bluerotundas:

No exaggeration, I believe that the single most effective way to develop and spread feminist consciousness is to read about other women’s experiences and talk about women’s experiences among ourselves. I have never felt so compelled to act on women’s behalf as when I allowed myself to hear and empathize with the plights of other women. Acknowledging women’s stories imbues them with cultural significance and value within a larger political context. I strongly believe that a lack of real empathy among women has been encouraged by patriarchy— the struggles of other women are vague, impersonal, and largely unknown; therefore, as a class women may be dispassionate at best regarding our collective reality, or at worst, totally ignorant of any shared experience. Feminism does not need to be dispassionate to be taken seriously.