An basic overview of a complex subject for those who just want a quick primer. Disclaimer: Trying to explain feminism in 21 slides is like trying to explain a world religion in as many. There are no doubt areas we have missed or require a lot more explanation. If you see an opportunity to improve this deck, tell us and we will do it.

1. When everything seems to be
going against you, remember
that the airplane takes off
against the wind, not with it.
W H A T I S F E M I N I S M ?
A P R I M E R F O R M O D E R N T I M E S
PRESENTS

2. Feminism is a long-running,
diverse but worldwide
movement which advocates
for social, political, and
economic gender justice,
equity and equality.
#1
What is Feminism?

3. Biology is one thing, but
gender identity is another.
Gender traits and role
differences assigned to men
and women are socially
constructed.
#2
What is Gender?

4. More on Understanding How
Gender, Sex and Sexuality
Interelate

5. History has shown we can learn lot
about power and better
understand how to create
equitable societies by applying a
gender specific lens to political,
economic, cultural and social
systems.
#3
Feminism Is An Powerful
Analytical Tool

6. Feminism is not something you wear or buy.
That's called consumerism. Leveraging
feminist ideas to sell products and services is
called marketplace feminism.
Advocating for right for all live life as you
choose feels great, regardless of sex, gender
or sexuality, but it's called individualism.
A connected, action-oriented, multi-faceted,
global movement that works at the political,
cultural, social and economic systems levels
to advance gender justice everywhere-
that's feminism.
#4
Feminism is a Movement

7. Feminism, Like Other Movements,
Has its Factions and Branches.
The Goal is Shared, But not all are
in Agreement on How to Get There.

8. Assertions and ideas about women's role in
society are as old as humankind. But the
idea that gender equality and equity
mattered didn't become named feminism
until the 1800's.
Feminism as an ideology rose over time to
counter deeply held beliefs that women's
physical, moral and intellectual inferiority
justified patriarchal laws, like who gets to
own property, inherit wealth, lead spiritually,
participate in the economy, vote, etc.
#5
Feminism Is Not New

9. Evidence shows women, girls, trans and gender
queer people who make up 55% of the world's
population are systemically marginalized (due to
culture beliefs, social norms, power structures,
laws etc.) in areas like the economy, health and
education and the opportunity lead, and are as a
result held back from participating equally in
humanity's political, social and economic
conversations which determine our day to day
collective experience and future.
#6
Feminism Benefits Everyone, but Why
Does Feminist Work Tend Focus Those
Who Identify as Women? ?

10. Today's feminists are highly conscious of the
role that white privilege and outdated
female essentialist narratives plays in
determining opportunity.
There is no universal women's experience or
set of innate "woman" traits (like born to
excel at collaboration). Lived experience
shaped by power structures and social
norms heavily influence both.
#7
Feminism, Privilege & Essentialism

11. Men and male identified people can, and
should be feminists too.
In fact, their numbers are growing.
While all movements are multifaceted and
have their extremists, mainstream feminism
was and is never anti-men or anti-male. It is,
however, critical of prevailing interconnected
power structures (referred to as the patriarchy)
and resultant social norms which privilege
masculinity and males over femininity and
females as well as white, cis-gender persons.
#8
Feminism & Men

12. Yes, there are and always have been anti-
feminists (women and men). And these groups
still exist today.
Anti-feminists fought against giving women the
right to vote in the early 1900's (because it would
"destabliize the home". Anti-feminist in the
1970's fought (and won) against the Equal Rights
Amendment.
Anti-feminists have very different views of the role
women should play in society. Their position is
often based on religious teachings, and it often
conflicts with the idea of gender equity.
#9
Anti-Feminism

13. #10
Humanism and Egalitariansim?
Important ideas but not substitutes for feminism.
Humanism started in 1400 as a way to attach
importance to humans rather than to a divine
being. It focuses on defining what it meant to live
a moral life, and how to live one.
Egalitarians believe everyone should be treated
equally, So do feminists. But feminists go one step
further and also fight for equity and gender
justice.
Feminism helps achieve egalitarianism. But as a
ideology, and in origin, they are not the same.

14. #11
Equality versus Equity?
Equity and equality are two strategies we can use
in an effort to produce fairness.
Equity is giving everyone what they need to be
successful. Equality is treating everyone the same.
Equality aims to promote fairness, but it can only
work if everyone starts from the same place and
needs the same help.
Equity appears unfair, but it actively moves
everyone closer to success by determining and
offering solutions to what's required to “level the
playing field.”

15. #12
Does Feminism Need To Be
Re-Branded?
Beware of those who seek to re-brand a perfectly
good name for a movement with a long history.
Is the problem the movement? Or people's
understanding of the movement?
Feminism is the most INCLUSIVE word we have
for those interested in achieving gender justice,
equity and equality. It also has a long and
venerable history as a field of research and
inquiry.
It does not need to be re-branded. Just better
understood.

16. #13
Why Do So Many Successful
Women Role Models, Reject or
Disavow Feminism?
Likely because they have only a superficial,
largely male owned/led corporate media
based perception of it. They may not have
kept up with movement from reliable,
authoritative sources working at the core.
Feminism, like many large scale human rights
related movements whose work is still
undone, has evolved, matured, and deepened
with the times.

17. #14
We Have Achieved So Much--Do
We Still Need Feminism?
YES! CONSIDER.
It's 2017. We now have a misogynist elected as President of
the United States?
After decades of programming to help women gain
leadership experience, confidence and empowerment
conferences, women continue to be underrepresented,
unequally paid, and professionally penalized for becoming
mothers in many industries and other domains.
We still have countries that either systemically, socially or
culturally deny girls access to education. Even where rights
have been won, they can easily be lost.
The reality is, there are always new challenges that call for
feminist intervention.

18. #15
How Can I Up My Feminist Game?
Read or re-read authoritative new and classic books on
feminism.
Use your Voice. Call out truth to power.
Don't pay to attend conferences where speaker line up is
not acceptably diverse or inclusive.
Join a local feminist group, create a feminist book club,
attend feminist salons, feminist film screenings-point is to
get out there and engage in the conversation with other
humans. Learning is a social process.
Next time you are asked to speak about your career
success, or achievements, take 30 seconds to acknowledge
all the feminists who fought for equal rights and gender
equity, so you can stand at the podium today.

19. #16
What is a Feminist Entrepreneur?
Feminist entrepreneurs are those who found
ventures whose products and/or services are
expressly designed to better the lives of women,
girls and other gender-identity oppressed people
and/or
business owners who aspire to operate their
existing venture aligned with feminist values and
principles which include a commitment to
operational equity, diversity, equality, generativity,
agency, whole humanness, transparency, and
environmental sustainability.
Some examples: Founders of Luna Pads,
Elleinvest, SheEO, Fresh Collective, Bitch Media,
G(irls)20, Ladies Learning Code.

20. #thefutureisfeminist

21. Comments?
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