Examples Of Liberal Feminism Theory

1.3 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK The theoretical framework of this study is the Liberal Feminism Theory. Liberalism is a political ideology which emphasizes the following: a) Individualism: The individual takes priority over society. b) Freedom: Individuals have the right to make choices for themselves. This freedom is not absolute. c) Equality: No person is morally or politically superior to others. Hierarchies are rejected. d) Rationalism: Humans are capable of thinking logically and rationally. Logic and reason help us solve problems. e) Progress: Traditions should not be kept unless they have value. New ideas are helpful because they can lead to progress in the sciences, the economy and society. f) Free market:

The legitimacy of a state is “weakened if half of the population is under-represented,” which of course is the case when women are significantly left out of political decision-making (Chant and Craske 2003). As argued by Carroll and Fox (2006), “as a matter of simple justice, something seems fundamentally wrong with a democratic system that has a majority of women among its voters but leaves women so dramatically underrepresented”. Liberal feminism argues that individuals are rational actors and should be allowed to develop as such. Liberalism supports the rights of individuals to develop their human capacity for reason and rationality, to become fully functioning and participating members of society (Caldwell,

Liberal feminism argues that women should be included in politics because to exclude them weakens the legitimacy of democracy. Democracies must fulfill the promise of full political equality for all citizens, and therefore women, minorities, and any other under-represented group must have the opportunity to participate in politics. Liberal feminism argues that the status of women is a measure of the progress and civilization of any given society. Proponents such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902) claimed that women’s participation in public life was a key to advancing the status of women. Women are capable of intellectual development and moral progress. This meant that women, like men, were rational creatures and so had the right to participate in public life – to contribute to debates about political, social and moral issues – rather than to being confined to the private sphere of the home and the family, represented by the male “head of the household” (Steans and Pettiford, 2001). Therefore, liberal feminism is an attempt to ensure that the tenets of liberalism are applied to