leadership. I doubt Bishop and her female colleagues would agree that their male colleagues possess innate superiority.There doesn’t seem to be an awful lot of biological evidence for this superiority, unless it comes from the separate universe in which Tony Abbott discovered that female creatures just aren’t “physiologically suited” to leadership. I doubt Bishop and her female colleagues would agree that their male colleagues possess innate superiority.
Feminism is, of course, a broad church of beliefs and practices that can and do include women on the right. The one goal of the feminist movement is not incompatible from liberal self-determination - because feminism has always been about collectively enfranchising women with the means of individual actualisation. The recognition of feminism is that women exist at a social disadvantage to a history that privileges and resources men at their expense.Feminism is, of course, a broad church of beliefs and practices that can and do include women on the right. The one goal of the feminist movement is not incompatible from liberal self-determination - because feminism has always been about collectively enfranchising women with the means of individual actualisation. The recognition of feminism is that women exist at a social disadvantage to a history that privileges and resources men at their expense.
Feminist politics, across its spectrum, appreciates that the woman of now is not indivisible from the structures we have inherited from the past. Only through changing these structures is the actualisation of women made possible.Feminist politics, across its spectrum, appreciates that the woman of now is not indivisible from the structures we have inherited from the past. Only through changing these structures is the actualisation of women made possible.
For radical feminists on the left, the goal is the overthrow of existing systems of social organisation, like capitalism or monarchy. For women of the centre, it’s adjustments to prevailing structures, through mechanisms like equal pay legislation and affirmative action. Feminists to the right of centre traditionally argue that voluntarily accommodating more women on boards might even make someone, somewhere more money.For radical feminists on the left, the goal is the overthrow of existing systems of social organisation, like capitalism or monarchy. For women of the centre, it’s adjustments to prevailing structures, through mechanisms like equal pay legislation and affirmative action. Feminists to the right of centre traditionally argue that voluntarily accommodating more women on boards might even make someone, somewhere more money.
But what to say of the competition among Coalition women to distance themselves as far from the “feminist” identifier as possible? Why do rightwing women feel like they must make loud disavowals of the movement and ideology that released women from domestic servitude and, you know, enabled them to become members of parliament in the first place?But what to say of the competition among Coalition women to distance themselves as far from the “feminist” identifier as possible? Why do rightwing women feel like they must make loud disavowals of the movement and ideology that released women from domestic servitude and, you know, enabled them to become members of parliament in the first place?
Bishop apparently rejected claims that conservative women didn’t use the word “feminist” just because of its historical associations with left-wing politics. But if conservative women don’t want to be trapped at home with Serena Joy, why are they arguing against the specific terminology of politics that would liberate her?Bishop apparently rejected claims that conservative women didn’t use the word “feminist” just because of its historical associations with left-wing politics. But if conservative women don’t want to be trapped at home with Serena Joy, why are they arguing against the specific terminology of politics that would liberate her?
Fiona Reynolds decries the “emotionally charged language” of feminism’s past; the statement is revealing of an anxiety around the left wing semantics of the word that cause the female leadership of the right to deny the value of the label to them. “I believe in gender equality”, Michaela Cash has said – despite, of course, colluding in the imposition of a budget that will leave women worse off than men.Fiona Reynolds decries the “emotionally charged language” of feminism’s past; the statement is revealing of an anxiety around the left wing semantics of the word that cause the female leadership of the right to deny the value of the label to them. “I believe in gender equality”, Michaela Cash has said – despite, of course, colluding in the imposition of a budget that will leave women worse off than men.
Perhaps a belief endures in these women that sidling up to men with power, rather than organising for it collectively, will yield individual gains. As a strategy, evidence suggests such behaviour is ineffective. Bishop may be recognised as the most competent of Abbott’s ministers, albeit without challenging competition - yet when her name was dropped as a potential replacement for the blundering PM, the suggestion itself was portrayed as an embarrassing gaffe for Christopher Pyne.Perhaps a belief endures in these women that sidling up to men with power, rather than organising for it collectively, will yield individual gains. As a strategy, evidence suggests such behaviour is ineffective. Bishop may be recognised as the most competent of Abbott’s ministers, albeit without challenging competition - yet when her name was dropped as a potential replacement for the blundering PM, the suggestion itself was portrayed as an embarrassing gaffe for Christopher Pyne.
The reality is without a concerted feminist project - from a movement small or nationwide - there is no challenge to a prevailing structure that was conceived and built on the notion that women had no standing in social - let alone political - life. Complying with that structure of power, as a woman, is the activity of structurally reinforcing powerlessness.The reality is without a concerted feminist project - from a movement small or nationwide - there is no challenge to a prevailing structure that was conceived and built on the notion that women had no standing in social - let alone political - life. Complying with that structure of power, as a woman, is the activity of structurally reinforcing powerlessness.
While Bishop seems to exhibit the competence her parliamentary leader lacks, without agitating against the structures that promoted his lesser talent over hers the endgame of feminist disavowal doesn’t leave much beyond a place to sit around and smoke.While Bishop seems to exhibit the competence her parliamentary leader lacks, without agitating against the structures that promoted his lesser talent over hers the endgame of feminist disavowal doesn’t leave much beyond a place to sit around and smoke.