Are Women Oppressed in the West?

[New Edom]

One of the central points that popular modern feminists like to stress is that women are oppressed everywhere, and that this justifies just about any action that feminists choose to take. And to some progressives and liberals, even some conservatives, this is a given. I believed it for many years until I began to question it.

Emma Watson, one of the flag bearers for modern feminism, belongs to UN women and is one of their special envoys to the world. The United Nations describes oppression in this way:
Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Now looking through the above, I'm not seeing a single article which states anyuthing atht women are denied inthe way of rights anywhere in the West. Women clearly have the right to pursue any career they want to, have th right to live where they want o, eat what they want to, belong to a religion if they want to, get an education, vote, run for office.

I have heard some talk about the fears women claim to have about harassment, abuse, rape and being belittled. That these fears are corroborated by popular entertainment and ideas. I have hard that unofficially there is proof that women are oppressed in spite of legal rights.

Well, here is an opportunity to prove it. Not with particular cases--history shows us injustice will probably always exist--but in some capacity that is broadly society: are women oppressed in the West?


I would like to ask the following of those who post here:
1. Please follow the rules and be polite. There is no need for discourtesy even if we disagree strongly. Let's focus on facts and thoughts.
2. Please provide a reason for your choice if you voted in the poll.
3, For the information of those posting here: I am an egalitarian but I have a lot of skepticism about how what appears to be the vocal majority of modern feminists conduct their activism and present their ideas and intend to challenge these ideas and activism in their different aspects.

I will not respond to posts that are trying to be accusatory or inflammatory.

[Benuty]

Out of all the people one could choose I just cannot see Emma Watson as a serious person.

[Liriena]

As a whole? Several problems remain, some more damaging than others. Also, let's not forget that the West includes not only Europe and North America, but also Latin America, where machismo is, sadly, alive and well.

Compared to other regions of the world? The injustices faced by most women in the West may not be as profound, widespread and horrifying as those faced elsewhere. Still, injustices remain. Let's not forget, also, that women include trans women, and they in particular certainly do face an awful lot of harrassment, abuse, assault and marginalization on a regular basis in the West.

[Pandeeria]

No.

[Benuty]

As a whole? Several problems remain, some more damaging than others. Also, let's not forget that the West includes not only Europe and North America, but also Latin America, where machismo is, sadly, alive and well.

Compared to other regions of the world? The injustices faced by most women in the West may not be as profound, widespread and horrifying as those faced elsewhere. Still, injustices remain. Let's not forget, also, that women include trans women, and they in particular certainly do face an awful lot of harrassment, abuse, assault and marginalization on a regular basis in the West.

Eww why did you have to remind me trans exclusionary feminists still existed?

[Liriena]

Out of all the people one could choose I just cannot see Emma Watson as a serious person.

Hey, don't you dare diss Emma Watson!

[Souseiseki]

define oppressed

theoretical legal equality is not the be all end all btw

[Liriena]

As a whole? Several problems remain, some more damaging than others. Also, let's not forget that the West includes not only Europe and North America, but also Latin America, where machismo is, sadly, alive and well.

Compared to other regions of the world? The injustices faced by most women in the West may not be as profound, widespread and horrifying as those faced elsewhere. Still, injustices remain. Let's not forget, also, that women include trans women, and they in particular certainly do face an awful lot of harrassment, abuse, assault and marginalization on a regular basis in the West.

Eww why did you have to remind me trans exclusionary feminists still existed?

Ooooooh yes, let's not forget them.

Cis women in the West have the benefit of not having their very gender attacked by their peers, whereas trans women can't even be a part of the feminist movement without a whole faction within it dedicating itself to excluding them.

[Liriena]

define oppressed

theoretical legal equality is not the be all end all btw

Bless you for putting that into words.

[The first Galactic Republic]

Define oppressed?

Because if the implication is that some system is oppressing them, I don't believe that. But yes there are problems unique to women in the west.

[The first Galactic Republic]

Out of all the people one could choose I just cannot see Emma Watson as a serious person.

A lot of celebrities use their fame to get their messages across.

But yeah I see your point.

[Minzerland]

Under the law? No. (I'd wager that men are oppressed under the law) Is there still problems in our society? Certainly, it isn't a widespread issue though.

[Spiffier]

No. I would say they are sometimes discriminated against and held to double-standards on things like sex, but oppression is too strong a word.

[Liriena]

Define oppressed?

