Photo Courtesy of John-Mark Smith
Feminism has gained strength as the media has taken over our everyday lives. With that being the case, many religious groups have taken advantage of the more accepting culture that our world has attempted to foster and have begun pushing to break the stigmas created by the confines of their organized religion.
Misogyny In Religion
While it is an unfortunate yet fair truth, religious groups have been and continue to be dominated by the patriarchal values that stand in most major institutions. That being said, women in religion face many daily challenges as they battle the stigmas placed on them and the religious norms that often trap them in less-than-favorable positions.
Like many other faiths, Mormonism struggles with the same allegations of misogyny due to their extremely rigid gender roles. Some of the expectations in the Church of Latter-day Saints (LDS) include the female prioritization of motherhood and child-bearing and a focus on household maintenance rather than personal goals or ambitions.
On top of that, Mormon roles within the church tend to be very male-dominated. Mormonism is only one of many religious views that incorporate strict dress codes and ideals of modesty as well as other historical practices of misogyny, but they have recently faced more public backlash than most.
The Rise of "MomTok"
One of the most relevant examples of religious backlash was the more recent creation of “MomTok.” This platform was created through TikTok by a group of Mormon mothers, all based in Utah, who sought to educate the public on their journey as Mormon females.
During that journey, they spread the message that they wanted to start breaking some of the everlasting stigmas that exist in Mormon culture even today.
The mothers began focusing on many different issues as they took social media by storm. As parents and wives, they opened up about the mental health struggles that women in general go through during postpartum and even during everyday life.
Many creators continue to speak openly about postpartum anxiety and depression, as well as speaking out on the pressures they feel as women of the church. The moms also sought to advocate for equality in the Church of Latter-day Saints due to the less inclusive practices that continue to take place in Mormonism.
Another issue targeted by these women was body positivity and female sexuality, something many of the moms have decided to bring up on their social media platforms as women of the church who are not often encouraged to embrace themselves or their sexuality.
The work that these moms have done has increased awareness of religious stigma in many contexts and has allowed the Mormon culture online to grow and spread a more inclusive message.
Mormon Progress In The Past
In the late 1970s, there is evidence of clear pushback against the religious stigmas present in the LDS church. In 1977, the National Women’s Conference occurred and created an outburst of feminine energy in the church as Mormon women began creating individual organizations to fight against religious inequality.
The women of MomTok today are fighting similarly to those before them but, they’ve managed to expand the fight to be much more inclusive! There is still present backlash on the validity of MomTok, especially after the release of the Hulu television show, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
The show boasts some relatively inappropriate concepts and many of the practices are generally frowned upon by many religious organizations, including the generally strict rules of the Mormon division. However, the general message of these ladies continues to be to fight religious stigma everywhere.
Worldwide Implications
MomTok is essentially part of a much larger trend to utilize social media as a means to spread inclusivity and awareness of misogynistic practices that continue to exist in our society. One of the most striking and terrifying examples of religious misogyny in our world is seen by the recent ban placed on a woman’s right to be heard in public.
The Taliban, under their Islamist regime, has created many recent rules that have limited the rights of women including the banning of the female privilege to sing, read, or be heard in public.
This law is a perverted example of the bans that continue to be placed on women with no justification other than “religious purposes”. The lack of separation between the church and the state across our world has become an increased danger to women everywhere as we continue to fight for the rights to things as simple as our own bodies.
Thankfully, the efforts of women like the MomTok group and many others, stand as a reminder to females everywhere to fight for their rights and privileges and to not stand down in the face of adversity. Their efforts continue to be a reminder that with constant pushback and outreach, the evolution of faith will always remain a possibility.
Comments