Some variants of
feminism
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
are considered more
conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
than others.
Historically feminist scholars tend to not have much interest in conservative women but in recent years there have been efforts at greater scholarly analysis of these women and their views.
Because almost any variant of feminism can have a conservative element, this list does not attempt to list variants of feminism simply with conservative elements. Instead, this list is of feminism variants that are primarily conservative.
List
This list may include organizations or individuals where a conservative feminism is more readily identified that way, but is primarily a list of feminisms ''per se''. Generally, organizations and people related to a feminism should not be in this list but should be found by following links to articles about various feminisms with which such organizations and people are associated.
* Backlash feminism: see new conservative feminism in this list
* Balanced feminism: see right-wing feminism in this list
* Conservative feminism (in addition to various feminisms in this list and that are conservative):
**
Katherine Kersten
Katherine Kersten is a conservative columnist who wrote for the ''Minneapolis Star Tribune''.
Background
Kersten, a graduate of Notre Dame and Yale universities, began her career as a financial analyst for a Chicago bank. Subsequently, she worke ...
objects "that in many of their endeavors women continue to face greater obstacles to their success than men do", thus acknowledging that
sexism
Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but it primarily affects women and girls.There is a clear and broad consensus among academic scholars in multiple fields that sexism refers primari ...
exists, and does not reject feminism entirely but draws on a classical feminist tradition, for example
Margaret Fuller
Sarah Margaret Fuller (May 23, 1810 – July 19, 1850), sometimes referred to as Margaret Fuller Ossoli, was an American journalist, editor, critic, translator, and women's rights advocate associated with the American transcendentalism movemen ...
. Kersten advocates for conservative feminism based on equality and justice defined alike for women and men and acknowledgment of historical and present injustice suffered by women. She also advocates building on Western ideals and institutions, with reform pursued slowly and cautiously and accepting that human failings mean that perfection is unattainable. Her concerns include crime and violence against women, cultural popular media's degradation of women, noncommittal sex, and poverty's feminization, but opposing affirmative action and class action litigation.
**
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin (; Heath; born February 11, 1964) is an American politician, commentator, author, and reality television personality who served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. She was the 2008 R ...
"made her case for conservative feminism" in 2010, at a meeting of the
Susan B. Anthony List
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America (formerly Susan B. Anthony List) is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization that seeks to reduce and ultimately end abortion in the U.S. by supporting anti-abortion politicians, primarily women, through its SBA List ...
.
**
Richard A. Posner
Richard Allen Posner (; born January 11, 1939) is an American jurist and legal scholar who served as a federal appellate judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit from 1981 to 2017. A senior lecturer at the University of Chicag ...
"suggest
"'conservative feminism' .... is ... the idea that women are entitled to political, legal, social, and economic equality to men, in the framework of a lightly regulated market economy." Posner tentatively argues for taxing housewives' at-home
unpaid work
Unpaid labor or unpaid work is defined as labor or work that does not receive any direct remuneration. This is a form of non-market work which can fall into one of two categories: (1) unpaid work that is placed within the production boundary of ...
to reduce a barrier to paid outside work (argued by D. Kelly Weisberg to be rooted in a
Marxist feminist
Marxist feminism is a philosophical variant of feminism that incorporates and extends Marxist theory. Marxist feminism analyzes the ways in which women are exploited through capitalism and the individual ownership of private property. Accordin ...
argument for
waged housework) and argues for sex being a factor in setting wages and benefits in accordance with productivity, health costs with pregnancy, on-the-job safety, and longevity for pensions. Posner is against
comparable worth among private employers, against
no-fault divorce
In a no-fault divorce the dissolution of a marriage does not require a showing of wrongdoing by either party. Laws providing for no-fault divorce allow a family court to grant a divorce in response to a petition by either party of the marriage w ...
, in favour of surrogate motherhood by binding contract, against rape even in the form of nonviolent sex, and for a possibility that pornography may either incite rape or substitute for it. Posner does not argue for or against an abortion right, arguing instead for a possibility but not a certainty that the fetus is "a member of society" because libertarianism and economics do not say one way or the other. Posner argues that the differences between the genders on average include women's lesser aggressiveness and greater child-centeredness and has "no quarrel" with law being empathetic to "all marginal groups".
* Domestic feminism: see old conservative feminism in this list
*
Maternal feminism
Maternal feminism is the belief of many early feminists that women as mothers and caregivers had an important but distinctive role to play in society and in politics.
It incorporates reform ideas from social feminism, and combines the concepts ...
*
Equity feminism
Equity feminism is a form of liberal feminism that advocates the state's equal treatment of women and men. Equity ensures equality between everyone without challenging inequalities perpetuated by employers, educational and religious institutions, ...
