Identify three strands of feminism, describe each one briefly and state one literary text that exemplifies

it.

Feminism is an interdisciplinary approach to issues of equality and equity based on gender; gender oppression,
gender identity, sex and sexuality as understood through social theories and political activism. In other terms
feminism is a movement that seeks for women empowerment. There are different types of strands of feminism
namely; radical feminism, liberal feminism and socialist feminism. These strands are discussed below:

Radical feminism blamed the exploitation of women on men; they see society as patriarchal dominated and
rule by men, they regard family as key institution of oppressing women in modern society. Within the radical
ideology some feminists believe that women oppression originated in their biological feature particularly in the
fact that they give birth others sees it as originality from cultural products Within the radical feminize
movement some reject any assistance from the male sex in their struggle to achieve the right they seek, these
are the separatist feminist who argued that only lesbians can be true feminists because they are independent
of men. Others like women supremacists argued that women are even more superior to men; they claimed that
men are more responsible not only for the exploitation of women but also for the existence of several other
social problems like war, destruction of environment and abuse of science.

Radical feminists hold that to defeat patriarchy there must be basic reworking of women’s consciousness to
enable to recognize their values and strengths as well as understanding the need to reject patriarchal pressures
and work with other women at same time. Some of the separatists argued that separating from and developing
erotic and emotional relationships with other women {lesbianism} is a form of resistance to patriarchal
domination. A good example is The Madams by Zukiswa Wanner. Marita and maria are lesbians and marita says
that she was once married to a man but the oppression led her there. When she gets fed up of the oppression
she kills her husband and that is how Thandi finds her in a correction facility. She finds happiness and peace by
loving her fellow women maria.

Liberal feminism is the major expression of gender inequality which argues that women may claim equality
with men on the basis of an essential human capacity for reasoned moral agency {Ritzer , 2003}. Liberal
feminize enjoys greater popular support than the other perspectives because its aims are more moderate and
its ideas pose a threat to the state. The liberalists believed that both men and women are harmed from existing
gender inequalities present in all state systems, reason for this situation they argued in culture, attitudes and
state welfare provisions. They conceptualize women not in the context of home and family but as autonomous
individuals with rights. They call for exchange in customs and state provision of welfare and custom to allow
women to assume their equal place in the society because the inequalities between men and women assigned
by sex are social constructions having no basis in nature. This is evident in Aminata by Francis Imbuga. Pastor
Ngoya writes a will before he dies stating that his daughter Aminata ids heir to a piece of land. She fights for
thus amidst objection from her uncle Jumba and her blood brother Ababio. Thus shows that women can enjoy
some rights as men.

We also have post modern feminism which emphasizes on the importance of social and political factors in
understanding gender. The likes of Judith Butter argue that women have been oppressed not because they are
biologically inferior but because they are seen as socially and politic ally marginalized. In the post modernist
view, feminism is for everyone. This means that feminism is not just for women .It is for everyone who
experiences oppression due to their gender including gender queer people. A good example is still in Aminata
by Francis Imbuga as Rosina sits on the stool if rule as the first woman leader. Agege is also empowered as he is
a man but his queer behavior makes him to be regarded as a woman but in the end he is enlightened and
refuses to be oppressed and be used by other women by sending him to fetch water and split firewood.

In conclusion gender may be seen physically as a key social division but it cannot be justly held responsible for
women’s current position moreover not all women have the same experience and equal disadvantages in the
state service.