INDIGENOUS WOMEN & WOMEN OF COLOUR: EFFECTS OF WHITE FEMINISM

Indigenous Women & Women of Colour: Effects of White Feminism

Semran Zulfiqar

WOMN1600 D01

28 June 2019
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Indigenous Women & Women of Colour: Effects of White Feminism

Summary

The report “Race, Indigeneity and Feminism” explores the association between the theory

of race through the past procedures of colonialism and enslavement, especially looking into the

diplomacy of race and depiction, the connection between race and culture and the distinct

consequences of the depiction of race and the concept of culture on women of different races.

The author, Carmela Murdocca (2017) analyses the association of racialization and

colonialization.

Murdocca illustrates the critical effect of colonialism on race and its portrayal. Apart

from the collection of assets, understanding colonialism requires cultural demonstration

regarding origination of theories and portrayal of race. Further, Chandra Mohanty examines the

portrayal of women from poor countries in western feminist literature (as cited in Murdocca,

2017, p.41). Western feminist often depicts these women as sexually persecuted. Inclusion like

these has caused explicit muting of women of colour. Murdocca (2017) proposes the need to

dismiss the universalization of the classification of "woman" (common in standard white

feminism) and to address the connections between women's battles past the bounds of the

country state (p.42).

The author demonstrates the association between culture and race and adverse effects of

this representation of race and the theory of culture on women from various races. The

culturalization of racism relates to the manners by which utilization of “culture” as a

doublespeak for deceptive types of racism. However, the objective is to not let it disguise the true

encounter of sexism and racism in women’s life. Murdocca (2017) notes the depiction of

indigenous race as uncivilized under which justification of mass murders of indigenous people
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and taking away their property is given (p.44). The intricacy of the worldly encounters of women

of colour, Indigenous women, and other marginalized women guided numerous women's activist

scholars of colour to grow new theoretical and systematic apparatuses to "voice" ordinary and

chronicled realities and to represent the preclusion of their encounters by standard women's

movements.

Murdocca reports the defines racialization with respect to colonialism. Racialization

refers to the process of domination and subjugation because of race. Colonialism creates dual

worlds where different types of predominance and subjugation builds monetary, societal and

political links. Fanon outlines dual world like a Manichean world; Manichean alludes to spiritual

or theoretical biformity (as cited in Murdocca, 2017, p.43). This dualism bisects mankind in

humans and sub-humans, where the dominating group considers themselves as human and

inferior group sub-human. Murdocca (2017) points out that the process of racialization assists us

to learn the theory of race and the authority that supports the establishment of information on

race (p.43). All organizations, societal arrangements and mechanism of portrayal are embedded

by these processes of racialization and the notions about race.

The report “Transnational Feminism” reveals the difference between global feminism and

transnational feminism. The author, Corinne L. Mason (2017) further assess the essential

challenges of transnational feminist; migration and violence against women with respect to

globalization.

Mason discloses the distinction between transnational feminism and global feminism.

Transnational feminism is frequently considered as a substitution for global feminism.

Conversely, transnational feminism plans to tackle with all the complex aspect of the global

feminism. The literature suggests that women globally can associate with each other if feminist
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studies, women’s problems on country at a time. The globalizing of women and gender syllabus

restricts concentration on only few topics. Mason reports one of the main goals of transnational

feminist is to decolonize the curriculum. In the global feminist method teaches students to

figuratively explore the world and discover the intensity of patriarchy and sexism in Other

cultures and compare it to your culture. Mason (2017) describes how global feminist think of

Muslim traditions as oppressive to women and claim that women forcibly wear veils (p.71).

Whereas, transnational feminist emerges out from concepts of multicultural feminism, women of

colour feminism, etc.

The author speculates migration as one of the main issues of transnational feminism. One

of the main concerns, according to transnational feminist is strict border security in the western

world, where people face racist remarks and unfair stopping due to their race. Whereas in the

poor nations due to persecution and poverty around them migrate towards areas with better living

conditions. Due to this global economic structuring, many women are now in the workforce. Due

to hectic schedules and not being able to work at home, people hire cheap labour to attend to

their kids, folks and the house. Countries like Canada and USA are main people shaping this

transnational displacement of people. Due the Canadian government Live-in caregiver program,

now families have the choice to hire cheap foreign workers to take care of their children. Mason

(2017) states that since this program is accessible transnationally, third world countries are

advertising their women as most inexpensive and efficient labour (p.73).

Mason highlights globalization and its adverse effect on violence on women as one of

issue transnational feminist are looking into. Due to globalization, women are increasingly

working in export manufacturing. These Export Processing Zones (EPZ) even though are helping

women economically it is also connected with persecution of women in a very complex way.
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Staudt reports that since 1993 around 370 women are killed around the EPZ in Mexico named

maquiladoras (as cited in Mason, 2017, p.78). According to transnational feminist, these acts of

violence signify both the domestic indications of patriarchy and transnational political and

monetary powers that sustain these intertwined violent regimes.

Integration

Murdocca report the dehumanizing treatment with women of colour and indigenous

women, especially treated like they are sub-humans and the way in which white feminism does

not assist these women. CBC indigenous panelist in a Live Q&A further confirms the statements

made by Murdocca. They discuss the way in which Indian Act is deep-rooted with patriarchy,

capitalism and colonialism as it states that an Indian woman loses her Indian status if she marries

a non-Indian man. They highlight that white feminism does not aid marginalized women in a

favourable manner. They mention regarding the assassinated and missing indigenous women and

nothing is done to resolve this huge indigenous issue. Both the author and panelist, the

mistreatment indigenous women face due to the deep connection between colonialism and race

and culture overall.

Mason reports migration as an issue of transnational feminism and the Canadian

government itself has encouraged it especially regarding the Live-in caregiver’s program. The

documentary “Status Quo: The unfinished business of feminism in Canada” further explains the

way through which Live-in caregiver program, globally exploit women’s labour by

overburdening domestic worker from other countries through Canadian state policies. Moreover,

the documentary discusses the way structurally the relationship between the employers and

domestic workers allows them to exploit the workers (Din & Cho, 2012). Mason introduces the
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migration as an issue and Din & Cho further assists to prove that migration is a big issue and the

way it adversely effect women from other countries.

Question/Reactions.

Both Murdocca and Mason addresses the issues faced by women of colour and

indigenous women. Through reading Murdocca and Mason’s report, the readers are encouraged

to look at the how indigenous women and women of colour are not supported through typical

white feminism. It encourages people to look at the adverse effect of racialization and

colonialism on women of colour. Murdocca and Mason both establish a valid point regarding the

protection of white women from the effects of colonialism. It makes an individual wonder what

can be done to decolonize the feminist theories to make more generalised for women of all

colour.
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References

Murdocca, C. (2017). Race, Indigeneity and Feminism. Feminist Issue: Race, Class and

Sexuality (6th ed., pp.35-57). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Canada Inc.

Mason, C. L. (2017). Transnational Feminism. Feminist Issue: Race, Class and Sexuality (6th

ed., pp.62-85). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Canada Inc.

Monkman, L. (Interviewer), Spillett, T. (Interviewee), Recollet, K. (Interviewee) & Huard, A.

(Interviewee). (2017). Live Q&A: Indigenous Feminism [Interview video]. Retrieved

from CBC News website: https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/indigenous-feminism-

facebook-live-panel-1.4428484

Din, R. (Producer), & Cho, K. (Director). (2012). Status Quo: The unfinished business of

feminism in Canada [Online Documentary]. Canada: National Film Board of Canada.