*
Individualist feminism
Individualist feminism is a libertarian feminist tradition that emphasizes individualism, personal autonomy, choice, consent, freedom from state-sanctioned discrimination against women, and equality under the law. It also opposes what is consi ...
was cast to appeal to "younger women ... of a more conservative generation" and includes concepts from
Rene Denfeld
Rene Denfeld is an American author.
Her first novel, ''The Enchanted'' (Harper 2014), was awarded the French Prix du Premier Roman Etranger award, an ALA Medal for Excellence in Fiction, and a Carnegie Listing. The book was a finalist for the C ...
and
Naomi Wolf
Naomi Rebekah Wolf (born November 12, 1962) is an American feminist author, journalist and conspiracy theorist.
Following her first book '' The Beauty Myth'' (1991), she became a leading spokeswoman of what has been described as the third wave ...
, essentially that "feminism should no longer be about communal solutions to communal problems but individual solutions to individual problems", and concepts from
Wendy McElroy
Wendy McElroy (born 1951) is a Canadian individualist feminist and voluntaryist writer. She was a co-founder along with Carl Watner and George H. Smith of ''The Voluntaryist'' magazine in 1982 and is the author of a number of books. McElroy ...
*
Evangelical Protestant Christian Profeminism ("Karen .... articulates the Evangelical
rotestantprofeminist position particularly well. Like profeminist Catholics and Jews, she feels that the
women's liberation movement
The women's liberation movement (WLM) was a political alignment of women and feminist intellectualism that emerged in the late 1960s and continued into the 1980s primarily in the industrialized nations of the Western world, which effected great ...
was a necessary response to the oppression of women. She praises the achievements of feminism in society as well as in Evangelical communities and insists that sexism persists and that further changes are necessary. Yet Karen, too, criticizes the movement for seeking to eliminate gender differences, devaluing motherhood and homemaking, and being led by extremists who do not represent ordinary American women, particularly with respect to the issues of homosexuality and abortion. Her comments on the latter two issues ... resemble ... closely the statements made by antifeminist Evangelicals.")
*
National Woman's Party
The National Woman's Party (NWP) was an American women's political organization formed in 1916 to fight for women's suffrage. After achieving this goal with the 1920 adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, the NW ...
, in the U.S., was led by
Alice Paul
Alice Stokes Paul (January 11, 1885 – July 9, 1977) was an American Quaker, suffragist, feminist, and women's rights activist, and one of the main leaders and strategists of the campaign for the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ...
, described as "
rticulating anarrow and conservative version of feminism".
*
New Catholic feminism, embraced by conservative Catholic women as a form of reconciling their struggle for equality with the Church's official teachings on women. Influenced by
Personalism
Personalism is an intellectual stance that emphasizes the importance of human persons. Personalism exists in many different versions, and this makes it somewhat difficult to define as a philosophical and theological movement. Friedrich Schleierm ...
and
Phenomenology
Phenomenology may refer to:
Art
* Phenomenology (architecture), based on the experience of building materials and their sensory properties
Philosophy
* Phenomenology (philosophy), a branch of philosophy which studies subjective experiences and a ...
, as well as Pope John Paul II's ''
Mulieris dignitatem'', this school is represented by historian
Elizabeth Fox-Genovese
Elizabeth Ann Fox-Genovese (May 28, 1941 – January 2, 2007) was an American historian best known for her works on women and society in the Antebellum South. A Marxist early on in her career, she later converted to Roman Catholicism and became ...
, theologians
Alice Von Hildebrand
Alice Marie von Hildebrand, GCSG (née Jourdain; 11 March 1923 – 14 January 2022) was a Belgian-born American Catholic philosopher, theologian, author, and professor. She taught philosophy at Hunter College for 37 years. She was also the sec ...
,
Prudence Allen and Robert Stackpole, journalist
Colleen Carroll Campbell
Colleen is an Irish language name and is of Irish origin and a generic term for women or girls, from the Irish '' cailín'' 'girl/woman', the diminutive of '' caile'' 'woman, countrywoman'.
Although it originates in the Irish language, Colleen ...
, among others.
* new conservative feminism, or backlash feminism, is arguably antifeminist and is represented by
Betty Friedan
Betty Friedan ( February 4, 1921 – February 4, 2006) was an American feminist writer and activist. A leading figure in the women's movement in the United States, her 1963 book ''The Feminine Mystique'' is often credited with sparking the se ...
in ''
The Second Stage
''The Second Stage'' is a 1981 book by American feminist, activist and writer Betty Friedan, best known for her earlier book ''The Feminine Mystique''.
