“Until We Are All Free”: International Women’s Day
Hello, all,
Glad we’ve got some interest in the wheatgrass juicer! I’m sure it’ll end up in good hands. I forgot to put an end date on that contest, so let’s just say that I’ll announce the winner one week from today, on March 15th.
For those of you who didn’t know, today, March 8th, is International Women’s Day. In honor of the occasion, I’ve decided to devote this entire week to posts that celebrate feminism. These will range from the ideological (today’s post) to the practical (a post on my top tips for women’s health).
Choosing Raw is, naturally, a blog about food and nutrition, and for the most part I like to keep it that way. But it is also a blog that’s born of my own passions. Feminism is a passion of mine, and, as we’ll see in a moment, it’s closely intertwined with my veganism. It’s impossible to write about one without at least touching upon the other.
Many other bloggers have touched upon the link between animal rights and women’s rights, but few with the same passion as my friend Tasha, over at the Voracious Vegan. Tasha will be posting a number of women’s themed posts this week, but it’ll hardly be a departure for her, since Tasha’s posts are always mindful of the struggles that women endure around the world, and the grievances that befall animals in captivity. Tasha often links to articles of special interest to women, for which I’m grateful: just last week, she sent me over to Jessica Valenti’s latest reminder that feminism is ongoing.
A few weeks ago, as I emailed Tasha to tell her that I was planning on reading The Sexual Politics of Meat, and she responded with enthusiasm. It occured to me that she might be just the person to say a few words to my readers about the link between feminism and veganism–a link that’s obvious once you’ve considered it, but may be a little elusive until you do. In many ways, this link is metaphorical, but I believe that metaphors, images, and language have real social and psychological consequences. To point out, then, that women and animals are both commodified in advertising, or to point out that many deragatory names for women are often animal names, is no abstract observation: these comparisons have a very real impact on human attitudes, and it’s from those attitudes that action, policy, and law are formed.
Changes in attitude mean changes in the treatment of all sentient beings. Let’s start changing our attitudes now. On that note, I’ll turn it over to Tasha.
None of Us are Free, Until We are All Free
Thank you, Gena, for asking me to do a guest post about one of my favorite topics: the connection between veganism and feminism. This subject is very close to my heart: if I were asked to describe myself, two of the first terms I would use are feminist and vegan. These two words describe so much of who I am, from the way I view the world to the career path that I have taken. Unfortunately, these days feminism is seen as either irrelevant, or as the exclusive provenance of hairy legged man haters. But this stereotype is just as ridiculous as thinking that all vegans are pale weaklings who exist on nothing more than wilted lettuce. The fact that feminism can be seen as irrelevant in a world where 1 out of 3 women will be raped in her lifetime, where we earn 25% less than men do for performing the same job, where we grow 70% of all the world’s food but own less than 2% of its land, and where we are still nowhere near adequately represented in any of the world’s governments, is truly shocking to me.
I have been a feminist since the day I was born, but I have only been a vegan for about 3 years now. My husband and I took the vegan plunge immediately after watching the film Meet Your Meat, and we haven’t looked back since. As I became more involved in animal rights activism and being a vegan advocate, I found that the philosophy of my new beliefs sprung easily and directly from my much loved feminist principles. I quickly realized that the current economic and socio-political system that benefits from the oppression of women, also benefits from the oppression of animals. The connection between the two philosophies is staggering to me now in its clarity, but it wasn’t always, and it isn’t always to most people, so today I’d like to share it with you all as I now understand it.
As I see things, the same mindset that allows men to objectify, abuse, and exploit women is the same mindset that allows human beings to objectify, abuse, and exploit animals. Both are founded on a capacity to objectify and dehumanize a sentient being. Both serve human–specifically male–consumption, either literal or figurative. Beyond that, there are some very actual similarities in visuals and marketing aids that depict women and slaughterhouse animals to the world at large. Thing about magazine adds for lingerie, male cologne, or even certain foods; now think about food ads. Women’s bodies are constantly broken down into their various parts–breasts, flat stomach, legs–to be admired or used or “consumed” (figuratively); animal parts are likewise often pictured as things to be broken down and consumed (literally this time). Given nicknames like chicks, bitches, cougars, cows, or bunnies, women are frequently compared to animals in a way that is meant to be dehumanizing. Just like animals, women have historically been seen as property. And just like animals, we are often seen as not being smart enough to take care of ourselves, and in need of constant guidance and protection. This, in turn, leads to us being used without our consent, and to be treated as creatures unworthy of a voice, an opinion, or control of our own lives.
