Why Liberal Feminism is Problematic?

Liberal feminism is one of the primary schools of feminism that aims to promote gender equality and women's rights by means of an approach based on liberal political and ethical ideals. Liberal feminists advocate for nondiscriminatory policies and practices. This entails pushing for regulations that benefit both men and women, as well as working to eliminate out-of-date gender norms and preconceptions that limit chances for advancement. The rise of liberal feminism might be traced back to the 18th century and it emerged as a political ramification of liberal thought. Later, in the nineteenth century, liberal feminist ideals spread throughout Europe and the United States. Activists such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton played crucial roles in the suffrage campaign, pushing for women's ability to vote and equal legal standing. ''The Seneca Falls Convention'' of 1848 is often recognized as an important turning point in the early history of liberal feminism in the United States.

However, ''The Seneca Falls Convention,'' as recounted in history books, is not THE that changed the feminist movement forever as it completely failed lower-class black women. The forerunners of the suffrage movement, despite playing a vital role in the ''Seneca Falls Conventions'', Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady are the textbook definition of ''White Feminist''. As middle-class white women, they did not always address the issues of the working class or lower-class and black women. Their concentration on voting rights and legislative changes has failed to represent the many problems encountered by women of different socioeconomic classes and races. They prohibited African-American women from various suffrage activities and made racially offensive comments. So one can't help but consider that liberal feminism has always been in a state of inconsistency. If all individuals, regardless of gender, are meant to be equal, how come the ideology fails to see that women of different colors and socioeconomic backgrounds are not equal with white middle-class women from the start? As a result, liberal feminism, particularly in its early stages, failed to emphasize inclusiveness and unity with women of color and other marginalized groups. That is why liberal feminism is doomed from its beginnings to be labeled as "White Feminism." 

Liberal feminism is also known as "girl boss feminism" since its major focus is on attaining equality and empowerment through economic structures. They only talk about "leaning in" and "breaking the glass ceiling." The concept, however, is bullshit since it only helps privileged white women to advance in their careers. Although it condemns discrimination, liberal feminism fails to address the economic and social constraints that prevent underprivileged women from acquiring independence and power. Rather than abolishing the social class structure, it simply enables already privileged women to crack the glass ceiling. It just externalizes oppression since it completely disregards class and racial issues and only promotes gender equality in the capitalist system.

It must be the ultimate goal of feminism to fight against capitalism and racism, but liberal feminism only strives to put women in positions of authority, not help those at the bottom. It appears elitist and individualist and contributes to giving feminism an unfavorable image when it refuses to advocate for the rights of disadvantaged groups of women as well. It is ridiculous to measure the number of women in positions of authority in the corporate hierarchy as an indicator of the progress of feminism and gender equality. The group in question mainly consists of white, middle-class women who have agreed, either intentionally or unintentionally, to fall victim to the exact same system that excludes and puts women in potentially dangerous circumstances. There is no progress if only a tiny percentage of women are able to "crack the glass ceiling" or receive treatment as men. A revolution that will overthrow the racist, patriarchal, and capitalist system must be the primary goal of genuine feminism. If not all women are included in the fight against patriarchy and discrimination, feminism fails on the logical ground.