by Sammy Stein

Created on: March 02, 2009

Feminists are in a difficult situation right now because, at last, everyone has listened and we now expect just as much from women - if not more - than we do from men. Feminists have, for the first time, come to a point where they are saying, ' Yes, we want equality ..er..no I do not want to drive a lorry or be a builder (please).' There are limits to what many women can do because, just like men, some of them are tiny and a tiny woman has a lot less power than a tiny man, simply due to Nature. So, the dilemma is on the one hand feminists have been shouting for so long for equality that now they have it, they are perhaps just a bit unsure of where it will lead and on the other hand, would not doing certain things be seen as admitting they were wrong to ask for equality in the first place? .

I know, probably many feminists will read this and say , ' we want women driving lorries and digging foundations!' and there is, on paper, no earthly reason why not but really? Do you want to? Could you do it for 30 plus years?

The other thing is that feminism is in danger of being actually used by men. Men are just so good at getting out of work that when a woman comes along who wants to decorate , garden, do the wiring, tile the walls and mow the lawn, the men say,'yes, go for it love, you are equal to us now', but do you find many of them (apart from a noted few bless you all!) doing the laundry, making meals, washing up? No, they either expect the woman to do their traditional jobs PLUS the new ones or, they get the kids to do them, rewarding the 'chores' with small parcels of cash or words of praise. I know several women who are trying to be super people by doing both traditional male and female roles in the home.

So, feminists have not really gone away, they have just got to the point where they are going to have to state a few facts and still not be seen as taking any steps backwards.

I think women now really do not see themselves as feminists if they get a good job, are the main bread winner or have control of the house and many men would agree. The real feminists are those women who went before us, fighting for the vote, burning bras and generally getting the men to realise how valuable women are. Women and men are equal but feminists have to make sure that men do not turn into drones, only useful when it comes to mating with the queen bee and I think the feminists are currently hiding somewhere thinking over this dilemma.

Learn more about this author, Sammy Stein.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.