by PracticalPhilosophy

Created on: October 17, 2010   Last Updated: October 18, 2010

Do modern women know what they want?

My immediate answer would be “no”. On the surface, it seems that no matter which stand I take, it would be deemed to be sexist. However, this can be looked at objectively and philosophically without indulging into sexist comments. Here are 3 simple and objective reasons to support my proposition:

1. Colloquially, feminists often cry out for fairness and equality. However, many do not realize that fairness and equality are not the same. Fairness, in a literal sense, means “just”. The best synonym for fairness would be equitable. Equality, on the other hand, means “sameness”. While there is an inextricable link between these two features, it is not always equitable or fair to treat male and female the same. For example, it is unequal, but absolutely fair, to give women the privilege to have maternity leave. Similarly, it is also unequal but fair to segregate male and female category in many sport events. The point is this; there are times where in order to be fair, one has to inevitably accept the differences between male and female. However, many women contradict themselves when they want to prove that they can be equal to male, yet at the same time refuse to give up the privileges that are meant to be fair. What do women actually want; the acknowledgement of their femininity or equal treatment?

2. Women often like to prove that this is not a male dominated world by achieving what the male can achieve. There are certain activities that are generally accepted as a “male” activity and vice versa (not taking into account the exceptions). For example, more and more females try to play football to prove that it is not a sport that can only be dominated by male. Many, however, miss the point. What exactly does “domination” mean? It is not as simple as looking at the numbers of male or female in a particular activity. It is also about concepts and ideas. Ever wonder why it is common for female to be interested in football, but not male in netball? This is because football has been well marketed by the men as part of their domination in concept and ideas. Women who try to prove that this is not a male dominated world by participating in male activities are actually contradicting themselves.

3. Modern women like to prove that they can have the same social status as men. They justify this by illustrating the proliferation of their gender in high ranking positions in various fields. For example, there are more and more female judges that are appointed in England. Margaret Thatcher is also often quoted as a proud example. However, do these figures who have high social status actually represent women? Let’s take Margaret Thatcher for example; though she may be a woman, she was often described as the iron lady with velvet gloves. Similarly, corporate women who are in high ranking positions are generally seen as less feminine. To put it simply, although there are exceptions, women with high social statuses generally adopt what are socially accepted as male features. The question remains; do these women actually gave up their femininity consciously for their social status? Do they really know what they want?

There are of course many exceptional women who have high achievements without falling into any of the above category. These women actually know what they truly want. However, the general modern women who claim to know what they want often contradict themselves.

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