Summary
Friedan contends that "first stage" of feminism, a movement intended to liberate wo ...
'' and
Jean Bethke Elshtain
Jean Paulette Bethke Elshtain (1941–2013) was an American ethicist, political philosopher, and public intellectual. She was the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Professor of Social and Political Ethics in the University of Chicago Divinity School with ...
in ''Public Man, Private Woman'' and anticipated by Alice Rossi, ''A Biosocial Perspective on Parenting''. These authors do not necessarily agree with each other on all major points. According to Judith Stacey, new conservative feminism rejects the politicization of sexuality, supports families, gender differentiation, femininity, and mothering, and deprioritizes opposition to male domination.
* Old Conservative Feminism or Domestic Feminism, from the 19th century
*
Postfeminism
The term postfeminism (alternatively rendered as post-feminism) is used to describe reactions against contradictions and absences in feminism, especially second-wave feminism and third-wave feminism. The term ''postfeminism'' is sometimes confuse ...
* Right-wing Feminism, or balanced feminism, includes the work of
Independent Women's Forum
The Independent Women's Forum (IWF) is a conservatism in the United States, conservative American non-profit organization focused on economic policy issues of concern to women.[Feminists for Life of America
Feminists for Life of America (FFL) is a non-profit, anti-abortion feminist, non-governmental organization (NGO). Established in 1972, and now based in Alexandria, Virginia, the organization publishes a biannual magazine, ''The American Feminist'', ...]
, and ifeminists.net headed by
Wendy McElroy
Wendy McElroy (born 1951) is a Canadian individualist feminist and voluntaryist writer. She was a co-founder along with Carl Watner and George H. Smith of ''The Voluntaryist'' magazine in 1982 and is the author of a number of books. McElroy ...
. It generally draws on principles of
first-wave feminism
First-wave feminism was a period of feminist activity and thought that occurred during the 19th and early 20th century throughout the Western world. It focused on legal issues, primarily on securing women's right to vote. The term is often used s ...
and against both
postfeminism
The term postfeminism (alternatively rendered as post-feminism) is used to describe reactions against contradictions and absences in feminism, especially second-wave feminism and third-wave feminism. The term ''postfeminism'' is sometimes confuse ...
and academic or
radical feminism
Radical feminism is a perspective within feminism that calls for a Political radicalism, radical re-ordering of society in which male supremacy is eliminated in all social and economic contexts, while recognizing that women's experiences are al ...
, the latter being defined to include left and progressive politics, not only feminism based on gender oppression. Right-wing feminism supports both motherhood and women having careers and both individuality and
biological determinism
Biological determinism, also known as genetic determinism, is the belief that human behaviour is directly controlled by an individual's genes or some component of their physiology, generally at the expense of the role of the environment, whether i ...
; it accepts gender equality in careers while believing that numerical equality will naturally not occur in all occupations.
*
State feminism
State feminism is feminism created or approved by the government of a state or nation. It usually specifies a particular program. The term was coined by Helga Hernes with particular reference to the situation in Norway, which had a tradition of g ...
**
Imperial feminism
Imperial feminism, also known as imperialist feminism, colonial feminism or intersectional imperialism refers to instances where, critics argue, feminist rhetoric is used to justify empire-building or imperialism. The term has come into greater ...
* Womansurge: see Women's Equity Action League in this list
*
Women's Equity Action League The Women's Equity Action League, or WEAL, was a United States women's rights organization founded in 1968 with the purpose of addressing discrimination against women in employment and education opportunities. Made up of conservative women, they use ...
(WEAL) was formed originally by some of the more conservative members of the
National Organization for Women
The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist organization. Founded in 1966, it is legally a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S. states and in Washington, D.C. It ...
(NOW), when NOW was viewed as radical. The members who founded WEAL focused on employment and education, and shunned issues of contraception and abortion. Its founders called it a "'conservative NOW'". Its methods were "conventional", especially lobbying and lawsuits. The departures from NOW left NOW freer to pursue
reproductive freedom
Reproductive rights are legal rights and freedoms relating to reproduction and reproductive health that vary amongst countries around the world. The World Health Organization defines reproductive rights as follows:
Reproductive rights rest on ...
and the
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. Proponents assert it would end legal distinctions between men and ...
. "
e fragmentation process, as organizations broke up and reformed, .... retained women within the movement who might otherwise have left it. This is what happened in the case of NOW, when it split up over internal divisions, and new feminism was nevertheless able to retain the most conservative elements through the formation of WEAL. At first, in fact, WEAL called itself the 'right wing of the women's movement.' Another NOW spinoff, Womansurge, tended to attract older women, who felt more comfortable in it than in NOW, which was becoming more politically radical under the influence of a new younger generation of militants."
