ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on consciousness-raising and feminist resistances to women’s experiences of oppression and gendered violence. In the spirit of resisting dominant gendered discourses of their times and when the singular word “women” seemed archaic, in the early twentieth century, the word “feminism” emerged from the nineteenth-century “women’s movement” (Cott, 1987, p. 3). Feminism refers to a “movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation and oppression” (bell hooks, 2000, p. viii). Oppression includes exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, cultural imperialism and violence at personal, cultural and structural levels (Mullaly, 2002). The idea of consciousness-raising was made popular by feminists in the United States of America (USA) in the 1960s and often involved women attending political self-help groups to share thoughts and feelings about being a woman, seek help, socialize with other women, be politically active and explore their sexuality (Lieberman & Bond, 1976, p. 369). Consciousness-raising groups were central to the feminist movement, which included taking turns in sharing personal stories, listening, affirming each other and recognizing gender injustices as well as collective strategizing, goal setting and taking action toward social change.
