The Equality Myth (with Dr. Orit Kamir)

 In this powerful conversation, Dr. Orit Kamir—feminist scholar, human rights researcher, and initiator of Israel's sexual harassment prevention law—joins Chedva to explore how narratives shape our reality and why feminism requires constant vigilance. Orit shares her journey from believing in Israel's "equality myth" to becoming blacklisted for her feminist advocacy, and how she foresaw the current regression in women's rights. They discuss the insidious power of patriarchal storytelling, from biblical Eve to modern "tradwife" content, and why doing feminism "for show" can eventually manifest real change. The conversation touches on the importance of reclaiming our terminology, maintaining hard-won habits of equality, and understanding that women's rights are human rights—especially when both are under attack.

Key Topics:

• The "equality myth" and feminist awakening in different cultures
• Being secretly blacklisted for feminist advocacy—and the relief of vindication
• How narratives, language, and images shape patriarchal reality
• The Donna Reed to "tradwife" pipeline—why old patterns keep returning
• Sexual harassment law in Israel—30 years of progress and pushback
• Why "going through the motions" can lead to real cultural change
• COVID and war as moments that expose underlying patriarchy
• The extreme right's talent for co-opting feminist language
• Reclaiming feminism, learning, and our right to ideology
• Why universalism matters—feminism as part of human rights

Notable Quotes:

• "I was brought up into the equality myth... that sexual inequality was something that belonged elsewhere. It was a part of other cultures, but certainly not mine."
• "We live through narratives... What we see and what we remember, what we recall and what we understand are stories."
• "Denial is not my strength. So when I saw this, I understood what it meant."
• "We do not learn from the experience of previous generations. And so we have to repeat their mistakes over and over again."
• "Habits are important... These habits are what creates reality."
• "You can't be a feminist if you're a racist. You can't be a feminist if you want to abuse people economically."

Orit's Powerful Question: "If something is meaningful when I do it for others, is it not just as meaningful when I do it for myself?"

Resources Mentioned:

• Dr. Orit Kamir's website (in English and Hebrew)
• Dr Kamir’s new book (Hebrew)
• Dr Kamir’s latest book in English
• The Israeli sexual harassment prevention law of 1998
• Professor Catharine MacKinnon
• Get access to CuriosityGPT
• Join the Curiosity Lab - Chedva's concentrated strategy process