“The White Woman’s Burden”- British Feminists and “The Indian Woman,” 1865-1915 By: Antoinette M. Burton

The “White Woman’s Burden” was the British feminists’ belief that it was their special responsibility to stand up for the Indian women or as they were called “the Indian subjects.” This idea is also perpetuated in that India was important to British imperial confidence. Both Victorian and British women were grounded in the idea of superiority. The British feminists had a preoccupation with race preservation, racial purity, and racial motherhood. Feminism and imperialism was structured around the idea of moral responsibility. The women believed that they were the “guarantor of social progress, the agent of civilization.”

The P.C. way to address this story goes as followed:

In " The Indian Woman", we do not think it is possible to help someone effectively without actually understanding and/or experiencing their lifestyle. Orientalists have Orientalist opinions and beliefs embedded within them. However, through research and experience, one slowly gains a second point of view and this broadens their views about the group they are trying to help. Two points of view allow for a better interpretation of the issue or problem at hand.

Being that we aren't concerned with being P.C. we'll address the story as followed:

One can understand why we would sympathize more with the Indian women than we would the British women. As "black" "women" we are already doubly disadvantaged. Unless we are willing to speak up for ourselves (Which We Have No Trouble Doing) no one else will understand what it is like to be a minority on both ends: gender and race. The feminist movement only addresses the gender issues of our lives and racial organizations and the NAACP for example only touch the racial issues. Finding a group that can represent us and voice our thoughts is nearly impossible because only we can understand life as "black women".

Everytime I am going through a difficult situation and try to talk to someone about it, i hate it when people say "I understand what you're going through." Being the nice person that I am and understanding that they are only trying to help, I say thanks for being there for me and stuff like that...but in the back of my mind or later in the day I realize that they do not truly understand how I feel; they have never been through what I've been through, they did not have the same background I have, they are not black or a woman. But the same goes for this story, the British Feminists have good intentions but they were basing their advice/help on the observations of others...they were not there and they do not understand life as an Indian woman.

So forgive us for not believing that "feminists" (majority white middle class women) have our best interest at heart. How can you truly understand an issue if you don't take the time out to experience it as close as you possibly can? No matter how much experience a "white woman" gets she'll never become a "black woman". That doesn't mean that she can't help black women it just means that by experience will make her acknowledge that black women are more disadvantage than others. Knowing that will allow her to take black women into consideration when proposing a solution to a problem.

Thoughts??????????