* In the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, it is now common for prominent women in the
Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right.
Political parties called The Conservative P ...
to declare that they are feminists; this trend began with
Theresa May
Theresa Mary May, Lady May (; née Brasier; born 1 October 1956) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2016 to 2019. She previously served in David Cameron's cab ...
wearing a t-shirt by the
Fawcett Society
The Fawcett Society is a membership charity in the United Kingdom which campaigns for women's rights. The organisation dates back to 1866, when Millicent Garrett Fawcett dedicated her life to the peaceful campaign for women's suffrage. Originall ...
emblazoned with the words 'This is What a Feminist Looks Like'. Today, British female Conservative Parliamentarians claim that they are feminists, and claim feminist justification, while advocating a range of policies, from equal career opportunities for women to, in the case of
Anna Soubry
Anna Mary Soubry (; born 7 December 1956) is a British barrister, journalist and former politician who was Member of Parliament (MP) for Broxtowe from 2010 to 2019. Known for her support of pro-European policies, she was originally elected a ...
and others, opposing pornography. The Conservative MP
Nadine Dorries
Nadine Vanessa Dorries (''née'' Bargery, 21 May 1957) is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport from 2021 to 2022 under Prime Minister Boris Johnson. A member of the Conservative Party, she ...
has even put forward a feminist argument for restricting abortion.
See also
*
*
*
List of feminists
This list of feminists catalogues individuals who identify or have been identified as proponents of feminist political, economic, social, and personal principles for gender equality.
Early feminists
Born before 1499.
16th-century feminist ...
Notes
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Table of contents.*
*
*
*
Further reading
Books
*
Dworkin, Andrea, ''Right-Wing Women: The Politics of Domesticated Females'' (N.Y.: Coward-McCann (also Wideview/Perigee Book), 1983)
*
Young, Cathy, ''Ceasefire!: Why Women and Men Must Join Forces to Achieve True Equality'' (N.Y.: Free Press, 1999 ()); she argues for a "philosophy" (''id.'', p. 10 (''Introduction: The Gender Wars'')) and "do
s't know if this philosophy should be called feminism or something else" (''id.'', p. 11 (''Introduction''))
Articles
*
Grant, Jane, ''Confession of a Feminist'', in ''
The American Mercury
''The American Mercury'' was an American magazine published from 1924Staff (Dec. 31, 1923)"Bichloride of Mercury."''Time''. to 1981. It was founded as the brainchild of H. L. Mencken and drama critic George Jean Nathan. The magazine featured wri ...
'', vol. LVII, no. 240, Dec., 1943, pp. 684–691.
*
Kersten, Katherine, ''What Do Women Want?'', in ''Policy Review'', issue 56, Spring, 1991
* Klatch, Rebecca, ''Women of the New Right''
* Lee, Martha F., ''
Nesta Webster
Nesta Helen Webster (née Bevan, 24 August 1876 – 16 May 1960) was an English author who promoted antisemitic canards and revived theories about the Illuminati.Who are the Illuminati? ''Independent on Sunday'' (London) 6 November 2005. S ...
: The Voice of Conspiracy'', in ''
Journal of Women's History
The ''Journal of Women's History'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal established in 1989 covering women's history. It explores multiple perspectives of feminism rather than promoting a single unifying form. Articles published in this jo ...
'', vol. 17, no. 3 (Fall, 2005), p. 81 ''ff.'' (biography including on feminism)
*
Burfitt-Dons, Louise, ''The successes and failures of feminism'', on
Conservative Home
ConservativeHome is a British right-wing blog which supports, but is independent of, the Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party. It was first established by Tim Montgomerie in 2005 with the aim of arguing for a broad Conservatism in the Unite ...
Jan 4, 2014
* Swift, David, ''From "I'm not a feminist but..." to "Call me an old-fashioned feminist..."'', in ''
Women's History Review
''Women's History Review'' is a bimonthly peer-reviewed academic journal of women's history published by Routledge. The editor-in-chief is June Purvis (University of Portsmouth) and Sharon Crozier-De Rosa is deputy editor.
Abstracting and indexin ...
'', (Summer, 2018).
Blogs
*
Louise Burfitt-Dons
Louise Burfitt-Dons, (''née'' Byres; born 22 October 1953) is a British novelist, humanitarian, and former Conservative candidate.
Burfitt-Dons is best known for her anti-bullying work as the founder of the charity Act Against Bullying and ...
,
The Common Sense Feminist'
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conservative Feminisms, List Of
Conservatism-related lists
Feminism-related lists
Feminist movements and ideologies
Anti-pornography feminism