Feminism & Gender debate motions

A "manadult" refers to a male partner who actively practices anti-patriarchal maturity. The 'manadult' framework focuses on 5 charateristics: independent deconstruction of patriarchy rather than relying on women to educate him, seeking and accepting feminist feedback, consuming women's media, proactively taking on care labour (e.g., household chores, emotional support), and emotionally diverse friendships.

In many languages, masculine forms are often used when gender is not specified. Two main approaches aim to make language more inclusive. Feminisation makes women more visible by naming women and men equally. For example, instead of saying "the applicant… he," one might say "the applicant… he or she." Other examples include using split forms such as "Vegetarier/innen" in German to encompass both "Vegetarier" (the male form) and "Vegetarierinnen" (the female form). Neutralisation reduces the focus on gender by using gender-neutral words and pronouns. For example, Swedish uses "hen" as a neutral alternative to "hon" and "han," while Norwegian has moved away from some feminine suffixes.

Women-only spaces refer to environments created to support women's safety, dignity, and participation by addressing historical and structural inequalities. They are often justified as a means of protection, empowerment, and inclusion, while also raising broader debates about equality, access, and how societies balance competing rights.

The concept of "feminine genius", popularized by Pope John Paul II refers to the unique qualities and strengths inherent to women that enable them to build a culture of life and contribute to society in distinctive ways. It emphasizes women's moral, spiritual, and social capacities, especially receptivity, sensitivity, generosity, and maternity.

Constitutional protections refer to broad protections written into the Constitution which act as foundational laws for a country which inform the government's powers and limitiations. Individualised polices refer to specific rules and guidelines which inform the powers and limitations of private entities, such as businesses and citizens.

*civil society groups are non-state based organizations and movements that advocate for social and political issues.

The Agniveer scheme, launched by the Indian government, is a short-term military recruitment program for youth aged 17.5 to 21. Recruits serve in the armed forces for four years, after which 25% are selected on merit for long- term service. The remaining receive a one-time severance package but no pension or permanent benefits.

Enjo kōsai is a type of transactional relationship where older men give money and/or luxury gifts to attractive young women in exchange for sexual favors in Japan. While Enjo kōsai is not explicitly illegal, Japanese laws prohibit paying a person under 18 for obscene acts and juvenile delinquency.

Hedonic happiness is the belief that happiness comes from pleasure and self- indulgence, following current desires and maximising immediate enjoyment. Eudaimonic happiness is the belief that happiness comes from the pursuit of goals and having a clear purpose. 

For the purpose of this debate, 'looking for a man in finance' trend refers to womxn actively seeking to date rich men who work in lucrative jobs or have generational wealth. That's largely because to have a fun dating life, for example, flying out to Paris for a date. Such womxn prioritize wealth and looks in their partners, ignoring their annoying traits like mansplaining, very capitalist views, or just love for finance.

"Not All Men", a shortening of the phrase "not all men are like that" is a common catchphrase used by men in response to online discussions of misogyny and sexual abuse which they perceive as blaming all men as perpetrators of gender-based violence and abuse.

Antinatalism is the idea that procreation is wrong or unethical, and that humans should not bear children.

Popular social media influencers (such as Nara Smith, Whimsy Lou and etc) base their brands on being 'trad wives'. This lifestyle typically involves being a stay-at home mum and partner, typically sharing videos showcasing making food from scratch, tending to farmlife and etc.

"Girl boss' or '#girlboss' is a concept/phrase coined to signify a woman who is seen as being 'in control", dominant, determined and rebellious in pursuing her ambitions. The phrase is often used in campaigns as a slogan to inspire women to embody success by abandoning compliance and avoiding traits that have traditionally been associated with femininity and subservience, while pursuing their career ambitions.

Structural reform refers to policy-level institutional changes (e.g. creating laws) aimed at improving people's lives. Examples include pushing for subsidized childcare and anti-discrimination laws. On the other hand, challenging social norms refers to efforts to shift societal attitudes around gender. Examples include questioning beauty standards, toxic masculinity and gender roles.

