Nobody asked but.

Radical feminism, or ‘root’ feminism, is a school of philosophy, jurisprudence and political theory and activism that looks at the system as one which is sexist and controlled by males, and that is the defining feature of women’s historical oppression.

Rads believe that womens liberation can only come through dismantling the oppressive dominating system which we call ‘the patriarchy’. We believe that women live under an authority of males and that the power structure is oppressive and parental and forces an unequal position...

... where men are in charge and women are given some privileges for ‘good’ behaviour.

Good women are defined by Friedman as submissive, nurturing and available to males for comfort and sex.

Radical feminists believe that as a long as that system remains in place there can be no reform of society and theorise that the oppression of women is the original oppression

It is the oppression from which all other oppressions spring from.

Radical feminism believes that there is no other option than absolutely blasting away the system and reconstructing society from the bottom up.

Within radical feminism there are types of radical feminists, sub-groups that came about when the larger group disagreed on theory. Cultural feminism, separatist feminism, and others.

Some would say all feminism has come from radical feminism as the root feminism but since the late 60’s there has been deliberate splits and sub groups formed.

It is possible to be a radical feminist and not be fully on board with some of the theory posited by the academic writers over the years, once the bases are covered, in my view.

For example some rads split on whether there is an inherent female nature. Clearly these ideologies are deep but the jist, for example, of Cultural Radical feminism is that men and women are different biologically but that psychological differences are learned rather than innate

Separatist feminism is an interesting stand-point. It argues that the issue between men and women is unresolvable. It would *usually* argue that men are not capable of making any positive impact on women’s lives and that all men will install and maintain patriarchal control.

My understanding of separatist feminism from its main proponent Marilyn Frye is that it does not support heterosexual relationships.

She describes it herself as "separation of various sorts or modes from men and from institutions, relationships, roles and activities that are—

—male-defined, male-dominated, and operating for the benefit of males and the maintenance of male privilege – this separation being initiated or maintained, at will, by women".

I am a radical feminist with cultural leanings and I do not fall in with the separatist movement as a working model for women. I believe in feminist allies and I like the idea that men and women can live together, even though I live separately from men myself.

Radical feminism is the one true love of my life but it’s important to remember that these are just ideas, and they can be stretched and interpreted. (Though during my studies in law I used the writings of Dworkin and McKinnon to win every single moot I was involved in.)

Radical feminism is not one thing, it is a living movement that moves closer to the end goal with every pulse of its millions of beating hearts.

Radical feminism is the original feminism. It is the roots. It is “feminism unmodified”. In my view it is the same engine that has driven every feminist act since time began from the first time a woman lifted her voice to defend her right to exist alongside men,

Some people are radical feminists without realising they are, some radical feminists have issues with some of the ideology. Radical feminists have disagreed with each other’s ideas since the beginning and will continue to do so.

But at the end of the day we are a part of a larger movement of women advocating for the rights of women and girls to be free from the patriarchal oppression on the basis of our sex.

P.s. there are other schools of feminism, mainly liberal and Marxist, Marxist is problematic because it uses the teachings of a man to view women’s oppression, liberal feminism is individualistic and looks at the issues not the oppression itself.