by Saira Karim

Created on: June 27, 2008

Vivre La Feminista ! If anything women are more prominent and dominant in the workplace and on the political stage than ever before . Feminism is alive and well but has been redefined and revamped for a new generation of women bringing a different female awareness to their psyche. Being a "feminist", or aware of one's rights' as a woman does not mean being dressed up like a nouveau hippy in socks and birkenstocks espousing the works of Ms. Greer and Simone De Bouviour any more . Today women who speak out against domestic violence, protect women's rights and value women's role in society like demanding equality in the work place , equal shares in property and land , equal pay and voice their objectives for help with child care and domestic chores are all following traditional feminist ideas but don't necessarily have to label themselves as "feminists" per se.

Indeed the positive success of this movement as pioneered decades ago by Emily Pankhurst and the Suffragette movement is seen through out the daily lives of women all over the Western world . The progress that has been made is reflected throughout society at all levels from school girls being allowed to play soccer to women being licensed as truck drivers on the road but as with all social movements feminism still needs to reach the most vulnerable and the most needy. Feminism by its very nature is a highly controversial concept in new democracies or places where women have no access to freedoms in the most conventional sense.
Women still however, need support in education, skills and training programmes to ensure they remain within the work place and further,women still need to be treated on an equal footing with their male counterparts in traditionally male dominated professions. How often for example do we see a road construction builder who is female or a plumber or forklift driver ?

Running parrell to this idea is that "real" feminism is steeped in the fundamental belief that women are not only equal but often superior to men and this is easily expressed in contempoary lifestyles and the concept of "power females" similar to and anlagous with "alpha males " Madonna for example an iconic figure in female liberation has revolutionised the classic notion of feminism without losing her sass and style. In the earlier part of her career she used her overt sexuality to challenge barriers in the music world and then in the boardroom. Later on as her career progreseed she relaunched herself as a music diva and

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