Sexual Harassment and Feminism

IAI News explores the philosophy behind the news.

Hollywood actresses’ testimonies against Harvey Weinstein unleashed a global storm against sexual harassment. Twitter reported just under a million #MeToo hashtag shares in 48 hours and Facebook counted more than 12 million reactions in 24 hours. This campaign also inspired British Prime Minister Theresa May to launch a battle against sexual abuse at Westminster – a step that might suggest that unlike many female leaders, May is using her power to help other women in politics.

In the midst of all these events, we invite you to take a step back and look at what feminism has achieved so far and where it’s going next, with our weekly curated briefing Philosophy Behind the News.

Let's start with the basics - the goals of feminism. In the debate After Equality, writer Beatrix Campbell argues we have yet to reach adequate equality between genders, while radical feminist activist Julie Bindel says equality is impossible and we should instead aim for liberation.

The #MeToo campaign, led by powerful Hollywood stars and hijacked by politicians in the UK Cabinet, appears to represent all women. But as some women have become CEOs and political leaders, other women have been left behind. In Sisters and Sisterhood, we debate whether we're swapping one inequality for another, or whether female care workers and CEOs are still on the same side.

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