Structural reform refers to policy-level institutional changes (e.g. creating laws) aimed at improving people's lives. Examples include pushing for subsidized childcare and anti-discrimination laws. On the other hand, challenging social norms refers to efforts to shift societal attitudes around gender. Examples include questioning beauty standards, toxic masculinity and gender roles.

Many classic fairy tales, such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White, portray female protagonists as passive, gentle, and dependent on external rescue—often by a male hero. These characters are frequently valued for their beauty, obedience, and kindness rather than their agency or decision-making. In contrast, male characters like princes are typically cast as brave, active saviors who resolve the central conflict and determine the story's outcome, reinforcing traditional gender expectations of women as caregivers and men as protectors.

Cosmetic products are items specifically designed to enhance or alter a person's appearance. Examples include make up products like foundation, lipstick, and mascara.

In 2017, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie said that the experiences of transgender women, who are born with the societal privileges accorded to men, are different from those of cisgender women, and by extension suggested that trans women are not real women. She has since sustained and defended those views, stating, "I have nothing to apologise for."

In several recent mainstream films, male characters are placed in roles traditionally occupied by female characters such as being emotionally dependent, sidelined, or requiring rescue, the damsel in distress trope. For example: In Barbie (2023), Ken lacks purpose outside of Barbie and struggles to find autonomy. In The Hunger Games, Peeta Mellark is frequently rescued or protected by Katniss and is often portrayed as emotionally sensitive and physically weaker

Research indicates that women with high self-worth experience less abuse in relationships, whereas those with low self-worth especially in conservative communities are more vulnerable to abuse due to extreme dominance of men in those communities..

*e.g. wearing makeup and heels, wanting to be a housewife, and so on.

Girlboss feminism emphasizes individual empowerment and success within existing capitalist structures, often portraying entrepreneurship as a means of liberation for women. It tends to prioritize personal achievement over systemic change, advocating for women's advancement in business and leadership roles

Reverse sexism is the practice of flipping sexist behaviours that typically apply to one gender so that they are instead applied to another (e.g., Barbieland's matriarchy in Greta Gerwig's "Barbie", Anne Hathaway playing an older woman in a romance with a much younger man in "The Idea of You", Sandra Oh's onscreen husband in "Killing Eve" playing a gender inverted "nagging wife" who no one will listen to and Eve treats with contempt)

Positive Masculinity mantains gender roles for men but attempts to match those roles with positive traits (e.g., empathy, caretaking, social responsibility and self-control)

Conscription refers to a compulsory period of military service. For example, all men in Switzerland must serve 21 weeks in the military before the age of 25.

Femme fatale (French for fatal woman) refers to a woman who is sexually attractive, seductive and cunning who brings disaster to anyone with whom she is romantically involved with. It is an archetype found within history, folklore, mythology and religious literature. Examples include but not limited to Cleopatra, Medusa, Delilah, Catwoman. This archetype has grown to be a trope across modern writing and modern media with many adopting it as a symbol of empowerment.

Erotic capital refers to the social and sexual attractiveness of an individual, which can be leveraged to gain personal and professional advantages.

A disassociative feminist conveys feminine struggles more passively (internalizing pain, joking about their struggles, taking a sarcastic tone, etc) rather than actively complaining about them. This category of feminism is 'detached' and 'disconnected' from more active forms of feminist resistance, such as the girl boss phenomenon or street protests. Disassociative feminism recognizes the emotional and physical toll that comes with active resistance and efforts that take to break the glass ceilings. A dissociative feminist would also embrace life choices that aren't typically feminist in nature. Example: Fleabag from Fleabag, Rue from Euphoria, etc

According to the government of Saudi Arabia, Vision 2030 "is a unique transformative economic and social reform blueprint that is opening Saudi Arabia up to the world." As part of the project, the government has started several projects such as building smart cities, sports complexes, renewable energy projects, tourism programs, the entertainment industry, and so on. In an effort to diversify its economy and attract foreign investments, the government is also focusing on gender equality. Recently, the government also lifted restrictions on women's right to drive, gave access to sports events, etc. Purple washing is defined as appealing to women rights and gender equality for political or economic objectives.

