As a white cis woman, I know that I don't have the lived experience required to speak on behalf of anyone other than myself and, at a stretch, other white cis women. I could never imagine being anything more than an ally and supporting people with different lived experiences.
I recently attended a discussion evening during study abroad at the University of Edinburgh. The evening was run by the Marxist Society and the Feminist Society on the topic of Feminism and Women's Liberation. At this event some incredible women spoke and we had discussions about issues I hadn't even thought of. Namely, can men be feminists?
Can someone who has no lived experience of being a woman, be a feminist? When men say they are feminists, does that simply mean they are announcing their allyship, or are they taking seats at the table that should be reserved solely for people with lived experience?
In an article titled 'Beware These 10 Types of Feminist Men' at The Body is Not An Apology, Melissa A. Fabello and Aaminah Khan open with the line 'Never is a man so potentially dangerous to a female person as when he claims to be a feminist.' Elsewhere, Stuart McGurk at GQ magazine suggests that 'the crimes of "Mr Nice Guy" can be more insidious' than 'the damage done by Weinstein and co'. He explains that the Mr Nice Guy types proclaim their feminism when women are around but this surface level image hides their true feelings, thoughts and behaviours that are contradictory to the front they advertise.
So when men, specifically white cis men, proclaim they are a feminist, are they speaking on behalf of women? Shouldn't everyone be a feminist, or does being a feminist require lived experience? Either way, why should we be proud of men for being feminists?
Of course everyone should support women and be actively working towards equity and equality for all. But perhaps we need to find an alternative term for male feminists, so they don't feel they have the right and the opportunity to speak for women.
The International Women's Development Agency describes feminism as equal rights and opportunities for all genders, and they see this being achieved through respecting a diverse range of women's experiences, identities, strengths and knowledge, and striving to empower all women. They suggest it is simply about levelling the playing field so girls and boys, women and men can have the same opportunities.
"Men cannot speak for women on women's issues and this is why the idea of male feminists makes me incredibly uncomfortable."
An Australian organisation, Rosie, defines feminism as 'a social movement and ideology that fights for the political, economic and social rights for women'. This seems pretty simple right: men and women should be equal, and the change in society that will achieve this needs to be led by women. Sadly, this isn't always the case and it isn't always this easy to interpret.
The #metoo movement has seen a rise in men coming forward and proclaiming themselves as feminists. But are they doing this to avoid being criticised and lumped with the 'bad' men, or are they doing it to encourage and support the women around them? It would appear at least some men are loudly voicing their pro-equality opinions in order to avoid suspicion and criticism and stay out of the spotlight.
Jill Filipovic at the New York Times cites the case of Eric Schneiderman, who was a champion of women's rights at work, but, she says, a 'sexual sadist and manipulative misogynist at home'. In this case, it appears as though Schneiderman simply used his status as a feminist to promote and further his career while using his image as one of the good guys to abuse and control women when out of the spotlight.
There's an entire website dedicated to promoting and supporting men to generate resources about feminism to ease other 'skittish' men into feminism, by enabling them to read about it from a male perspective.
Feminism is all about female empowerment and any man who can't learn about feminism from a female perspective needs to seriously reconsider their values and outlook. Men cannot speak for women on women's issues and this is why the idea of male feminists makes me incredibly uncomfortable.
But it's not all bad, and men are not to be feared and hated. That's not what feminism is about. Being a feminist means supporting your sisters and educating your brothers on how they too can support other women. Being a feminist means seeing the faults in men and the society they have created and knowing that we can change that, especially when we are boosted by our male allies — but only when their energy is directed towards giving women a voice and a space to be heard.
Brenna Dempsey is a freelance writer, involved in various areas of activism while studying at University.