White House adviser Kellyanne Conway garnered quite a bit of controversy Thursday when she refused to call herself as a feminist “in the classic sense” because of its “anti-male” and “pro-abortion” associations.
During a talk at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Conway discussed her time in the White House with Republican President Donald Trump – who she described as a “great boss” to women – and spoke about her struggle as a working mother, offering words of advice to American women in the workplace.
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But Conway was quick to point out that she doesn’t really identify as a feminist.
“It’s difficult for me to call myself a feminist in the classic sense because it seems to be very anti-male and it certainly is very pro-abortion,” she said. “And I’m neither anti-male or pro-abortion.”
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Instead, Conway explained she believes in an “individual” or “conservative” feminism.
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“There’s an individual feminism, if you will, that you make your own choices. I look at myself as a product of my choices, not a victim of my circumstances. And that’s really clearly what conservative feminism, if you will, is all about,” Conway continued.
Social media soon erupted with reaction to Conway’s views on feminism – Merriam-Webster dictionary, which has been quick to respond to political remarks on Twitter, tweeting the definition of feminism, which reads, “the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.”
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Conway, who was raised by a single mother, explained her views on feminism stem from her upbringing, noting that her mother “didn’t complain” and relied on her own drive to raise her family.
“I was raised to be a strong and independent woman without anybody saying the word feminist or having political conversation,” she said.
Conway also criticized the women’s march that took place after Donald Trump’s inauguration adding “this presumptive negativity about women in power is very unfortunate because let’s try to access that and have a conversation about it instead of a confrontation.”
“A lot of women just have a problem with women in power,” she said.
This isn’t the first time Conway has commented on feminism. In an interview with The Washington Post in January, she said she feels like the feminist movement has been hijacked by the pro-abortion movement and slammed what she described as “anti-male sentiments you read in some of their propaganda and writings.”
“I’m not anti-male. One does not need to be pro-female and call yourself a feminist, when with it comes that whole anti-male culture where we want young boys to sit down and shut up in the classroom,” she said.
“I consider myself a postfeminist.”
– With a file from Reuters
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