'Pick me girls' are women who deliberately behave in a way to appeal to male approval. Examples include putting down other women, denouncing activities traditionally thought to be 'feminine', and limiting interactions with women.

Western feminism refers to the feminist movements in the Western world, as well as their particular goals and strategies (e.g. closing the gender pay gap, using high profile celebrities as spokespeople)

For the purposes of this debate, "Believe Her" refers to the preliminary belief and support for a woman who claims to be a victim of sexual assault/abuse (e.g The accused party is guilty until proven innocent)

Monogamy is a relationship with only one partner at a time, rather than multiple partners (ie: marriage or long term relationship between two individuals)

Sexual liberation refers to the ideology and movement that seeks to free individuals from societal, cultural, and institutional restrictions placed on their sexual expression, behaviors, and choices. It emphasizes personal autonomy, consent, and the right to engage in consensual sexual activities without fear of judgment, stigma, or discrimination.

The "hate all men" narrative refers to having an inherent prejudice or bias against men, especially through harboring suspicion towards their intentions.

False consciousness refers a way of thinking that prevents a person from perceiving the true nature of their social or economic situation.

An adversarial lawyer believes their duty is to advocate for their client's interest as zealously as possible and believe that they are not morally responsible for either the ends or means of representation, provided they are lawful. A moral activist lawyer sees forwarding social justice as their primary duty. They aim to improve substantive justice through: public interest lawyering, law reform activities, and counselling clients to act morally.

Crisis pregnancy centers, or pregnancy centers, are organizations that aim to prevent abortions by persuading women to consider adoption or parenting instead. CPCs target mostly women with unintended pregnancies who might be considering abortion by giving the impression that they are clinical centers that offer legitimate medical services. However, most of the existing CPCs are unregulated and are exempt from licensure and credentialing oversight that health care facilities need to comply

ableist language refers to the use of medical terminology in casual and unrelated contexts, for ex, referring to someone/something as " insane," " crazy," ""dumb," " idiotic" " lame" " retarded"

A Feminist Foreign Policy advocates for countries to institutionalize the application of a gender balanced and inclusive framing in all the multi- and bilateral diplomatic engagements that define development assistance, trade, peace and conflict, and global and national security interests. The Gender Inequality Index (GII) measures gender inequalities in three important aspects of human development - reproductive health, empowerment, and economic status. The higher the GII value the more disparities between females and males and the more loss to human development. (UNDP, 2020)

"Calling in" refers to the act of checking your peers and getting them to change problematic speech/views they hold by explaining their misstep with compassion and patience. In contrast, when you call someone out, you issue a direct challenge to something they've said or to an opinion they hold, usually in public and with the intent of exposing the person's wrongdoing to others.

A century ago the eminent Bengali writer Rabindranath Tagore returned his knighthood to the viceroy of India. The "time has come when badges of honour make our shame glaring in their incongruous context of humiliation", Tagore wrote in outrage as scores of peaceful protesters were massacred in Jallianwala Bagh. He would now "stand, shorn of all special distinctions, by the side of my countrymen". The 1919 atrocities in Amritsar jolted the Nobel laureate into accepting that that his Knight Commander of the British Empire could not be treated as unconnected to the bloodied realities of that empire's operations. David Olusoga is a British Nigerian popular historian, writer, broadcaster, presenter and film-maker. He is Professor of Public History at the University of Manchester. He was awarded an OBE for his services to history and community integration. Accepting his Order of the British Empire, the public historian David Olusoga, has insisted that while "the empire was an extractive, exploitative, racist and violent institution", the fact that "there isn't an empire any more" changes things completely. Olusoga suggests that, by acknowledging the "incredible achievements of black and Asian Britons", OBEs can be seen as a defeat of racism

Medusa is a Greek mythological figure. Her story revolves around her transformation from a beautiful, devout maiden in goddess Athena' temple to her being cursed by Athena into becoming an ugly monster who has snakes for hair and a gaze so terrifying it turns people to stone. This curse is a result of Poseidon violating Medusa within Athena's temple. Later Perseus, a 'hero' kills Medusa. On 13th of October 2020, statue of Medusa holding Perseus's head was erected in front of the New York County criminal court. The statue is meant to be a picture of empowerment for victims of the #MeToo movement

