Abstract
Given the diversity and division of women according to class, face, ethnicity, religion, age and other social factors, we must expect and accept conflict and contradiction within feminism. I refer here broadly to feminism as a school of thought and as a political movement aiming to improve the lot of women (Black, 1989). Current theorizing about the social construct, gender, is inspired by the contradictions inherent in feminism (Scott, 1983). They fuel a constructive dialogue but they aIso contain the threat of censorship. There is the tendency to disregard the right to dissenting voices within feminism, to suppress internal questioning and contestation in favour of an appearance of consensus on a particular version of feminism. In bell hooks' words: "Feminism has its party line and women who feel a need for a different strategy, a different foundation, often find themselves ostracized and silenced- (hooks, 1984, p.9).
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