r/RadicalFeminism

I think about this often. If I were able to choose before I was born, would I choose to be a woman?

Being a woman, a radical feminist, is the strongest and most powerful element of my identity. I love womanhood, female camaraderie, spreading the RadFem movement, the list goes on and on. But in this current day and age, it’s no secret that we are still strongly gripped by the patriarchy.

Would you choose to be a woman knowing what you know now? The danger we face, the minimization of the femicide epidemic, all of the deep rooted misogyny that we are forced to endure and unravel at once, would you escape it?

I used to think it was an easy answer- of course I would. Why would I turn down the opportunity of comfort, privilege, a society that’s built around what makes me happy. However, as I get older, I feel differently.

This is not to say I would choose to be willfully ignorant, to tie the blindfold over my own eyes and double knot it. Radical feminism is everything to me.

But if you had the choice, would you?

Meat eating and animal exploitation in general are remnants of an underdeveloped patriarchal society that relied on dominance over the animal kingdom for power. The only time meat eating was necessary for survival was when civilization was young and social norms weren't refined.

Radical feminism is about the replacement of patriarchal/male dominated social norms like vengeance, dominance, and exploitation with feminine norms like care, morality, and protection. Animals are weak, and so they must be protected and cared for. They should not be dominated and exploited for anyone's benefit.

I believe that patriarchy must be abolished completely, from the roots, not just for the sake of women, but men as well. I believe that the solution to this problem is the merger of feminism with humanism so as to radically re-order society by elevating women (and nonbinary people) to their full potential in a matriarchal society. Here is a manifesto that goes into further detail about this:

ON THE TRUE NATURE OF THE CURRENT MALE PROBLEMS AND HOW THEY COULD BE SOLVED IN A MANNER THAT TURNS THEIR MORAL WEAKNESSES INTO MORAL STRENGTHS:

Men, albeit typically only unconsciously, understand that they are less intelligent, less moral, and less wise than women. Because of this, they become possessed by shame and anger and then, of course, they take these frustrations out on women (and children, which is of course the root of childhood trauma). Another way this effects children is men building their identity around being masculine (which should stop, and they will be taught to stop it and then not being feminine enough to raise children safely and competently or do other necessary tasks will cease to be problems). The way this frustration that men becomes active can happen in one of two main ways: the first is an unsuccessful career, which can be fixed by the implementation of a new politico-economic system that is structured to ensure people can prosper more easily, allowing for a “maternal politico-economic system” (which would make egalitarian use of automation as well as implement a green new deal of some kind). The second is men (because of men being raised by the patriarchy, both within their families and by the patriarchal media to do so) feeling entitled to sex, and when they don’t get it because they’re NOT entitled to it, they take it out on women. I would even argue that when men blame women for being violated, they are actually projecting their own unconscious awareness of THEIR mistakes onto their victims. I believe we can fix this by teaching men to sublimate their sexual desires for women into serving and respecting women as well as the new matriarchal system in general. With this new incentive added to the matriarchal system of governance, men would, if properly taught, love their servitude rather than hate it. Without men imposing shame and violence upon women (or children), they will enjoy a level of mental and spiritual peaceful health that will be utterly unprecedented in human history so far.

ON WHAT THE NEW MATRIARCHAL HUMANIST SOCIETY SHOULD LOOK LIKE AS A WHOLE:

In the new matriarchal humanist society, a new maxim would dictate the social hierarchy from individual families to the wider world as a whole: “MEN WORK AND WOMEN GOVERN, EACH DOING THE TASK THAT THEIR CHARACTERISTICS DETERMINE THEY ARE FIT TO DO”. In the home, women would hold absolute authority over whether to have children and in cases of domestic violence, it would be a felony to believe the husband over the wife. In terms of the wider world, men would generally be excluded from administrative and generally high-ranking roles, with those roles reserved for women and nonbinary people. Religion would, at least officially, be dominated by a secular agnostic goddess worship, including of great women of the past who embody matriarchal humanist values, perhaps with different groups having their own patronesses. Women would be taught in humanistic studies to prepare them for governance while men would be taught to handle the jobs not yet automated out of existence. Empires would break up and militaries would undergo MASSIVE downsizing. Assemblies handling governance would be as small as possible and integration of powers would be favored over their separation, as the problems that principle was meant to constrain would not really be present in the new matriarchal humanist system. Matriarchs who reach a mental state due to age that prevents them from competently doing their jobs would be required to step down and make way for younger women who would make more effective leaders.

