Feminist Field Notes : A Girl's Guide to the Gender Revolution

By Elizabeth Ford

‘Feminist Field Notes’ is a short handbook guide to modern feminism aimed primarily at those who experience misogyny- however, it is also a more advanced field book, in which I have collected tactics for the continuation of a fight against patriarchy and oppression in all its forms. For those just developing an awareness of feminism or hoping to learn more about an immensely complicated movement, this handbook should cover the basic ideas which will help you to further develop your own type of feminism.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Sep 7, 2015
• ISBN: 9781326414412

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Feminist Field Notes : A Girl's Guide to the Gender Revolution

Feminist Field Notes: A Girl’s Guide to the Gender Revolution

Copyright © 2015 by E. Ford

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All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

First Printing: 2015

ISBN 978-1-326-41441-2

~For every sister, with rage and solidarity

AUTHOR’S NOTE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

As a seventeen year old, I only began to understand feminism very recently. I honestly wish that there had been some kind of ‘catch all guide’, because when I began to chair my high school feminist society alongside some very good friends, I made a lot of mistakes which could have been avoided.

Since those early days. I’ve grow a lot. I’ve reads and understood much more theory, met so many different and amazing women from all walks of life and also grown a huge amount as an individual. Not only has my knowledge increased, but so has my confidence, my empathy and my understanding. I’ve made amazing friends and some of them have come to me to be not just feminist sisters, but almost real life sisters as well.

I hope that every young feminist can have the amazing experiences that I did, but I was very lucky- not only did I have great friends to help me along the way, but also several older and more experienced feminists who, like big sisters, were willing to give a hand or a few tips here and there.

This isn’t a catch all guide and I can’t teach anybody how exactly to be a feminist any more than I could tell you how to be a woman. But I hope that in some ways the knowledge and instructions in this tiny guidebook, written by a young woman in six weeks, might be able to provide some help to those who aren’t as lucky as I was in finding people to answer my questions and help me out.

With this said, all that’s left is to thank those people who’ve helped my own path out along the way- everybody at the feminist society at hills road, two years of Cambridge University Women’s officers ( thanks to Amelia, and welcome to Charlie who I know I’m going to work with more in the future)

Selma James and Renni Eddo-Lodge, who I’ve never spoken to but have had the privilege of listening to, alongside many others. Roxane Gay, Cordelia Fine and Natasha Walter, whose books (Bad Feminist, Delusions of Gender , and Living Dolls ) I may not totally agree with, but which have changed me in their own way nonetheless.

The sisters I’ve met who have survived violence, harassment and assault and whom I have always been privileged to listen to, whose experience and power overshadows mine in every way and who always create and maintain our movement.

Finally a huge individual thank you goes to Elspeth, an amazing strong feminist chick whose top tips on founding a feminist organisation can be found in the third part of this book, and who always astonishes me with her determination, anger and genius, and of course also to Nick and Sam for always helping the feminist cause as allies (and in Sam’s case, with awesome art)

Now all that’s over with, all I can say is please read on and enjoy.

PREFACE

‘Feminist Field Notes’ is a short handbook guide to modern feminism aimed primarily at those who experience misogyny- however, it is also a more advanced field book, in which I have collected tactics for the continuation of a fight against patriarchy and oppression in all its forms. This is a four part manifesto, in which we will not only explore feminist thought, but also the tactics of our oppressors, and some of the most popular methods of fightback.

The first part of this book is intended as a guide to those of us who are just developing an awareness of what feminism means in a modern context. ‘Patriarchy, and How to Kill It’ aims to explain in more easily understandable terms basic modern feminist thought, in order for readers to make an informed decision on the kind of feminism they feel would work best for them, and to develop their own thinking in a well informed and comfortable environment.

We will then explore the concepts and effects of patriarchy felt by women today and the tools of oppression in common use today. Hopefully, by the end of Part II readers will have a more thorough understanding of privilege and power, as well as the dynamics and tactics with which the patriarchy silences or oppresses women today. We will explore rape culture, education, media and politics- controls on reproductive rights, capitalist exploitation and violence- any avenue which has been previously taken by misogynists and sexists in their war on women. It is only through recognising the enemy’s skills that we can begin to fight him.

In the third part of this field guide, I will explain and describe some of the tactics which have recently been used by feminists to fight back in this war. These range from inwards- radical self-care- to the individual effort in the fight, to a, perhaps not totally comprehensive, but at least useful guide to organisation, agitation and education in the name of the feminist cause. From pickets to protests to petitions- from candlelit vigils to women’s campaigns and consent education, we will explore how feminists have fought- and won- on the battlegrounds of patriarchy, and how we may continue to do so in the future.

This book hopefully be a guide on creating a safe space for us and all our sisters, where we can fight patriarchy in a basis of equality and understanding. For this reason, the final part of these field notes must necessarily be dedicated to a further exploration of reactionaries within our own movement and how we may work to create a feminism for everybody, and not only the most privileged of our sisters: Intersectional, insurrectional, and united.

Solidarity, and enjoy

-Lizzie

A NOTE FOR FEMINIST ALLIES

If you are a man and a feminist ally, please bear in mind that this book was not written primarily with you in mind. I do make some notes on allyship and privilege, notably in the fourth and final section, but my advice for feminist activism will almost definitely not be applicable.

Nonetheless, you are welcome to read (I’d especially recommend the section on privilege and power in Part III) and there is certainly plenty in the book you will find educational, however please do remember that the book was not written primarily for male allies and adjust my advice accordingly.

-Thank you

PART ONE: THE THEORY OF FEMINISM

-‘If you know neither your enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle’-Sun Tzu

FEMINISM: WHAT IS IT?

The dictionary defines feminism as ‘the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of the equality of the sexes’. Rights for women is, and has always been a founding principle of feminism- ever since Mary Wollstonecraft published ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Woman’ in the 18th century. However, dictionary definitions are, as they have always been, necessarily simplistic.

Feminism is not, and never has been a fully united movement. Huge questions around gender, society and oppression define our own personal brands of feminism: however working towards the liberation of those oppressed by misogyny is a common goal. This chapter will explore some of the more common strands of feminism, and disagreements