ABSTRACT
I have argued that the conceptual coffers of the sex (biology)/gender (social) distinction were a treasure trove for research on women’s health. The distinction generated two lines of argument with two rather different research foci. While, as discussed in Chapter 3, equality feminism challenged the patriarchal equation of (biological) sex and (social) gender by drawing attention to the social nature of women’s oppression, difference or radical feminism emphasised the oppression of women through the body, or biology. Rather than claiming that women’s biology is inferior (patriarchy) or not particularly salient (equality feminism), from the perspective of ‘difference’ or radical feminism, revaluing women’s biological capacity is essential to their well-being.
