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Similarity Between Feminism And Secularism

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conduct. Some argue that secularism in the form of french laicité is ill-equipped with the rise of Islam in Europe due to migration and other factors. Among the biggest controversies of french laicité are the bans on ostentatious religious symbols in state institutions which, in the opinions of many, are discriminatory towards muslim women wearing religious dress codes.

Secularism is not inherently a feminist principle and as it was already shown, its early history wasn't egalitarian. Despite that, I argue that secularism became a successful feminist tool for the feminist movement starting from the 19th century. Many feminist campaigners and theorists argue that secularism, offers best protection for women’s rights. Universality of rights and responsibilities, citizenship and the absence of gender differences in front of the state, makes secularism an ally of feminism. Secular democracy, based on equality of citizenship and universal justice is considered to be the prerequisite for advocacy of human rights and therefore becomes a vehicle for women to claim their rights. Feminists, …show more content…

In essence, both aim for departure from higher unquestionable authority and rights of individuals. Moreover, in both cases, it is male authority that is questioned: secularists question authorities of religious male institutions and the authority of Father God, feminists, in their turn, question male dominance in society as a whole. Similarly, I suggest that both secularists and feminists argue for “an individual authority”. Secularists were building their argument on rationality of humans aiming for the acceptance of the self intellectual and moral authority. Feminists also needed to argue that women are not inferior creature and do not need an authority of men imposed on them, thus demanding their independence and the recognition of their individual rights in the

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