Because if the implication is that some system is oppressing them, I don't believe that. But yes there are problems unique to women in the west.

If you include trans women, there certainly is a system that's oppressing them. Let's not forget the recent attempts to bring toilet policing to severals American states. Also, these statistics.

[Costa Fierro]

No. There isn't any institutional or social oppression. However, there is discrimination and this discrimination affects both men and women in different ways.

Anyone who thinks women are oppressed should spend some time in Saudi Arabia. That is true oppression.

[Liriena]

No. There isn't any institutional or social oppression. However, there is discrimination and this discrimination affects both men and women in different ways.

Anyone who thinks women are oppressed should spend some time in Saudi Arabia. That is true oppression.

And the fallacy of relative privation rears its head.

[The first Galactic Republic]

Define oppressed?

Because if the implication is that some system is oppressing them, I don't believe that. But yes there are problems unique to women in the west.

If you include trans women, there certainly is a system that's oppressing them. Let's not forget the recent attempts to bring toilet policing to severals American states. Also, these statistics.

Ah well, I guess I was focused too much on Emma Watson's points.

[Atomic Utopia]

De jure equality is certainly rather different than de facto equality.

While at one point women were considered only a little more than mere property in the US and elsewhere, we have made tremendous progress in that area. In most areas in the "western" world women have de jure equality to men.

But discrimination still remains. Women applying to jobs in STEM positions at companies, even with the same credentials, tend to be turned down at a higher rate than men. There are other cases as well that will go unmentioned as I do not have the will to waste the time to dig them up, but the problem in STEM is rather present and obvious.

[Spiffier]

No. There isn't any institutional or social oppression. However, there is discrimination and this discrimination affects both men and women in different ways.

Anyone who thinks women are oppressed should spend some time in Saudi Arabia. That is true oppression.

I'm not saying there is institutional oppression anymore in the West, but saying women are only oppressed in a condition like Saudi Arabia is like saying the only real oppression of blacks was slavery.

[Liriena]

If you include trans women, there certainly is a system that's oppressing them. Let's not forget the recent attempts to bring toilet policing to severals American states. Also, these statistics.

Ah well, I guess I was focused too much on Emma Watson's points.

Can't say I blame you.

I do think she makes some good points, although I appreciate the fact that she had an exchange with women like Malala Yousafzai, which should have helped put things into perspective.

[Pandeeria]

No. There isn't any institutional or social oppression. However, there is discrimination and this discrimination affects both men and women in different ways.

Anyone who thinks women are oppressed should spend some time in Saudi Arabia. That is true oppression.

I'm not saying there is institutional oppression anymore in the West, but saying women are only oppressed in a condition like Saudi Arabia is like saying the only real oppression of blacks was slavery.

Virtually every social group in every country faces societal issues. That doesn't mean everyone is oppressed.

[Spiffier]

I'm not saying there is institutional oppression anymore in the West, but saying women are only oppressed in a condition like Saudi Arabia is like saying the only real oppression of blacks was slavery.

Virtually every social group in every country faces societal issues. That doesn't mean everyone is oppressed.

I'm not saying there is institutional oppression anymore, I'm simply saying oppression only exists if it's like Saudi Arabia is ridiculous.

[Giovenith]

Same as what a lot of people said here: They are not outright oppressed, since "oppressed" is a very strong word, but there is still discrimination against women and men alike, and equality on paper law does not necessarily equate to equality in actual social practice.

[Costa Fierro]

No. There isn't any institutional or social oppression. However, there is discrimination and this discrimination affects both men and women in different ways.

Anyone who thinks women are oppressed should spend some time in Saudi Arabia. That is true oppression.

And the fallacy of relative privation rears its head.

Right, because whatever trivial bullshit feminists come up with that constitutes "oppression" is exactly the same as being stoned to death for being raped, or being married off as a child.

I'm not saying there is institutional oppression anymore in the West, but saying women are only oppressed in a condition like Saudi Arabia is like saying the only real oppression of blacks was slavery.

Women don't face societal oppression in the West at all. Nothing that feminists cite as symbols of oppression actually constitutes it.

[Felrik]

Yeah , I wouldn't say that women are oppressed in or out of the law, but there are several problems they face, along with men having to face different problems too.

My opinion on the Feminist Movement at the moment is, they are pretty much retards.
I mean, man spreading, mansplaining and Toxic Masculinity.