HOW TO GO ABOUT ACHIEVING THIS WORLD:

First, get the word out (but be patient, with this step and the others). Second, prepare for a general strike/color revolution by stockpiling provisions and training fellow comrade-sisters after doing the necessary research ourselves. Third, while doing the previous two, win whatever elections you can so as to have friends in high places when the time comes. Fourth, implement the plan outlined in this paragraph so far. Fifth, re-educate men about how to behave in the new society we begin establishing in a manner that blends reconciliation with instruction for those who are well-meaning and can be re-educated and merciless punishment for those who cannot be. Raise children with the ideals explained above and raise awareness of the horrors of the by-then-old world and why they must NEVER EVER be repeated again. Now, comrade-sisters, we have a world to win! COMRADE-SISTERS OF THE WORLD UNITE SO YOUR DAUGHTERS NEED NOT LIVE IN A WORLD WITH THE HORRORS OF THE ONE THAT WE HAD TO GROW UP IN!!!🚺🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🚩

I haven’t shaved anything in years (due to radical feminism, not laziness) but am still kinda self conscious about people seeing my pubic hair, enough that I usually wear board shorts to the beach or pools even though I much prefer minimal clothing in the water so I can feel the water against my skin. Anyone experienced this? Know any tips to make me not self conscious?

My biggest issue is that both of these things have been used for centuries and wont go away over night. Some people used shaving and makeup for spiritual reasons. Others use it for cultural or gender affirming purposes.

The biggest issue is women and girls who feel they need to do either in order to be seen as a woman.

Yes we should abolish any cultural norm that decides women should look and act a certain way. It should definitely not be normalized to push the idea that young girls and women NEED to shave and put makeup on.

But to think that people just shave and use makeup for men is really silly.

As an alternative person I use my makeup for self expression and my own spiritual practice. Most men don't even like makeup, they hate bold colours and strange shapes. They fail to even understand what makeup looks like.

We need to decolonize the idea of womanhood, make up and shaving away from patriarchial values.

I just think this discourse is so exhausting. There are so many bigger issues young women and girls are facing.

(I'm making this post in various communities as it's a personal issue that has haunted me for a while, so I could really use as much advice as possible)

As I read more about feminism I became more taken aback by the idea of shaving. It's baffling to me that I'd need to do it to be attractive and moreso that I'd need to be attractive to be treated with respect (therefore needing to shave). I don't really want anyone who wouldn't be nice to a hairy woman to be in my life. The hair on my legs, belly, armpits, and feet that I used reappeared and instead of shaving it all off like I used to I "challenged" myself to keep it and not be disgusted by my own body since men don't have to carry that burden. I'm lucky that my group of friends is progressive, and even though my mother does suggest that I shave and looks at my hair when she thinks that I'm not seeing her, she's somewhat "proud that I don't just follow what everyone else says".

But summer is coming soon and I'm deathly afraid of wearing shorts and skirts. I was already self conscious about people staring at my legs in public since I have self harm scars and now the hair on my legs makes me feel so much more exposed. I hate feeling strangers' eyes burning into my shins and things, especially when I'm alone in public. This has made me dress more masculine than before, which I don't especially love. I'm also scared that this will affect my chances of getting a job.

For some reason all of my fear is concentrated on leg hair, I can't bring myself to like it. At least somehow I like the hair on my armpits and belly. Sure, I'll feel embarrassed when people stare and comment, but me liking it makes it a little bit better. I think that I might shave my legs this summer, but I dread the idea of doing it as much as I dread the idea of keeping it. Shaving it feels like a humiliation ritual, like beauty standards are winning against me.

I think I'll keep the armpit hair unless I get hired and I feel scared that I could get in trouble, but what should I do about my legs?