A nascent catholic women's collective called Maria 2.0 demonstrated in the German cathedral town of Fulda, Germany, and called for an overhaul of the church. The aims of the group include – ordination of women and abolition of compulsory celibacy rules for members of the clergy. The collective was formed in the wake of increasingly public sexual abuse scandals and reports of systemic exploitation of young children. As a result of the disclosures, more than 22 million people were seen opting out of Catholic membership. Maria 1.0 is a counter-movement; its 3,500 members believe that, "Mary does not need an update". They find Maria 2.0's methods "bewildering, intrusive and not very Christian". For them, "real reforms emanate from…naming real deficiencies, such as inadequate training of candidates for priesthood"

Cruella de Vil is known to be one of Disney's most evil characters. On the American Film Institute's list of the 100 Greatest Heroes and Villains, she shares the ranks of the Joker and Freddy Krueger. The essence of the infamous dog-napper's character is captured in the following snippet from the animated version of 101 Dalmatians, "if she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will". The latest movie traces the origin of her maleficence to a messy power struggle between her as a designer and her boss and fashion icon, Baroness von Hellman.

Islamic dating applications that facilitate both dating and marriage within the Muslim community have been launched in several countries. While some of these applications allow people to filter their searches based on level of religiosity, the kind of relationship they're looking for, and other aspects such as whether the woman wears a headscarf and the man sports a beard, some others require the users to go through a "psychology test" to ensure they are matched with compatible partners. Some argue that this helps the Muslim youth to pursue "halal relationships". Some others believe there should be no stigma attached to dating and, therefore, reject the idea of calling it "halal".

NLOG stands for Not Like Other Girls. It is a cultural phenomenon which is a reaction against typically feminine stereotypes — that is, makeup, fashion, fitness, and the like. Some girls who don't fit said archetype attempt to separate themselves from other women, hence the phrase "I'm not like other girls." This trope has manifested in many forms including but not limited to Robin from How I Met your Mother, Phoebe from FRIENDS, Naina from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and Summer from 500 days of Summer

The "Abused Goddess" ad campaign, created by the Save Our Sisters (SOS) women's empowerment initiative, presented images of the three primary goddesses of Hindu mythology – Durga, the goddess of valour, Saraswati, the goddess of learning, and Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, in their silks, jewels and crowns but with welts, bruises and gashes

"Hannamchoong" or "hannam" directly translates to "Korean male parasite". This term is frequently used by Korean feminists to criticize Korean men for patriarchal attitudes.

Benevolent sexism, as opposed to hostile sexism, refers to attitudes about women that are stereotypical yet have positive connotations (eg that men have an obligation to be chivalrous and protect women, the idolisation of women in wife, mother, and child caretaker roles and the romanticisation of the emotional sensitivity of women).

Carceral feminism is the advocacy for enhancing and increasing prison sentences that deal with feminist and gender issues. It is the belief that harsher and longer prison sentences will help work towards solving these issues

Works of fiction (movies, shows, stories, etc) featuring the stories and plights of minorities and marginalised communities often have a happy ending, showing some degree of progress towards overcoming oppression.

According to a UN CSW report; it is estimated that gender gaps cost the economy ~15% of GDP. Women's economic empowerment boosts productivity, increases economic diversification and income equality in addition to other positive development outcomes. Other reports show that women are able to provide better company relations, job satisfaction by the virtue of "Ethics of Care". An ethic of care perceives relationships to be of primary importance for it is through relationships that we are connected to others. Further, we have a responsibility for sustaining these relationships, and this includes being attentive to addressing the needs of others.

Tiger Parenting is a type of strict parenting whereby parents are highly invested in ensuring their children's success. Specifically, tiger parents push their children to attain high levels of academic development or success in high-status extracurricular activities such as music or sports.

