In an article from The Atlantic, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/05/the-conservative-answer-to-feminism/451065/, Empowered Women is trying to change what it means and is perceived to mean to be a right-of-center woman.
"The conservative women she knew were smart and strong and dynamic, and valued a successful career just as much as having a family, she says. So she set out to combat the negative stereotypes."
What are your thoughts on the article and the group (their manifesto can be read here: https://empoweredwomen.org/our-manifesto/)?
I mean their manifesto seems fine, but it's also not very conservative, at least based on the current American political spectrum. It doesn't go out of it's way to say anything conservative like denying women birth control, so perhaps that's why. But as it stands these are liberal values in today's society. They also state that women's issues expand to "national security, immigration, and the economy" which aren't so much women's issues as just general issues. The economy, perhaps, I can see, as there's a definite way that money is used in oppression. But national security? Really? This is an issue, but there's not reason for anyone to assume this is a woman's issue. A conservative issue, sure, but I think to say this is a woman's issue in particular is a falsehood.
The key conflict here is that any issue that involves advancing rights is inevitably progressive. You can't advance rights and be a conservative because conservatism inherently implies holding to a previous set of values. You can't go forwards towards those previously held values. This group isn't going towards those good, old-fashioned, conservative, family values on women, because those values are really sexist. More than likely I assume it's probably one of those groups that likes to pick and choose when they're liberal, deciding to be that way when it helps them advance their own cause but unwilling to similarly apply that forward thinking mindset to other areas. Which is their right, I just think that's a kinda shitty thing to do.
While I agree with the general premise of your point, the group's manifesto offers little to no explanation of the nuances of their stance; I disagree with your point that it is paradoxical to label yourself a conservative and a feminist. Conservatism, in political terms, goes beyond archaic social values, it is associated with free enterprise, private ownership, and retaining traditional social institutions. I would argue that several conservatives work and believe in the advancement of human rights while holding on to conservative and/or Republican values. In my opinion, the entire purpose of Empowered Woman, though perhaps it is ineffectively articulated, is to combat the assumption that conservatism and feminism must be at odds. I do completely agree with you, however, that the general manifesto is rather vague and unclear as to what their specific political ideologies and activism are.
Do you believe this to be a reflection of a lack of brand development on their part, or correlated to their hesitancy in taking an explicit political stance?