Women and female animals of any species are often valued only for their reproductive capabilities, and thus they’re often discarded or marginalized as soon as their productivity declines. While all animals, male and female, suffer in animal agriculture, the females of the species usually suffer the most severe and protracted abuse because they can reproduce. Dairy cows are forcibly impregnated (with a piece of farm equipment known as a ‘rape-rack’) at a sickening rate to keep them perpetually pregnant so they can produce milk. They are never allowed to nurture or love their newborn babies, because the calves are typically sent to veal farms within hours of birth. When the dairy cow’s bodies inevitably give out, exhausted by the constant cycle of birth and grief, they are sent to the slaughterhouse to be killed. Laying hens (even those labeled with the marketing myth ‘free-range’ or ‘cage-free’) spend their entire lives in cages less than 2 feet wide. They are put through a torturous cycle of starvation and perpetual darkness to artificially augment their egg-laying cycles. After one short year, their bodies are so broken down that they are sent to the slaughterhouse. Female pigs are confined to gestation crates immediately after giving birth, where they are permanently separated from their children by metal bars and only allowed to nurse for a few weeks. While their babies are then taken away to be slaughtered, the mothers are impregnated again, to start the cycle of pain and loss once more. All of these animals are treated so cruelly because of their capacity to give birth and sustain life. As a woman and a feminist, I demand the right to protect my body from reproductive exploitation, and I want the same for all the females on earth, no matter what the species.
Another core part of my feminist beliefs–but also a part of my general humanity and compassion–is that I advocate for food justice for everyone. I see a healthy, adequate diet as an inalienable right for every human being. This egalitarian distribution of food will never be possible until we move away from eating meat and shift our focus to a plant based diet. Converting farmed animals into food for humans to eat is an extremely inefficient use of our planet’s resources. When millions around the world struggle to find enough food just to survive, this seems almost criminal. 70% of those living in absolute poverty are women, and when we are using 70% of our planet’s agricultural land to grow food to feed to livestock, it is a ghastly misuse of our resources. While food for a vegan can be produced on only 1/6 of an acre of land, it takes 3 and 1/4 acres of land to produce enough food for a meat-eater. If you add up all the arable land on the planet and divided it equally, every human would get 2/3 of an acre—more than enough to sustain a vegan diet, but not nearly enough to sustain a meat based one. It takes 16 pounds of grain to produce just 1 pound of edible animal flesh. Imagine how many people could be fed if we would eat the grain directly instead of funneling it through animals first.
And of course, I can’t overlook the fact that eating animals also contributes to some early deaths of both men and women. A diet high in animal products has been conclusively linked to heart disease, many types of cancer, and stroke, which are the top 3 killers in the developed world. A high rate of dairy consumption has been linked to osteoporosis and breast cancer, diseases that rob many women of years of their lives. These illnesses have also been shown to be in great part preventable, and in many cases, reversible, with the adoption of a plant based diet. I view my health as a valuable resource in the exhausting struggle towards female equality, and I need all the strength I can get to fight the good fight. If most of us women are dying from easily preventable illnesses, where is the liberation in that?
Whenever we see another animal, human or not, as unworthy of our compassion and respect, we can then begin to use them and abuse them without a second thought. This lack of connection to other living creatures, the denial of their basic right to live a life of their own choosing, creates a vicious cycle of anger and violence. When we sit down to meals based on the exploitation and abuse of other living creatures, it deadens the compassionate part of our nature, and allows us to more easily overlook violence, degradation and oppression among our own species. For women worldwide, these abuses still include rape culture, domestic abuse, female genital mutilation, the feminization of poverty, gender apartheid, and the denial of reproductive justice and bodily autonomy.
Each of our actions represents a choice made, and I want all of my choices to be consistent. I would never want someone to have control over my life or my body, or that of any of my fellow sisters (or brothers). I fight the notion that I am not as smart or as capable as a man, or that I am less deserving of pay, respect, or justice. The fact that I am a woman should not lower my inherent human value, or cause me to be used as a piece of property. That’s why I call myself a feminist.
