Equality sounds simple. Until you try to define it.
Is it equal rights? Equal opportunity? Equal outcomes? Or something harder to pin down — equal respect, equal freedom, or simply the chance to choose your own life?
Just over a century ago, women in Britain were fighting for the vote. Some, like Emmeline Pankhurst and the WSPU, embraced “deeds, not words” and direct action. Others, like Millicent Fawcett, argued for organised, constitutional and non-violent change.
The argument didn't end at the ballot box.
Simone de Beauvoir famously argued that “one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.” John Stuart Mill questioned whether what we think of as the natural differences between women and men might actually be shaped by society. Betty Friedan argued that people can be legally free while social expectations still make some choices much harder.
Then there are questions of power. bell hooks argued that patriarchy can be upheld by women as well as men — raising the possibility that women can reinforce patriarchal expectations and men can be harmed by them too. Kimberlé Crenshaw challenged feminism to think about how sexism can intersect with race and other forms of inequality.
And not everyone agrees about where feminism should go next.
Critics of contemporary feminism, including Christina Hoff Sommers, Jordan Peterson and Warren Farrell, have raised very different objections to modern thinking about gender and equality. Their arguments raise questions such as: are men and women necessarily the same? Does equal opportunity require equal outcomes? Can men be privileged in some areas of society and disadvantaged in others?
So what does equality actually require?
If two people are treated identically but start from very different positions, is that fair?
If men and women make different choices, when should we accept those differences?
Can someone freely choose a traditional gender role and still be a feminist?
Can treating people differently ever be necessary to achieve equality?
Has feminism made both women and men freer, or has progress in some areas come at a cost in others?
And perhaps the hardest question of all: Is freedom more important than equality?
As always, there's no structure, no right answers, and no need for philosophical expertise. Just come along, grab a drink, and join the conversation.
Expect thoughtful discussion, contrasting perspectives, and a few ideas that might change how you see equality in society and in your own life.
See you there!
