an introspect: my femme-nism

an introspect: my femme-nism by: Irissa Kai written: 2016 Feminism is important. The goal? To move towards gender equality/justice for all genders. To this end, it investigates and challenges the forces that cause this injustice. However, these forces are not the same for all individuals for forces of oppression such as racism, sexism and classism intersect. When we talk about feminism, we need to be talking about each facet of feminism, not just those that are deemed socially acceptable and worthy of saving and having a place in popular culture. Thus, there is a dire need for intersectional feminism. Without intersectionality, problems of a specific subset of women or non-binary individuals go unaddressed. So with that, do we have intersectional feminism here in Singapore? I’d say not even close. The fact that the majority of the older citizens here dismiss the existence of feminism as a whole or even question the need for it shows me that there are many marginalised groups that have been kicked to the kerb. The characteristics unique to each of them are seen by the untrained eye as ‘deadweight’ and ‘too much of a problem’. Ergo, they’re left to crumble. Singapore has preached to be an egalitarian society, to be “one united people, regardless of race, language or religion”. However, it doesn’t take into account the varying configurations that make up an individual. This comprises their gender identities, sexual orientations, and personal abilities. In Singapore, there is racial, gender, economic, religious, heterosexual, able-bodied, educational privilege. Privilege; a right or immunity granted as a peculiar advantage, benefit or favour. This translates to one experiencing oppression in varying degrees of intensity. Born into a middle-class Malay-Muslim family, I’m aware of my privileges. I’m a brown, cis female. The one time I received discrimination was from a schoolmate who disinvited me, the only Malay student, from her party for fear I’d make her pool turn black. I’m also aware there are people that do not have the privilege of marriage in a predominantly heterosexual society. What is evident here is complementarianism – whereby a man and a woman hold complementary roles towards building a ‘successful’ family. Singapore has yet to recognise same-gender unions lawfully, thus denying them access to housing and other public services. Failure to accept the reality of transgender existences and the world outside the male/female binary leads to the marginalisation of many individuals. This sexism disregards each individual’s personality, likes and dislikes but instead views them through a narrow lens of the sex “M” or “F” they were assigned at birth. As a result, homophobia is given life due to the discouragement, suppression and fear it garnered. Isn’t Singapore supposed to be a melting pot? False positives have been spewed in an attempt to glorify multiculturalism and that its citizens are “colour-blind” to the world, ultimately the goal