What is a core aim of feminist ethics?

• A. To maintain traditional ethics unchanged
• B. To promote paternalism
• C. To standardize medical practice irrespective of gender
• D. To rethink traditional ethics to include women's moral experiences

Answer: (D)

Feminist ethics focuses on rethinking traditional ethical theories by foregrounding women's moral experiences and the social context in which moral decisions occur. It argues that classic approaches often rely on abstract, universal rules that miss how care, relationships, vulnerability, and gendered power shape real-life moral decisions. By bringing women's voices and lived realities into ethical analysis, it aims for more inclusive, responsive guidelines for actions in healthcare, research, and policy, and for values like autonomy, justice, and obligation to be understood in relation to gender and social context. The aim is to expand ethics to include women's perspectives rather than keep old frameworks intact, avoid paternalistic attitudes, or ignore gender in practice.