Liberal feminism focuses on achieving equality of opportunity by reforming existing legal and social institutions.
It views inequality as a lack of civil rights and seeks to remove barriers so women can compete equally with men.
In contrast, radical feminism identifies patriarchy, or male domination, as the fundamental root of all women’s oppression.
Rather than seeking reform, it calls for a revolutionary restructuring of society to entirely uproot and abolish male supremacy.
| Feature | Liberal Feminism | Radical Feminism |
| Root Cause | Lack of legal rights and socialization | The patriarchal system (male domination) |
| Primary Goal | Equality of opportunity within the system | Abolition of patriarchy and male supremacy |
| Strategy | Legislative and policy reform | Revolutionary restructuring of society |
| View of Family | A site to reform division of labor | A primary site of female exploitation |
Radical Feminism
Radical feminism is a branch of feminism that seeks to dismantle the traditional patriarchal power and gender roles that keep women oppressed.
The word radical means ‘of or relating to the root’ – thus, radical feminists see patriarchy as the root cause of gender inequality, and they seek to up-root this.
Radical feminists believe that the cause of gender inequality is based on men’s need or desire to control women. They argue that global change in the patriarchal systems is required to achieve liberation for women.
They also assert that patriarchal systems are in place in an attempt to gain control over women’s bodies, such as laws about abortion and contraception.
According to radical feminists, women are objectified, and many experience violence from men as a way for them to gain control and dominate women.
They argue that violence against women is not down to a few perpetrators, but it is a wider, societal problem.
What Are The Goals Of Radical Feminism?
Radical feminists aim for structural change in the patriarchal systems that are oppressing women. They argue that real liberation for women cannot be achieved unless societal institutions are changed.
They also aim for women to have bodily autonomy by giving women the freedom of choice for what they do with their lives and their bodies. This includes giving them the right to safe abortions and contraception.
Radical feminists also want to shed light on the disproportionate amount of violence that women face at the hands of men. Many radical feminists believe that pornography and sex work increase the objectification of women, and this contributes to more violence and subordination of women.
Likewise, radical feminists aim to put women-centered strategies in place to help women, such as having shelters for abused women and women-only spaces. Some radical feminists are known for being trans-exclusionary radical feminists (TERFs) since they do not view transgender women as real women.
Thus, many would seek to exclude transgender women from women-centered strategies. This stance has led to a lot of criticism from other branches of feminism.
Liberal Feminism
Liberal feminism is a popular branch of feminism that emphasizes the value of freedom, which can be achieved through political and legal reform.
The ideas of liberal feminism are rooted in liberalism, a political philosophy that encourages the development of freedom, particularly in the political and economic spheres.
According to liberal feminism, there is gender inequality because women do not have the same rights as men. They claim that once this is achieved for women, it will eradicate the persist inequalities.
They also believe that sexism is the fundamental cause of discrimination against women.
Liberal feminists have most notably fought for women’s right to vote, to work, to have an education, and to have equal pay to men. Many liberal feminists believe that their fight for these rights means that their battle is largely won.
However, many others believe there are still issues to work on, such as the gender pay gap and representation in politics and the media.
What Are The Goals Of Liberal Feminism?
Liberal feminists want women to be granted the same social and political rights as men, have equal pay for doing the same work as men, and be equal in marriage and partnership.
Many of these changes are thought to come through legal and legislative reformation.
In addition, liberal feminists aim for equality in the representation of women in the workplace, politics, and the media.
They would want to see more women in positions of power and being equally represented to men in film and television. Reforming the system is a big part of liberal feminism.
They believe that gender justice is best achieved by modifying existing social institutions and political systems that have the capacity to adjust.
Liberal feminism is also individualistic rather than group-based.
This means that rights are granted to individual women who are assumed to be equally deserving of these rights, rather than granting rights to a whole group.
Differences
When they emerged
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Liberal Feminism: Emerged in the 18th and 19th centuries through scholars like Mary Wollstonecraft and John Stuart Mill. It rose to prominence during the first wave of feminism in the 19th and early 20th centuries as women fought for the right to vote.
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Radical Feminism: Primarily developed during the second wave of feminism from the 1960s onward. It was often formed in opposition to liberal and Marxist feminism. While popularized in the 1960s, radical activism was present even during the suffrage movement.
The cause of gender inequality
Liberal feminism attributes inequality to a lack of equal civil rights, educational opportunities, and gender-role socialization.
It focuses on removing constraints on women’s participation so they have the same chance for success as men.
However, they do not explain why it is that women were not granted these rights in the first place.
Radical feminism identifies patriarchy (male domination) as the fundamental root cause of women’s oppression.
Radical feminists argue that male supremacy is deliberate and justified by ideologies in institutions like religion and the media.
Radical feminists would criticize liberal feminism since they claim that only seeking to add more women into the already established systems is not enough.
Just because there are more women in positions of power does not mean there is not still sexism and misogyny, radical feminists would reason.
They would argue that the whole system needs to be uprooted and changed for women to be free from gender inequality.
In tackling gender inequality
For liberal feminists, gender inequality is thought to be eliminated once women gain the same rights as men.
This is done by reforming the legal, political, social, and other systems.
However, for radical feminists, it is believed that reforming the systems that are already in place will not do enough to make real change.
Instead, they suggest that eliminating gender inequality will require a radical restructuring of society and its systems.
They believe that removing male supremacy from all spheres of society is the only way that women will be truly liberated.
Thoughts on marriage and the family
Liberal feminists are generally not against heterosexual marriage and having children, as long as this is what the woman wants.
If the woman is being treated as an equal by their partner and chooses how to raise their family, this is a feminist choice.
Radical feminism views the family as a primary site of oppression where women are exploited through unpaid domestic labor.
Many see traditional marriage as a patriarchal institution where women become a man’s private property
Although this is not the case for everyone, many radical feminists would choose not to marry or engage in any heterosexual relationship with men.
Some may engage in political lesbianism as a way to be segregated from men.
Similarities
Despite their differing methods, these branches overlap in several areas:
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Reproductive Rights: Both generally support a woman’s right to abortion, contraception, and bodily autonomy.
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Gender Equality: Both work to encourage equality in both the private and public spheres.
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Legislative Gains: Both have successfully achieved legislative changes for women’s rights and work toward ending domestic violence.
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Shared Criticisms: Both are criticized for being primarily prominent in Western cultures and for failing to account for the unique experiences of women from different ethnicities, social classes, or disabilities (a gap addressed by intersectional feminism).
References
Cottais, C. (2020). Liberal feminism. Gender in Geopolitics Institute. Retrieved 2022, September, 2 from: https://igg-geo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/IGG_CCottais_Liberal_feminism2020.pdf
Cottais, C. (2020). Radical Feminism. Gender in Geopolitics Institute. Retrieved 2022, September 2, from: https://igg-geo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Technical-Sheet-Radical-feminism.pdf
Graham, G. (1994). Liberal vs radical feminism revisited. Journal of Applied Philosophy, 11(2), 155-170.
Oxley, J. C. (2011). Liberal feminism. Just the Arguments, 100, 258262.
Rowland, R., & Klein, R. (1996). Radical feminism: History, politics, action. Radically speaking: Feminism reclaimed, 9-36.