And if I desire this freedom and respect for myself, then isn’t it natural to feel that, on some level, every living creature desires the same thing? Isn’t the will to live what drives all of us on this planet, human and animal alike? And shouldn’t the encouragement of life be our goal? That is why I call myself a vegan. Feminism and veganism are two interconnected pieces of one unifying belief: “Until we are all free, we are none of us free.” (Emma Lazarus)
Natasha Burge is a lifelong expat and globe-trotting political scientist currently living in Saudi Arabia with her 4 dogs, 2 cats, 1 horse, and 1 husband . She is passionate about animals, veganism, politics, feminism, and chocolate. Natasha works as a women’s rights educator, writer, and renegade vegan baker.
* * * * *
Thank you so much, Tasha, for that inspiring and very passionate post. I hope that, regardless of how you choose to eat and how you choose to relate to feminism, this post gives you some interesting food for thought. If you’re keen on reading more of Tasha’s work, please check out her blog; today, she happens to have posted a short film called Why Feminism? that helps cover the basics of why feminism and women’s rights are still so necessary to her (and to me).
Expect more celebration of women’s rights for the week to come, along with some food, of course. For now, I wish you all a fabulous start to your Mondays!
xo
49 Responses to ““Until We Are All Free”: International Women’s Day”
Comments
Read below or add a comment...
Leave A Comment...
Testimonials
–Lyn D., MarylandBefore I started working with Gena, I wasn’t sure whether it would be worth it, since I knew what I “should” be doing. Her counseling, however, turned out to be a key factor in my success.
Not only does she have great advice when I am struggling, but her realistic approach helped me make major changes despite having no time and limited funds. Her recipes and ideas are for real people with lives beyond their diets, and they are great. Gena is down to earth and non-judgmental. She strikes a great balance between encouraging me to go a little father but to keep things in perspective and have fun with the process.
Read more >>
FAQ
So where do you get your protein?Ah, the million dollar question. I know that my fellow raw foodists are uttering a collective sigh of frustration with me. But it’s inevitable, so here goes:
I get my protein from a wide array of vegetables, sea vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes. The notion that we need to supplement our diet with large amounts of protein, especially in the form of animal products, is mistaken: our bodies are capable of assembling amino acids from all of the foods we eat and building the “complete proteins” that we’ve all been told we need to get in a single sitting.
Read More >>
Recommendations
Juicer (average $50.00 - $500.00)If you’re like me, and juicing is a crucial part of your lifestyle, then the cost of a juicer will absolutely be worth it! It will buy itself back again and again and again. The juicer I recommend is the Breville Two-Speed Juice Fountain Plus. It’s the only juicer I’ve ever owned, and it has never let me down. I recommend you invest in a juicer that has at least this level of performance in order to juice leafy greens.
Some of you have asked me whether it’s wiser to buy a juicer or a Vitamix.
Read More
Great read!
Definitely helps to assure me that my transition into veganism is the right thing to do- originally it was more for my own health reasons, but lately I’ve been reading up a lot on how become vegan can help living beings and the environment, which is very motivating.
You are so inspiring, Gena. Happy Women’s Day to YOU!!!
What a fantastic article — thank you both so much for this great read. The feminist critique of these animal abuse industries is something every woman (and man) should read. I’m even more proud to be vegan on days like today.
Thank you for honouring International Women’s Day!
Brilliant! This is so fascinating & thought provoking. Thanks, Gena & Natasha!
This is really fascinating…I stopped eating meat (except fish) after reading Skinny Bitch. I thank God every day that I read that book because it opened up my eyes to the plight of these poor animals. I could never, ever eat meat again, and I don’t eat dairy either.
Thank you for a great post Tasha and Gena!
As an developmental and agricultural economist who works with farmers, I have to point out that “While food for a vegan can be produced on only 1/6 of an acre of land, it takes 3 and 1/4 acres of land to produce enough food for a meat-eater” only applies to industrial agriculture. The animals the farmers I work with forage on land unsuitable for vegetable and grain crops. Growing those crops on this land would destroy the soil. Besides that, you need fertilizer to grow vegetables and grains…there is no fertilizer that approaches manure in efficiency.
Industrial ag, both animal and vegetable, is destructive to the planet. I read raw vegan blogs because I am interesting in grain free cuisine utilizing perennials, as I think that’s the most sustainable and healthful way.
Anyway, while I agree there are lots of ethical reasons to go vegan, I’m kind of tried of hearing factoids like this pass as facts. It obscures the complexity of food problems and makes people think that Boca burgers are sustainable agriculture. I think the same about equating women’s rights with animal’s rights.
