Feminism and Husbandry: Drawing the Fine Line Between Mine and Bovine
This essay looks at the connection between the sexualized abuse of dairy cows on factory farms and sexual violence against women, promoting an ecofeminist approach that draws parallels between the exploitation of both groups.
[Abstract excerpted from original source.]
“Cows are the victims of rape, but feminists ignore them. Mainstream feminism condemns rape but ignores the connection between the sexual abuse of women and cows because feminist theory and law legitimize human superiority and speciesism. The law and feminists control the definition of the word “rape” so that it specifically excludes the sexual abuse of animals. Though feminist theory, which states that female sex organs should not be commodified or abused, could be applied to the dairy industry, the law’s differentiation between animals and humans allows feminists to indulge in the privilege of being the superior, protected class. Feminists can ignore other females’ sexual abuse and enslavement and enjoy the byproducts, e.g. dairy, because the law requires lower obligation to animals, and debates over the semantics of the use of the word “rape” reinforce that. Feminists should adopt ecofeminist theory because ecofeminism attempts to relate the exploitation and suffering of animals and women, while calling attention to the patriarchal attitudes embodied by the abuse of animals. This essay will give a detailed description of the abuse of dairy cows on factory farms, explain how bestiality law legitimizes sexual abuse of farm animals, and set forth important ecofeminist ideas explaining why feminist theory and praxis should extend to all females, mothers, children, vaginas, anuses, and subordinated victims of abuse regardless of society’s condonation of cruelty.”