#MaryAmakaFeminism

[elanaespagcreates]

‘Mary Amaka’ Feminism: Exploring the underside of pop cultured ‘global women empowerment’

Feminism. noun: “the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes”.

I believe that today’s definition of feminism is no longer true to the Oxford language definition above, and has become more concerned with females being superior to males rather than on an equal footing.

Maureen Ikeotuonye, a student from the University College in Dublin, Ireland wrote an insightful article that traces the conventional discourses on global inequality and justice that have been overwhelmed with what can be called the narrative of the ‘global women’s rights issues’ industry. (Ikeotuonye, 2016) With this article, Ikeotuonye aims to establish the term ‘Mary Amaka Feminism’, a term that encapsulates a kind of feminism that is no longer concerned with the real facts, but rather this misguided idea of what feminism should be.

Chimamanda Adichie, a self proclaimed feminist author, is a great example of why Ikeotuonye’s argument has merit, as she exposes herself numerous times as being uneducated and confused about what she stands for, but she shouts “I am a feminist and you should be too”.

To empower implies that one is ‘in power’ and those ‘in power’ have always been viewed with suspicion by democratic minded people. Therefore the uses and context of usage reveal the underside, specific local histories or genealogy often concealed in the latest universal or cosmopolitan triumphant interpellation. (Ikeotuonye 2016)

In today’s day and age, it is almost vital to pick a side. Either you are a feminist, or it is assumed that you hate females. There’s no in between. Society forces us to make a choice, and to support that choice no matter what. That’s where many people slip and where it becomes unsustainable.

Ikeotuonye makes a brilliant comparison of feminism to soup, using the terms elu ofe and ala ite. Elu ofe refers to the top part of the soup, which is watery, with only some of the flavour coming through. Ala ite refers to the bottom part of the soup, which is chunky and has all the contents. A lot of people today fall into the Elo ofe category, and only know very little about where feminism actually came from, and what it means. Yet they are still at the top. If you are able to get through the top bit, you can get to the really good stuff that has substance and is backed up by proper facts.

Mary Amaka feminists often refers to themselves as “hybrids”.This so called “hybridity” is hidden in an eager attempt to absorb the demands of power, and since power controls the present, the ‘hybrid’ wants to rewrite the past in order to suit the present.

Feminism is seeking to reclaim denied heritage’ by constructing a positive identity within the same system of gender oppression. What is not clear is who the ideal-type man Feminists wants to be equal to actually is.

Men has suffered just as much, in different ways over the years, and even though I am not denying the fact that inequality is a problem, I feel that in some cases, more often than not, gender is not the problem. It is rather an easy thing to blame for much bigger problems in the world and in history.

Sources:

Ikeotuonye M. (2016) ‘Mary Amaka’ Feminism: Exploring the underside of pop-cultured ‘global women empowerment.’ Current Sociology. 2016;64(2):293-310. doi:10.1177/0011392115614790