The stance taken by the author doesn’t take into consideration of pastured animals. She only focused on the problems of conventionally produced animals.
Thanks again, Gena! It was an honor to do this post.
Melissa and Annie, thank you so much for your thoughtful comments. I agree, food insecurity is an extremely complex issue. There is no single solution, but I do believe switching to a sustainable plant based diet is a necessity. No boca burgers needed!
I am often told that we can find a solution to the environmental impact of animal agriculture by switching to a free-range/grass fed system. However, I think this solution overlooks the fact that there really isn’t room on this earth to pasture raise the 50 billion animals we currently slaughter every year. There are simply too many farmed animals and not enough land.
Additionally, research is showing that grass fed beef is much worse for the environment than previously thought. Soil depletion, pollution of the waterways, destruction of native plants, eradication of native fauna, and soil compaction is just the beginning. Factory farmed or free-range, there is no way our planet can sustain the current slaughter of 50 billion animals a year.
Thanks for responding in such a constructive matter.
Idealistically, switching from conventionally raised meats to pastured/grassfed meats would led to less animals being killed. That is because pastured/grassfed meats takes a lot of resources to raise and is also expensive, which would lead to less purchases made.
I do agree with the need for a plant based diet, however ethically raised animals can have a place in one’s life.
Recently, I have been reading about how some raw vegans and vegans are adding back animal proteins back to their diet. It makes me question whether a raw vegan/vegan/raw diet are the most idealistically diets to pursue, especially since the diets are the on the opposite spectrum of the Nourishing Traditions diet.
Hi Annie!
I responded to that trend in this post. My basic feeling is that many of those who are leaving raw veganism had taken the “raw” part to what I consider a difficult to maintain extreme, and one that was/is not nutritionally ideal for many people. A well balanced vegan diet can prevent many of the pitfalls that, from my understanding, were being experienced.
Gena
Nithing thanks for responding so constructively! People thinking hard about food is always a good thing!
Wow… so, I didn’t think I was a feminist until I read this post. I just read an article this morning that mentioned the fact that women grown a large amount of our food yet own a much smaller percentage of our land. (Number vary depending on sources.) I haven’t said it on my blog, because I am always hesitant to out myself, but I’ve also been going more and more vegan the last few weeks. This post was really interesting – I never really thought of feminism in this way before. Thanks Gena and Tasha
Just wow, what an amazingly powerful post. Very interesting and thought provoking as usual.
I can relate to so many points and feminism in general. Thanks.
This is so interesting, I’ve never thought about the connections before. I’ll definitely be checking out Tasha’s other work. Thanks for giving me something new to think about!
Great post, Gena and Tasha! I agree very much with what you both have wrote and I love hearing about other’s connection between veganism and feminism. I’m proud to call myself both a feminist and a vegan, as well!
What a wonderful post! I definitely feel like I just had an “Aha!” moment and can’t believe it’s taken me so long to realize how interconnected feminism and veganism are. I’ve been a feminist since I can remember, became a vegetarian in the eighth grade and have been transitioning to veganism over the last year. I have always had animal rights and environmental concern in mind when thinking of the reasons I am a vegetarian, but hadn’t truly made the connection between feminism and veganism until reading this post today. It’s all making sense now
Thank you Tasha and Gena!
Gena, I’ve been following your blog for a few months now and adding more and more raw meals to my diet (and feeling more and more amazing). Your blog is such a wonderful wealth of information and draws such an intelligent, open-minded community. I love the range of readers here. I had to finally comment and let you know that I was in NYC this past weekend and took my fiance, brother and mom to Pure Food and Wine… it was delicious! So awesome to see my omnivorous family oooohing and ahhhing over a raw dinner! Keep up the wonderful and thoughtful posts!
Let’s not let anyone think it’s okay to say “I’m not a feminist.” It’s equally as important today as it ever was to not abandon the concept of feminism. Being a feminist is a process that must be ever-evolving. We need to keep striving for equality in this always changing and in-motion world. We can’t just stop and assume that the problem is fixed. Let’s make sure all men and women alike all around the world can proudly say “I am a feminist” and mean it, and understand the implications of what they are saying. The same goes for all oppressed groups. We need to continuously and actively do all in our power to promote equality everyday.
Yay for bringing up this discussion.
Great post, Gena and Tasha! Thank you both for sharing with us, and I look forward to the rest of the week’s entries. We briefly touched on the relationship between veganism and femanism in a course I took in college, but I want to learn more!
