equality feminism and difference feminism

• Equality feminism

  feminism that seeks equality for men and women in society and believes that the biological differences between men and women are inconsequential.
• Difference feminism

  feminism that argues that men and women are fundamentally different from one another.
• Essentialism

  for difference feminism this is the belief that biological factors are significant in the different behaviour of men and women.
• Cultural feminism

  A form of difference feminism that seeks to challenge the dominance of male culture in society by promoting ‘women’s values’.
• They seek equality for women in all spheres. Most of these feminists describe themselves as liberals
• difference feminists have claimed, the attributes peculiar to women, such as a caring nature, the ability to nurture the young and non-aggressiveness, are superior to male characteristics. A world dominated by women, therefore, would be a better world.
• Equality feminists argue that difference automatically leads to inequality and if there is inequality it is inevitable that men will benefit. For them, there must be equality and male superiority must be destroyed
• Difference feminists are thus often said to subscribe to a ‘pro-woman’ position, which accepts that sex differences have political and social importance. This is based on the essentialist belief that women and men are fundamentally different at a psycho-biological level.