Recently I was asked to explain what American women could do to reclaim feminism....
I am a very free-willed young woman and am not afraid to speak my mind. No matter what the situation, I’m always there to lend a hand, or an opinion, if need be. That statement, alone, says something for feminists of this world.
I am not afraid to speak my mind because I know, both as a woman, and as a person, my opinion matters. My vote counts. Feminists have gotten us this far. American women are, in every sense of the word, free. We are free to work anywhere we please. We can speak our minds. We no longer feel pressure to be the stay-at-home Mom. We choose our own path and can accomplish anything we set our minds to. I believe feminism is one of the greatest achievements of all time.
Having said that; sad as it may be, I believe feminists are taking a turn down the wrong path. Look how far we, as American women, have come. We have a woman for Secretary of State, according to several political analysts, we have the possibility of a woman running for the 2008 Presidential election, women are now CEO’s of conglomerate corporations. American women are no longer oppressed. We are not denied any opportunities. American women are accepted as doctors, lawyers, construction workers, or any other profession we should pursue.
Why then, do feminists feel the need to beg for a problem? How can one woman rant about how we need to be equal to men, but then disagree about women being drafted, just as men are. Feminists are becoming hypocrites. If we want to be treated like men, we need to take the good as well as the bad. In today’s society, women want to be paid like a man, but treated like a woman.
Christina Hoff Sommers said “Feminism in this country has become a parody of itself. We need a forward-looking movement, guided by common sense and fairness. Instead, we've got political correctness, victim politics and male-bashing”. American women are as free as any American man, yet, we seem to be on this downward spiral; constantly needing feministic changes. When will it be enough? When will we all be able to just sit back and smile about what we have accomplished, and leave it at that? Probably never.
Maybe the problem lies within human nature. Maybe it is a flaw; the constant need to accomplish more. I cannot say for sure. However, what I can say for sure is that I do not believe it is a matter of what we can do to reclaim feminism. It is more a matter of what we need to do to show we are proud of where we are and what feminists have accomplished thus far. We need to carry on the legacy. We need to stand up and show we are proud of what we have accomplished. We all have rights! It’s time to stop picking and choosing which ones we want to exercise. Step up, and take it like a man.
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We haven't even begun to fight for freedom...1 out of three women is still raped, most women face sexual harassment on a daily basis, women STILL can't get their birth control covered by insurance, women still don't get paid as well as men for the same jobs, women still are expected to do all the homemaking stuff as well as work, and you say we are free? I don't think so.
I wish we could all live as a man, for just one day, so that we could see the difference in the way we are treated. Men are bewildered when I tell them that I get sexually harassed regularly; apparently that doesn't happen to men. Men aren't looked at (in most cases,) as a giant penis; women are looked at in that way...
Look at how women are portrayed on t.v.; we are STILL competing on reality t.v. shows for the love of some gross, over payed, ex rock star...
Is this the "progress" you are referring to? I think we may have gone a bit backward actually...
Love,
Sycamore Fitch