Post-feminism is the third wave of feminism as a result of separation between feminism and postmodernism. The aim of post-feminism is to deconstruct the concept of gender equality into gender differences.
Post-feminism has donated a new idea that requires new way of thinking in the Internet era, consumerism, celebrity culture, and selfie. This concept also critizises the second feminism’s perspective about women’s sexuality and body.
"Post-feminism rejected the" politics "of the body which emphasizes the difference between the body of women from men’s. This concept reevaluates body tension between men and women and incorporates femininity as a way of being women and men," said the Philosophy lecturer at the Humanities Faculty of University of Indonesia, Gadisa Arivia, on Monday (2/5) in Post-feminism and Pop Culture discussion at the UGM Graduate School.
Gadisa said that post-feminism surfaced due to the involvement of media in the 1980s which exaggerated women’s concerns of the importance of being free and independent. When women have had everything, they became self-conscious and unhappy. Women who have had a career and education but avoid marriage become anxious. They realize their age limitations to have a child and feel uneasy after losing track of the path as a mother.
At that time, she said, massive media started to cover women who have a career but still consider marriage and family. This prompted the feminists not to fight for the rights of women anymore. The existence of bias by the media makes women's organizations interest drop dramatically and the interests of men are not disturbed. Media plays an important role in resisting the idea and promoting the term of post-feminism, which cultivates an antagonistic image to the previous generation.
Gadisa mentions that post-feminism evaluates femininity as a way of being female. Many things such as lipstick, high heels, or dressing up glamorously are not the opposite of female power. Having a sexy body is normal and can not be interpreted as disrespectful to the body, even in the media culture it has become an obsession. Obsession of body is dominant in TV programs, including in commercials.
"Feminism is basically open and continue to widen its concept. Feminists must be inclusive," she concluded.