Men saying “bitch “slut” or “whore” feels so grossly misogynistic to me. These are words that have been used to oppress women for so long. “Bitch” literally refers to a female dog. I have literally never seen men call each other any word adjacent to those types of swears, it is almost entirely men talking about women whom they are mad at. Saying these terms inforces purity culture through our speech. There is no “sluts” or “whores,” just women with less or more experience. Men are praised for lots of experience, as society says that men with lots of experience ‘know how to please in bed.’ While women with lots of experience are shamed, called disgusting words, and are seen as ‘dirty.’ It is enforced in many religions that women’s bodies are dirty after having sex, and words like these only further the beliefs of purity culture. Am I too woken or..?

What do you think of hookup culture and do you think the idea is the problem or the individuals who reduce women to their bodies and dehumanize them?

Because I think women should be free to talk and explore sex safely and it's not necessarily a "male dominant" Thing because women have sexual desires too, saying that only men enjoy and benefit from it is quite similar to what purity culture expect from women, I'm not saying it's completely a positive and safe thing and dismissing how that works in real life and how it was harmful to many women etc.

But the real problem is people shaming women who are still virgins and calling sex "empowering" to women and how you should be a "cool girl", while others slut shame women who discuss sex or show any desire or preference while encouraging men who do the same thing

So I'd say, this system is shit because of what both sides expect from women without women having any free choice to decide, and if we want women to be free, women should be able to choose what THEY want without facing shame, coercion, disrespect, double standards etc.. And not what society or men expect.

Saw this tiktok of a fellow gen z girl in tiktok claim that "hating men" is also male centred. This annoyed me so much because feminism has always been silenced with jeers of being nothing but "man hating" and for "crazy ugly cat ladies who cannot get a man".

No babe, being mad and angry is what got women the right to vote, study, and work. Being angry about injustice is not the same as being male centred. It feels like projection and another way to silence criticism of misogyny. I am on tiktok often and I always see this argument used against criticism of men's misogynistic behaviors, along with the "not all men" and "men hating is bio essentialist".

Mind you when a serial killer rapes and murders primarly women or young girls they do not call him a female centred. He is simply called a serial killer. This applies for all rapists too and domestic abusers. No one calls them female centred. This feels like another argument used to derail the grievances and valid complaints women have regarding the patriarchy.

I'm thinking of movies, books, comic books, TV. Every time I try to engage critically with these types of things from a radfem lens on reddit (on their respective subs), I get downvoted to oblivion. It would be nice to have a dedicated space that felt safer where we could have interesting, good-faith discussions.

Would anyone be interested in this?

lately, i’ve been feeling a bit insecure about my leg hair because the college i go to has much more of a judgmental environment beauty-wise compared to where i previously was. i still don't shave, but i've been wearing pants and skirts only with tights to hide my hair.

so i'd love to see/hear from women who don't shave their legs to remind me that it doesn't matter!!

i specified visible hair because often the women who tout not shaving have blonde or sparse hair and it's like yeah... of course it's easy. (but really, no one is excluded!)

I’ve been thinking a lot about discussions around patriarchy, gendered violence, and representation in leadership, and it made me wonder something:

Could a more matriarchal or female-centered society actually benefit society as a whole?

And by matriarchy, I don’t mean some dystopian reversal where men are oppressed or reduced to stereotypes. I also don’t mean fetishized “femdom” ideas that internet culture often confuses with matriarchy. I mean a society where women hold a larger share of political, economic, and cultural leadership, and where laws and institutions are designed more around women’s perspectives and safety.

One thing I find interesting is that people often point to current female leaders as proof that women in power don’t necessarily change systems much. But I’m not sure that’s a fair comparison, because those leaders still operate within deeply patriarchal institutions and political cultures. In some cases, women have even had to adapt to those systems to survive or gain influence within them.

I also wonder whether a truly female-centered state would lead to lower levels of violence against women over generations. A lot of political systems around the world still protect or elevate powerful men accused of abuse, exploitation, or sexual violence. That obviously doesn’t mean women are morally perfect, but I do wonder whether societies shaped more strongly by women’s interests and lived experiences would produce different social outcomes over time.

Do you think a more matriarchal social structure could improve society in meaningful ways, or do you think equality-focused systems are ultimately healthier long term?