For the purpose of this debate, superhuman traits refer to enhanced qualities and abilities humans possess, that exceed those found in average ordinary humans. These could look like a person's ability to run faster than others, their ability to retain information and knowledge, natural ability to withstand pain and natural physical strength - made possible by a mix of factors like genetics and environmental conditions.

Commercial feminism, or commercialised feminism refers to the popularisation of feminist ideas and icons, through the marketing, buying and selling of products. These products could range from anything like stationery and cosmetics, to clothing and apparels.

Senti-cows are a genetically engineered species of cows that are sentient, able to speak with humans, and overwhelmingly desire to be eaten, so much so they spend their lives working out so that their meat will be tastier

The feminist movement supports gender equality. There are many ways to achieve this goal. One way is to empower women through campaigns featuring "girl bosses" or messages that tell girls they can do anything they want. Another method is to specifically target men and holding them accountable for sexist practices (ie. demanding fathers play a more active role in childcare, telling male employers to pay genders equally).

You are an individual that suffers from extreme emotions, which has significantly impacted your ability to live a normal life. In periods where you are happy, you are incredibly productive, but in periods where you are sad, you find it difficult to do normal activities, constraining your ability to be completely functional. You are offered a pill that takes away your ability to feel extreme emotion, including both sadness, but also other emotions such as love for your family. The effects of this pill are irreversible.

Micro-finance refers to longterm loans with little or low interest provided to individuals who seek to start a business.

In China, sex reassignments for transgender individuals and intersex genitalia mutations for intersex individuals despite doctors' discretion in some cases, are not covered by national medical insurance scheme. Yaoniang refers to trans male individuals who try to acquire female traits through taking Androgen inhibitors and Estrogens. Those hormonal drugs are prescription drugs that are mostly inaccessible for transgender individuals by legal means. On one hand, Yaoniang community is a very supportive community with a lot of kind-hearted members. While on the other hand, many Yaoniang are also facing fraud, instigation of participating prostitution or pornography. A considerable proportion of them are minors or young adults

A "straight pill" is a drug that can instantly turn a queer individual straight at negligible cost

Rainbow Capitalism (or Pink Capitalism) refers to the incorporation of LGBTQ+ content by businesses into their products so as to capitalize off the purchasing power that Queer people have. Examples include: Adidas 'pride' sneakers, Apple Watch 'pride' bands, H&M rainbow socks, etc.

Movies and show featuring the stories and plights of minorities and marginalised communities often have a happy ending, showing some degree of progress towards overcoming oppression

Cis-passing privilege is the concept that transgender people face less prejudice when they are perceived as cisgender, including less risk of risk of harassment and violence and better employment opportunities

the strong mother trope shows mothers as self reliant in the face of difficulty and who make great personal sacrifices for their children. Media frequently associates this with single mothers or mothers who have emigrated from their country of origin

On June 1st, China instated the Three Child Policy, allowing families to have up to three children, after previously replacing the One Child Policy with the Two Child Policy.

https://youtu.be/gNi_6U5Pm_o?t=56 context pic screenshot of this headline

Currently, WUDC and Australs employ an affirmative action policy that requires at least one-third of each institution's contingent to be non cis-male. Representation of nationalities and genders is also taken into account when deciding certain breaks (i.e. judge breaks). The policy was promoted to increase diversity but also to encourage participation from less-represented groups

The IOC recently placed a ban on any "direct" endorsement of the Black Lives Matter movement, such as BLM t-shirts and sportswear.

Quantitative methods in research pertain to techniques that objectively measure a desired variable or outcome. For example, getting the average time spent by teens in front of computers in hours, and measuring the likelihood that an individual passes away without disabilities/comorbidities. Conversely, qualitative methods rely on subjective interpretations and analyses of an individual's lived experiences and narratives in order to generate conclusions and theories. For example, interviewing and conducting focused group discussions with stakeholders

Queer coding is the subtextual coding and interpretation of a fictional character as queer. While the character's sexual identity may not be explicitly confirmed, they may be coded through the use of traits and steroetypes recognised by the audience. First published in March 1930, the Motion Picture Production Code (popularly known as the Hays Code) was a set of censorship guidelines. These included that homosexual characters could not be represented in the media unless they were villains.

