'Yes, Trump's victory is a blow to feminism'

I'm devastated that someone as dreadful as Trump will be sitting in the White House. It is nothing but horrifying that a man who can spout so much misogynistic and racist rhetoric could be a leader of any kind. It would have been quite something to have a woman POTUS, but let's be honest. There is nothing in Hillary's active political career to demonstrate that she would have served the interest of all US citizens as President. For all we know, Hillary's appointment would have done little to further the interests of minorities, barring perhaps wealthy white women. Being a woman doesn't automatically qualify someone to get my feminist vote. If Clinton cared deeply about women's rights, would her policies have had such a devastating effect on black and brown women abroad and in the US? If Hillary cared about inequality, wouldn't she have distanced herself from corporate America rather than spending decades of her time profiting along with them? How can I reconcile myself to this? Was she the better of two evils in this presidential race? I have no doubt about that. She doesn't openly advocate regressive views about women, nor did she engage in hate speech about entire ethnic communities at any of her rallies. She's pro-choice and has expressed support for gay marriage. But there's something deeply insidious (and mistrustful) about her Right of Left leanings. Republicans can't support her, and jaded Democrats won't. Why would they? She's actively gunned for welfare measures that led to a 100 per cent increase in the number of people in extreme poverty (earning less than the $3 a day). The Democrats committed a huge blunder by making Hillary their presidential candidate. She is a privileged, college-educated member of the elite who publicly and patronisingly sympathises with the plight of the masses while privately selling out the poor and the working class to corporate power and lobbyists. Americans know this. American women know this. American non-white women know this. The feminist struggle is pointless if it limits itself to tackling only one type of oppression. Class and race-based systems of oppression have to be dismantled along with patriarchy. For feminists who have never experienced these dimensions of oppression, it is convenient to overlook their devastating impact and endorse a candidate who has perpetuated so many violent policies against women of colour (both within and outside America). As a brown, working woman, I can't. We're beyond the feminist timeline of voting for women just because they're women. In today's world, feminist identities are not as shallow or fragile as that. The bottom line is, I disagree with Hillary's policies. Her gender is inconsequential. Just as being a woman doesn't automatically qualify someone to get my feminist endorsement - being a man doesn't disqualify someone from getting my feminist support. Earlier this year, I was hoping the Democratic ticket would go to Bernie Sanders -someone who could really challenge the status quo. He has a record of advocating for the working class. People believed him when he said he would take on corporate power, speak up for what's right and bridge inequalities. It's never just been lip service for the sake of votes. Can the same be said of Hillary? By those parameters, Sanders has always been a bigger champion of women's rights than Hillary. His candidature would have been a true challenge to the Right wing. Trump's victory is being called the revenge of the lower classes. His endorsement is a damning indictment of the American people. On the one hand it has exposed just how loud the voices of the racists and sexists are; on the other it has exposed Hillary and her privileged ilk - and just how disconnected they are from the distresses of the disenfranchised. As a feminist, I cannot be happy about Trump's victory. Nor can I feel sad for Hillary, whose own brand of feminism is non-inclusive. Feminism belongs to all of us and is not just the privilege of wealthy white women who continue to profit from corporate capitalism and US imperialism. By excluding non-whites, working-class folk, and other "fringe" groups, Hillary's campaign slogan of "stronger together" became much like her - disingenuous. Yes, Trump's victory is a blow to feminism. It is a blow to civil liberties, basic common sense and all that is decent in this world. But let's not kid ourselves by claiming that Hillary's loss is a loss for feminism. That battle was lost way back in July along with Sanders's nomination. (The writer is an advertising professional in Mumbai and her blog was published in www.telegraphindia.com) Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs and views expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this website are personal and do not reflect the opinions, beliefs and views of ABP News Network Pvt Ltd.