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Add to FavoritesModern Feminism is an oxymoron. One does not coincide with the other. The feminist movement began to give women equal rights: the right to vote, the right to a fair wage, the right to be their own person. Women have all of that! Now the redundancy of the situation is causing a backlash; women want more rights than men, a higher wage, more more more. When did the struggle to be equal become the struggle to become superior?
The notion of feminism is outdated because the causes behind it are outdated. In 1913, Rebecca West wrote in The Clarion, "people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat." At the time, the statement was applicable because women were still seen as the "weaker sex", a subservient being. Today, women are far from the wilted flower of yesteryear. They are expected to voice their opinions, to take care of themselves, raise the family and bring home the bacon. So where does the modern feminist notion come in? It's delivered in a big box with a shiny bow and a tag that reads Double Standards.
Double standards are what the majority of the "modern feminist" live on. In the workplace, a woman is allowed to talk about how another woman is dressed, if her outfit shows off too much cleavage, or if she has been rumored to be sleeping around. If a man makes mention of a female co-workers attire, it's sexual harassment. Where's the equality in that?
Another example of the double standard resides in the armed forces. As a woman I know I am more capable of doing certain things than most men are, but I also know that when it comes to strength and endurance, I am no match for the average male. This is not the case for all women, but the point is still valid for the majority. In the armed forces, a soldier-in times of crisis-should be able to assist a fallen comrade to safety. It is much more difficult for the female body to do so because of our physical make-up; it has nothing to do with inferiority, merely the way women are constructed. Instead of accepting this fact, the point is bemoaned as unfair and outdated. Equal rights, remember? Wrong! These women aren't looking for equality; they're looking for an easy way in. If they were looking for equal rights, basic training would be the same for both sexes. As it is, women do less physical labor during basic training than the men do. That doesn't spell equality to me.
The greatest double standard, however, exists in the personal aspect of feminism. Many years ago, a thing called chivalry not only existed, but was welcomed. Men held open doors for women, pulled back chairs for women, even "gasp!" picked up the bill at a restaurant. It was not done because the men thought women were incapable of doing such things; it was done out of respect and reverence. Just this week I saw a man get yelled at for trying to open the door for his female companion. I've seen fights in restaurants over the bill. How is this part of the struggle for equality? Allowing a kind gesture to be done in your favor is not a sign of weakness, but that is unfortunately how it is often seen. Modern feminism indeed.
I am aware that these examples can be seen as worst case scenarios. Many feminists may read this and think, "Who does she think she is? She's a traitor to the female sex!" I'm okay with that. In my heart, I know I'm right. The notion of feminism is outdated because the women who are screaming "I am woman hear me roar!" no longer have the heart to fight the good fight. I can own property, I can advance in the workplace as quickly and as high as my performance allows, and I can raise my son by myself if push comes to shove. The only person who can keep me from fulfilling my potential is me.
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No
Lynne Segal once said that "a world which is a better place, not just for some women, but for all women, in what I still call a socialist feminist vision, that would be a far better world for boys and men as well."
I couldn't agree more.
The feminist movement is all about giving women choices and freedom to make those choices themselves but feminism is still a dirty word in the some work places and even in our private lives, often being used as a PC substitute for "ballbreaker" or "unmaternal" respectively. To be referred to as a feminist today will more often than not inspire the same kind of reaction one might expect if one had been referred to as a hairy lipped, slope browed, plaid wearing, big butch insult to all things feminine!
I have on occasion been referred to as "the biggest feminist" someone has had the honour of knowing. I can assure you that my lip is hair free, my brow is far from sloped and there is nothing in my wardrobe that a lumberjack would feel compelled to borrow. I find myself agreeing with Rebbecca West who said "I, myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is. I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat or prostitute" The word feminist was not long coined in 1913 when she wrote this and nearly a century later little seems to have changed.
I understand that feminism means different things to different people all over the world. When you think that female circumcision is still a common cure for female promiscuity in some parts of the world...we've got it pretty good here, (here being the Republic of Ireland)but like many other women of the west, Irish women still earn less than their male counterparts, we still don't have on demand abortion or free contraception, all of which were demands made at the Shrew Conference held in Oxford, UK in 1970.
I don't want to harp on about what now must seem like tired issues, but if a couple falls pregnant the man always has the option to walk away. While he may forever be seen as lower than low, he still has that option. A woman in Ireland simply has no choice! An unplanned pregnancy can be as devastating for some women as it can be joyous for others. The only reason for this ridiculous reluctance to legalize abortion is the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, an organization run by celibate, unmarried, male senior citizens lecturing us on sex, marriage and family planning. I apologize to the devout that may be reading this but... if I've got a problem with the plumbing in my house I'm gonna call a plumber, not a priest. It makes sense to take advice from a person of experience.
Men's earning power still outstrips women and men are more often than not promoted before a more deserving female employee. Employers often cite fear of a female employee in a senior position needing to take maternity leave or worse still, extended maternity leave as a reason for this.
So with these two forces working against each other what chance has the average Irish woman got of enjoying the same quality of life and level of freedom that is enjoyed by her peers in other developed nations?
With regard contraception I suppose we are pretty emancipated if we can afford to pay for it. Ireland has a boom economy that unfortunately has not benefited all of its citizens proportionately. The gap between the rich and poor is increasing, so access to contraception can be an issue for the poorer in our society.
There is also still a stigma attached to women who are sexually liberated. A man who "spreads his wild oats" is a hero, a woman who behaves similarly is vilified! How is this equality?
Yes, it is true that women can go out and work now and live very independently, but have women not always worked here? granted, the jobs may have been less than "glam" and the lowest paid but, what motivated women 50 years ago to work is exactly the same thing that motivated millions of women to get up out of their beds this morning and go to work...they had to! Single income households are a thing of the past here unless you are lucky enough to count yourself among the super-rich. The cost of living has surpassed all predictions.
What makes the whole situation even worse is that women are still expected to do the vast majority of child care and house work. This is compounded by official EU working time directives which gives women 6 months paid maternity leave yet gives men only 2 weeks of paid paternity leave! Should it not be up to the parents to decide who is going to be the primary care giver?
Currently it's seems as though women are still left with only one option. True; it is different to the one offered to our mothers and grandmothers but it is still the only legitimate option and that is to get out of bed at 5am to get yourself and your little bundles of joy ready for the day, drop them off to be looked after by strangers, arrive at work early to show your employer that of course work comes before anything else in your life while you're male counterparts strolls in a few minutes after nine and proceeds to read the newspaper for the first half an hour. Work late or face bemused gazes from said boss as you run out the door to try to get home on time to spend some quality time with your family before they have to go to bed and finally tackle the housework before falling exhausted into bed....oh yeah...that's so much better! On top of all of this there is even more pressure on women to maintain their looks, to keep their husbands/partners happy, continuously work on their relationships in the age of the "starter marriage" and divorce and still maintain a social life.
So this "feminist" is inclined to think that feminism is certainly not outdated it just needs to evolve, and it is doing just that. It is an important and influential school of thought that informs the fight against poverty. While women in the developed world no longer need to fight for the right to work outside the home or the right to vote etc, women are still not fully emancipated and until that is the case there is a need for feminism. While some of you may argue that the sort of feminism I subscribe to is a "lifestyle feminism" I believe that the Feminist clevage (no pun intended) is a global one and while the feminist movement has always been the reserve of the well to do, how dare we abandon those less fortunate than ourselves now that we have, at least most of, what we "want".
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