Feminism: What is the Impact on Relationships?
- Nicole Jackson Walker EdD
- Oct 7, 2024
- 2 min read
Someone recently proclaimed to me that the reason so many relationships fail is feminism. A bold statement indeed! Especially given that this person had no concept of what it is to be a feminist. My reply back was short and sweet, “No, relationships are failing not because women are feminists but because men (and some women) are not.” This is not intended to be a condemnation. Instead, I simply hope to provoke some thought.
Photo Credit: https://medium.com/applied-intersectionality/yes-i-am-a-man-and-yes-i-am-a-feminist-36271da764b3
Feminism is, simply put, the belief that all persons should be availed the same opportunities. In feminist psychotherapy, suffering is the result of an unjust system that serves to oppress. This would lend one to believe that women’s life dissatisfaction is resultant from an inordinate burden on women and that when men suffer, it too is due to that same unjust system.
Did you know that?
· Women are nearly 50% more likely to suffer severe injuries in car crashes because safety features are designed for men.
Or that
· It will take over 100 years to close the economic gender gap according to leading experts.
Or that (just for fun)
· For every female film character, there are twice as many men.
Or that
· In 2022, about 442,754 women were raped or sexually assaulted in the U.S. compared to 89,053 men.
Or that
Globally women undertake three times more care and domestic work than men (this is unpaid labor)1?
Nearly 60% of women work outside of the home and are more likely to die on their drive if a crash occurs, will get paid less than their male counterparts for the same job, might be sexually harassed or worse, then will return home from work to care for the children, clean, and cook. This is not what women imagined when they fought for equal rights.
What’s the impact on relationships? The lives of women and their partners do not look the same, and women are hurting for it, and some are growing frustrated or disheartened.
A feminist partner would acknowledge that an imbalance exists and would share power with their partner. They would advocate for equality and live it, even if that meant taking on more -for example- of the domestic responsibilities.
Image: ABS Time Use Survey 2006
Men can be feminist too because all it means to be a feminist is to believe in equal power. And before one asserts that men have responsibilities that women don’t bear, I would caution you that this is not an argument for sameness. Men can continue to complete tasks that they are better suited to, while women do the same, but never should anyone do more labor on the whole (e.g., more hours of labor), nor should they do labor for less compensation.
What are your thoughts on the topic?
1. For more information see the following article:
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