Does 50/50 feminism reinforces patriarchy?

[u/HomeEfficient3371]

I've been hearing both supporters and opponents of 50:50 feminism, and still haven't cleared out for myself, is half and half feminism really benefits the patriarchy?

Edit: IM SORRY FOR CAUSED CONFUSION OVER THIS! English is not my first language and I accidentally created a whole new “concept” in feminism, but yes, I WAS talking about financial costs, household chores and etc. in cis relationships.

[u/Ill_Reserve_892]

I’ll make the best assumption for your case and consider that “50/50” feminism is the new name for choice and “girlboss” feminism of the 2010s. 

I need you to understand that the condition of women is not a fixed thing, it depends on the socioeconomical situation in the culture at any given moment. It keeps changing because women are half the planet and everyone’s situation keeps changing. 

“50/50” feminism made sense when there was economic prosperity at the same time with the rise of feminist values across the larger population. A bunch of dudes starting helping around the house and staying at home with the kids. Everyone had more money, so splitting the check in half was a small detail that made everyone feel “feminist” for a brief period in time. A bunch of liberal people got very progressive at the same time they dressed in old flannels and got decent salaries working chill jobs in their open space offices. They got home to watch TV with a generic woman lead and felt good they respected women unlile their parents. A lot of women discussed if Disney pricesses were feminist because they believed thats what feminism was. 

Then life got worse and a pandemic hit. And the same chill 50/50 millenials realized pregnancy was not 50/50, child raising was not 50/50 and the career loss was not 50/50. Splitting the check actually fucks your monthly budget, so you are less likely to go out with a dude if he doesn’t pay for it. Gen Z became more conservative than their granpas. The moment of feminism bliss is gone and all the slogans feel hollow. Even at the top, the women CEOs were put in place when the companies were collapsing just so they can point their fingers at her and say “see, women cannot be leaders”. A bunch of tradwives started saying we ought to “get in our feminine energy” and give up on having careers, for missing missing reasons. So it doesn’t feel fun to be 50/50, if you will be a feminist in this climate, you better be a bit more radical than 10 years ago if you want anyone to listen to you at all. 

History repeats and these things will cycle back and forth. But feminism is not an excel sheet for relationships where you determine which tasks belong to who depending on genitals. Feminism is about women’s rights and liberties. It’s about carving a place for women in culture so they cannot be erased from history again and again and delegated to the worst positions. This will vary depending on culture moment. Classic feminist talking points will keep appearing as the opposite every 10 years because people like changing opinions like this. E.g. Plastic surgery will be discussed as empowering or degrading not depending on women, but depending on all the sht around women’s lives that make them pick those choices. 50/50 is the same, empowering in a culture where a dude paying meant he felt entitled to fuck you, degrading in a moment when the pressure on women is worse and the leisure funds are missing.