Yea for this post! Tasha’s so right about the connections. I don’t really see words like cougar, bitch (because its been reclaimed), etc. as demeaning though. But I agree with everything else!
This is a touching post and an issue that’s close to all of us, whether we know it or not.
On a side note, I’ve looked to your blog for raw tips, advice, and discussion over the last year and I am excited to share that I’m now hosting a RAW promotion/FREEBIE code on my blog for Love Street Living Foods (raw/organic/vegan)! Hope you can check it out and take advantage of the discount. Thanks for the inspiration.
Gena, you are one of the women i admire the most,
congratulations! happy women’s day!
Wonderful Post! I was just discussing the Sexual Politics of Meat with a friend I shall have to pass along your very articulate connections! It’s so important to find a way to make clear the connections that seem the easiest and clearest because I think these are often the hardest for those on the other side to understand.
Beautiful. Gobbled up every word.
XOXO,
Kristen
The passion in this post is blinding! This is a really well formed argument and it takes me back to my women’s studies courses from college–a reminder I could definitely use! I used to be full of knowledge that informed my social existence for the better, and I hate to think that I’ve let that disintegrate, so I appreciate this post.
Thanks for this powerful post! As some others pointed out, it seems like animals are an important part of growing crops in a (more) sustainable fashion- but that doesn’t mean we have to treat them cruelly, or even kill them! I stand wholeheartedly against the objectification and subjugation of all living creatures…
Oh wow. I honestly really enjoyed this post. I can’t agree any more!
I like the point where she pointed out how society (men) treat animals and women in a similar way, due to their ability to reproduce. I really thought that was a good point, and this week, I would like to stand up as a strong woman and not be washed up by the modern society where “men dominates”. thank you
I don’t know if this is off-topic, but what do you think about some pro-veg institutions using sex and stereotypes to supposedly support the animals? Even if I am “for” the message they are promoting–at least to some extent (i.e., against animal cruelty)–it still bothers me that they see it fit to demean and reduce women in this way just to get people to notice their advertisement.
Tasha and Gena, two of my fave ladies teaming up…wow. Perfect.
As was your post, Tasha. Amazing, as usual.
Excellent post! Thank you for that!
With all of these convincing arguments and clear evidence for health benefits, I wish we would see people moving more quickly in this direction… industries and people’s habits are very hard to change.
One first step could be to make make hospital food vegetarian. We serve our sick patients meat-oriented and unhealthy food…(not to mention the fact that most health providers eat this way as well).
This was a great post. I am very inspired to rethink where I can more closely align myself with the vegan lifestyle. The treatment of animals continues to horrify me.
Thanks for bringing attention to this day Gena. I love your feminist passion–fervent, but accessible and compelling.
You know I loved this, Gena! Also: The Sexual Politics of Meat changed my life in so many ways, and while I didn’t go vegan for many years after reading it (and I still struggle with veganism and have abandoned it a few times, to always come back to it) it was such a powerful book that I think anyone, ESPECIALLY feminists and veg folks, should read it. Can’t wait to see all the posts this week!
Excellent post, Tasha! Very poignant, so well written, and moving. I was nearly in tears by the end of it. Sending it to everyone I know and care about.
Thank you, Gena and Tasha, for being strong women and role-models, and having something intelligent to say on your blogs!
FANTASTIC! Thanks to you both.
Awesome & inspiring post!
Happy International Women’s Day/week to you both!
Wonderful post. Things like this need plenty of attention. We are so lucky to have your voice, Gena!!!
xoxoxoxoxo
So glad I saw a link to this from the Salad Girl. Love this post. Never thought about feminism and veganism being related. Quite inspiring!
awesome post! an unfair amount of animal exploitation is of the female sex. sad.
I wish there were a few references/ citations to support all the huge broad brush statements… Interesting post, but I’m not sure how I feel about cow’s having a pain and loss cycle. I think ramblings like the above make vegans/ femminists sound a little … over the top ?
Hi Mary,
I apologize for not including citations for the facts and statistics I stated in the above ‘ramblings’. All of the resources you are looking for can either be found under the Links section of my blog, The Voracious Vegan, or with the most cursory of google searches.
GREAT post. You are inspiring me to the tipping point from long-time vegetarian to vegan.
1 million thanks!
Tasha,
This is incredibly well-written and very compelling. Thank you for highlighting the amazing connection between veganism and feminism.
Well done!