"Right to privacy" arguments assert that the state should not have the ability to interfere in the decisions and actions of individuals.

A drag queen is a person who uses clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, most drag queens have been men dressing as women. In modern times, drag queens are associated with gay men and gay culture

A 'Zero Tolerance Policy' in this debate refers to cutting contact with a person to as great of an extent as reasonably possible. In the case of family or essential co-workers, this can look like being civil with but never close to them. For a friend, it can mean cutting them off completely.

Carceral Feminism describes an approach of increased policing, prosecution, and imprisonment as the primary solution to gendered violence.

You are an attractive 21 year old white woman. You are near the end of uni, applying for grad jobs, and you have moderate career prospects. You have a small but invested set of instagram followers. You have watched the Bachelor for many years and on a whim decided to apply as a joke, because this season's Bachelor looked really attractiive and compatible in the previews.You have now recieved an offer to go on the show

"Girl boss" or "#girlboss" is a concept/phrase coined to signify a woman who is seen as being "in control", dominant, determined and rebellious in pursuing her ambitions. The phrase is often used in campaigns as a slogan to inspire women to embody success by abandoning compliance and avoiding traits that have traditionally been associated with femininity and subservience, while pursuing their career ambitions. Examples of proponents of this persona can range from CEOs/COOs like Sheryl Sandberg, to political figures, and instafamous online celebrities and entrepreneurs.

"Have it all" feminism argues that it is possible and desirable for women to pursue and balance having both a successful career and having a family

In 1996 the Swedish Left Party declared "feminism" to be an official ideology of the party on-par with its other main ideology, "socialism." Diseenters argued that feminism and socialism should not be understood as separate concepts, but that socialism is an encompassing worldview which includes and entails feminism

Boba liberalism" refers usually to East Asian Americans who identify as liberal but do so in a performative manner that values adjacency to whiteness rather than authentic solidarity toward their ethnic origins, in particular, it revolves around the distinguishable, materialistic and white friendly aspects of Asian Culture. As a result, Asian Culture has gained massive popularity among Americans

For the purposes of this debate Sex Robots are sex dolls that have been created with near human characteristics like the ability to speak and make facial expressions. Recently manufacturers have offered increased customizations such as personality types, behaviors, faces, body types and so on to cater to their buyer's desire. These Sex Robots are not Self Aware.

Labour participation of women in Japan has been one of the worst among many countries in the world and the worst among its G7 counterparts. This is largely due to cultural beliefs about women's role to be stay-at-home mothers and wives. Recently, Japan has been highly interested in improving female labour participation and countering this narrative. Hence, they introduced "womenomics". Womenomics is a public policy effort that promotes the idea that women should be allowed and encouraged to work because it is better for the Japanese economy

Hegemonic masulinity is a concept in genderstudies that reinforces male dominance over other sexual identities deemed female. Charikeem Jan Prachristin is an established and tenured transwoman who heads the social sciences department of a renowned university. She has the power to change the curricula, revise course content, and dictate the direction of researches.

A utopian fiction is a fiction set in a community or society possessing highly desirable or perfect qualities. A dystopian fiction is a fiction set in an imagined state or society in which there is great suffering or injustice typically one that is totalitarian or post apocalyptic

The Crown is a Netflix TV drama about the lives of the British Royal Family.

The Powerpuff Girls, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, were created by Professor Utonium in an attempt to create the "perfect little girl" using a mixture of "sugar, spice, and everything nice". However, the Professor accidentally spilled a substance called "Chemical X" into the mixture, granting all three superpowers including flight, superhuman strength and speed, x-ray vision, etc. For the purposes of this debate, the girls were also created with the Professor's sperm and an egg from a donor, who is currently not in the girl's life, although becomes aware that the girls are biologically theirs.

Deradicalisation is an umbrella term to describe actions done by the state (often supported by international to prevent the psread of radical beliefs and to safely reintegrate extremists back into the multicultural society. These actions include, but not limited to, disseminating moderate religious interpretations, specific educational programs targeting religious schools, and skill-building clinics for adults.