Political Elites and Defeminization

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WomenStepUp.org believes that woman need to advocate for important causes to champion equal rights for all people in the 21st Century. Gender-based issues are often put forth by those in power who do not represent women fairly and with equanimity.

 

As women, it is incumbent upon us to stand up to special interests which have control over elite political groups who commonly undervalue women's causes and do not prioritize the most important economic, individual, health-related, and cultural issues for women.

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This lack of egalitarian principles jeopardizes a culture's fitness. Furthermore, it threatens individual security, prosperity, family values and "defeminizes" women.

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"This female equivalent of “emasculate” would ideally describe the stripping of a woman’s positive, feminine qualities or identity — it would neither equate femininity with weakness, nor would it signify a woman’s being masculinized. These feminine qualities do not stand in direct contrast with male qualities, but rather complement them — they are different, but they are neither lesser nor greater. The feminine counterpart would serve as a way to recognize the autonomy of women and their desire to be fully themselves."

 

Ceraolo, Julia. Ceraolo: Power in Language. The Dartmouth. August, 2015.