Gaseous matter

ARA’s Editor-in-ChiefOver the last year feminine matter appears to be in transformation. Women are becoming gaseous and have decided to occupy all the space available to them. Without asking permission, facing great hurdles and resistance, but with determination and complicity from those in the spotlight to turn it on all of them collectively. Feminism is not new, but what is new is the capacity for mobilization provided by the internet, the porosity of a globalized world, and the critical mass of women to whom society has given the right to be heard and who have taken advantage of their positions to break uncomfortable silences. The incomprehensible silences of victims. Many women have joined together to raise the alarm over sexist practices at all levels of society and which have in common, basically, the abuse of power. The #MeToo campaign, started against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, is the tip of the iceberg of a public rejection of powerful and brutal men. It is not a complaint against men, but a denunciation of power exercised abusively, with or without physical violence. That the glamor of Hollywood has said "enough" is an invaluable help for the viralization of these values beyond the borders of the US. Thanks to this movement and the work done by millions of women over many generations, feminism has overcome the primitive masculine cliché of the ill-tempered, hairy suffragette. But #MeToo will remain a simple marketing campaign unless we convince our male allies that they too are feminists and that this is a joint venture in favor of civilization. Of a society based on equal opportunities and meritocracy.

The economic crisis has contributed to women rallying, and proof of this is the international strike called for March 8th. The inequality in pay is even worse when considering the time spent by women caring for parents and children, as well as the difficulty in rejoining the workforce with full dedication after maternity. This is the turning point.

The truly important step forward is needed in the treatment of maternity and paternity. It is not just about sharing, but about being co-responsible for the care of offspring. In writing this I can hear in my head the conservative voices that argue that many women want to stay home and care for their children. This is an option, provided it is a free choice. The feminist revolution affects men and women equally, and the key is for women to have the same ability as the men around them to choose how they want to live. A good conversation with their grandmothers about the importance of financial independence and the consequences of not having it could also be very useful for the new generations that are tempted to cede spaces conquered by the courageous women who came before them. Women who were also afraid, like us, but who dared to live a life worth living.

Today in ARA we bring you a dossier to help us think about what feminism is, and to help men and women to see things from a different point of view. We do so with an article by Professor Marta Segarra and a review of various trends. With ideas such as that of Judith Butler, who argues that "gender is performance", that it is not a fixed identity that we are endowed with. We also look at the ideas of Hélène Cixous and the difference, and those of Donna J. Faraway on the interpretation of what is "natural", scientific subjectivity, and assessment of the surroundings. Luce Irigaray argues for a "politics of women” where relationships are not based on the domination of the strongest. Segarra collects the most interesting trends and makes us think about our day-to-day assumptions.

For example, have you ever considered that your female partners find it harder to be heard in public? Take note. Rebecca Solnit explains it very well in a book with a delicious first part titled Men explain things to me, in which she tells of a time when someone explained to her with great authority a book that she herself had written. How many times has a man lectured a woman expert on her own specialty? Are our sons safer than our daughters? Are they more accustomed to being the protagonists? Do our daughters feel more insecure about their physique and the generalized canons in our society?

If the relationships between people and genders are one of the great questions in life, perhaps we should dedicate a little bit of time to thinking about this and acting consciously.