Women and the Animal Rights Movement
Emily Gaarder
Language: English
Pages: 176
ISBN: 081354968X
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Animal rights is one of the fastest growing social movements today. Women greatly outnumber men as activists, yet surprisingly, little has been written about the importance and impact of gender on the movement. Women and the Animal Rights Movement combats stereotypes of women activists as mere sentimentalists by exploring the political and moral character of their advocacy on behalf of animals.
Emily Gaarder analyzes the politics of gender in the movement, incorporating in-depth interviews with women and participant observation of animal rights organizations, conferences, and protests to describe struggles over divisions of labor and leadership. Controversies over PETA advertising campaigns that rely on women's sexuality to "sell" animal rights illustrate how female crusaders are asked to prioritize the cause of animals above all else. Gaarder underscores the importance of a paradigm shift in the animal liberation movement, one that seeks a more integrated vision of animal rights that connects universally to other issues--gender, race, economics, and the environment--highlighting that many women activists recognize and are motivated by the connection between the oppression of animals and other social injustices.
“natural nurturing” but to personal experience—that she had been abused as a child (and had watched animals be abused). It’s not hard to understand why Cassandra believed women might be more naturally drawn to the suffering of animals: that was her experience as an abuse survivor. “I have parts of me that really want to make up to the animal population in general,” she said. Her animal activism came into focus as personal catharsis, but also as a larger political awakening about peace and justice
have any one thing.” Another popular term was “animal activist.” Women had multiple ways to describe their beliefs and their work; they chose among these labels depending on the context and conversational partner. As Abby explained: “I’m very wary of how I put things and how I say things. If I’m not talking to anyone who’s in the animal rights movement, I word it in a different way.” The term “animal rights” is prone to misconceptions and negative stereotypes. While the term “human rights” often
out: “That’s why so many of these guys are probably leaders of the movement, because they were the ones going to jail. . . . These guys will do big macho heroic things, like break into labs and get documents and film.” Lola placed a high value on the most radical tactics of the animal rights movement because she believed these tactics “put us on the map,” she said. “I think that’s what made people take us seriously as a cause. Knowing that people will risk going to prison for liberating animals
cruelty, most women viewed empathy as integral to the moral foundation of their activist work. Challenging narrow views of ethical formation, their selfunderstanding and identity as activists suggest that “reason and emotion work together” (Luke 1995, 292). They saw themselves as informed individuals who were also passionate about violence and cruelty toward animals. 6 VVVVVVVVVV “The Animals Come First” Using Sex(ism) to Sell Animal Rights Just because people are animal rights activists
anything about feminism.” Amie recommended an approach to the women’s movement that would begin by indicating interest and support for feminist issues. Feminists for Animal Rights (FAR), for example, reached out to women’s organizations through the issue of domestic abuse. One of FAR’s projects was the Companion Animal Rescue Effort program (CARE), which established a nationwide network of individuals and agencies that provide resources to women and companion animals experiencing domestic abuse