Atheist feminism combines the principles of feminism and atheism, advocating for women's rights while rejecting religious beliefs. Proponents argue that religion plays a significant role in perpetuating female oppression and inequality, viewing many religious traditions as inherently sexist and restrictive towards women.
In June 2011, at the World Atheist Convention, Rebecca Watson addressed sexism within the atheist movement. Following her talk, she described an incident where a man in an elevator invited her to his room for coffee at 4 a.m., which she deemed inappropriate due to the context. Watson advised men to avoid such behavior, sparking intense debate online. The discussion escalated into polarized arguments, with some resorting to personal attacks and threats against Watson.
The controversy, later known as "Elevatorgate," intensified when Richard Dawkins criticized Watson's response, calling it an overreaction and contrasting it with the severe oppression faced by women in Islamic countries. His comments further fueled an extended online flame war, predominantly within the atheist blogosphere, though it also gained coverage in mainstream media.
↑ Contribution of Ernestine Rose
Ernestine Rose, born in Poland in 1810, was the first known feminist and atheist, openly rejecting Judaism as a teenager. She defied her father, a rabbi, by challenging a forced betrothal in a secular court, which she won. Moving to England in 1829, she co-founded the British atheist group Association of All Classes of All Nations in 1835, advocating for universal human rights. Relocating to America in 1836, she became a prominent lecturer on women's rights, abolition, and civil liberties.
In 1838, Rose initiated the first women's petition drive in New York, championing the Married Women’s Property Act, which passed in 1848. Her activism inspired figures like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who credited her ideas on religion and democracy as foundational to the Seneca Falls Convention. Rose continued to fight for women's suffrage, opposing the use of religious texts to justify women's rights, asserting they were based on "laws of humanity."
A frequent speaker at conventions, Rose was elected president of the National Women’s Rights Convention in 1854 despite objections to her atheism, with Anthony defending her inclusion. She joined pivotal movements like the Women’s National Loyal League and the National Woman Suffrage Association, advocating equal rights until her death in England in 1892 at age 82.
↑ Contribution of other great womens
In the 1800s, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Matilda Joslyn Gage were notable advocates for feminism who challenged Christianity. Stanton, in her 1885 essay Has Christianity Benefited Woman?, argued that religion had harmed women's rights, asserting that all religions reinforced male superiority and female subordination. Similarly, Gage's 1893 book Woman, Church, and State identified Christianity as a major obstacle to women's progress and societal advancement.
Stanton further critiqued religious teachings in The Woman’s Bible (1895 and 1898), condemning the Bible for degrading women throughout its text. Both women were instrumental in connecting feminist thought with critiques of religion, with Stanton passing away in 1902.
↑ Modern era
Atheist feminist Anne Nicol Gaylor was a prominent figure in both the atheist and feminist movements. In 1976, she co-founded the Freedom From Religion Foundation with her daughter, Annie Laurie Gaylor, and served as editor of Freethought Today from 1984 to 2009. Gaylor's work included writing Woe To The Women: The Bible Tells Me So (1981), which critiques sexism in the Bible, and Women Without Superstition: "No Gods, No Masters" (1997), the first collection of writings by female freethinkers. She also authored several articles on religion's negative impact on women.
Other notable atheist feminists today include Ophelia Benson, Amanda Marcotte, and Taslima Nasrin. Sikivu Hutchinson, in her book Moral Combat, addresses the intersection of atheism, gender politics, and racial justice, focusing on the experiences of African-American women. Her approach challenges mainstream atheist feminism by examining how religious hierarchies intersect with imperialism, capitalism, and segregation.
Inna Shevchenko of FEMEN has also spoken out against religion as a major obstacle to women's liberation. At the Secular Conference in 2017, she emphasized the need for religious figures to acknowledge the harm their doctrines have caused to women. Additionally, the Women in Secularism conference, first held in 2012, and the movement Atheism Plus, founded by Jey McCreight in the same year, have both contributed to discussions about integrating secularism with social issues like sexism, racism, and political justice.
↑ Conclusion
Atheism and feminism, when combined, form a powerful critique of both religious authority and gender-based oppression. The historical and contemporary movements within atheist feminism have demonstrated how religion often serves as a tool for perpetuating inequality, particularly for women. By advocating for secularism and gender justice, atheist feminists continue to challenge traditional norms and offer new ways of thinking about power, equality, and human rights. The ongoing contributions of figures like Gaylor, Hutchinson, and Shevchenko reveal that the fight for women's rights is far from over, and a secular, feminist future remains a crucial goal. The intersectionality of these movements highlights the need for inclusive activism that considers both the social impact of religion and the complex realities faced by women in a variety of cultural and racial contexts.
Wilfredo Huppert
Wilfredo Huppert is a war journalist with 25 years of experience. He has spent most of his life in military journalism, wars and military-political conflicts, treason investigations and much more.