Alongside Clicktivists and White Saviours, there are a few other belief systems and behaviours that might just be a little less known and a little more insidious.
Here are a couple of them – with comics to lighten the load – and their antidotes (spoiler alert, one of them is in the title).
White Feminist Saviorism A.K.A. White Feminism A.K.A. White Faux Feminism
This is the kind of feminism held by middle-class White Women whereby the beliefs and issues ‘fought for’ easily exclude issues affecting women of colour.
Imperial Feminism or Gendered Orientalism is based on the idea that Muslim women are inherently oppressed. Rooted in islamophobia, and on the rise since 9/11, it’s closely tied to white saviourism in that it seeks to “make them like us”.
Intersectionality is the antidote because it allows for multiple issues to be important, for example, a trans woman of colour, or a disabled woman, cannot choose which part of their identity is most in need of liberation and these elements cannot be separated
The importance of intersectionality is well summed up in one line by the great Audre Lorde:
“There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives”
Transnational feminism focuses on the intersections between nationality, race, ethnicity, sex, gender, and class. Like intersectional feminism, it is the acknowledgment that gender is not the only oppress-able feature of a woman.
Like us all, I’m still learning. Here are a few easy-read resources to get you going:
- Everyday Feminism has a great collection of articles about the nuances of feminism, imperialism, decolonisation, class, religion, sex, gender… and more.
- A rundown on Gendered Orientalism
- Some facts about Religious Discrimination
- Tips on how to be an Intersectional Feminist Ally
- Not sure what a White Feminist Saviour is? Read this.
- A great resource on Transnational Feminism
- A talk about the dangers of hearing a single story
What would you add to the list of insiduous behaviours and antidotes?