F-BOMB
International Women's Day (IWD) on 8th March reminded me of the days back in the 80s when, as an ardent feminist, us sistas used to send each other solidarity post cards with captions such as "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle". I wonder if women still do that sort of thing. I suppose not. It seems that IWD barely gets a mention at all anymore. It used to be one of the highlight conscious-raising days of the year when us sisters gathered for deep and meaningful discussion on sexual and gender politics (often over a lentil stew, beansprout salad and red wine.). Hairy legs and armpits were trendy, heaven forbid wearing lipstick, and a Brazilian was someone who lived in South America! Some of us went everywhere barefoot and rode a bicycle and, of course, most of us were vegetarian. But then feminism seems to have changed somewhat over the years.
The other day I asked my 17 year old daughter and her friend what they know about feminism. "Is that when those crazy ladies chained themselves to the fence to get the vote?" I explained that there have been waves of feminism. The suffragette stage in the early 20th century was the first wave, my active feminist days in the 80s were part of the second wave and now, apparently, we're in the third wave of feminism, or Lipstick Feminism. "Is that like a Tsunami then!" was the reply! A feminist tsunami - now there's a thought.
But on probing deeper, I found very little nurturing instincts with either of them. The thought of having babies horrified them, they don't want them, they want careers and babies will get in the way.…. But most of all they want to earn lots of money and have fun!
Second wave feminism empowered many women but it also generated a backlash stimulating negative stereotypes of what it means to be a feminist. Lipstick feminist find it sexually empowering to wear make up, dress up and hold feminist values. Women argue that by taking control of their sexuality from wearing short skirts to pole dancing they are empowering themselves and women in general. So now its OK for women to call each other "bitch" because they've taken control of the word. It seems anything goes as long you find it empowering (so if having a facelift and tummytuck empowers you then that's ok … hmmm? Perhaps if it can be pain free too?)
When I said to my daughter that now we're in the Lipstick Feminism wave she seemed reasonably happy to be part of that wave. But then she's got more attitude than her petite blond bombshell can handle and I'd say she's more part of the Grrrlll Power movement. All that attitude will, I'm sure, stand her in good stead. For her its automatic that she will go to university and do a science degree, whereas in my generation if it was a career especially anything to do with science you could become a nurse. And then that career would be put on hold while you raise your family. Little does she know that her sense of entitlement now is because of all the hard won struggles of the previous generations?
I have to say that I have always been true to my feminist ideals, have never been dependant on a man and have always worked through raising my three children. But everything seemed a struggle, from going to university, to climbing the rungs of a career and constantly hitting that glass ceiling. Many women have felt conned by feminism (perhaps in the second wave) when they believed they could have it all - the career, the children, the relationship, the power! When I found myself still hanging up the laundry at midnight after a long hard day's work and sleepless nights you don't feel like a superwoman, just super exhausted! Yet I would not want it any other way and have been glad to have grown up in a generation where women have informed choices and opportunities.
Since its birth Women's Day has grown to become a global day of recognition and celebration across developed and developing nations. There is now a significant change and attitudinal shift in women and society's thoughts about women's equality and emancipation. Younger generations may feel that all the battles have been won but unfortunately women are still not paid equally and globally education, health and violence against them is worse than that of men. Women are still largely absent from key decision-making positions in business and politics.
Still 1.3 billion people live in absolute poverty and majority are women, women work two thirds of the worlds working hours but earn only one tenth of the world's income and nearly a billion people in the world are illiterate, two thirds of them women. A women still dies every minute as a result of problems in pregnancy and childbirth and the vast majority are preventable. One in three women worldwide is beaten, coerced into sex and it is estimated that 100 million females are missing from the planet as a result of sex-selective abortion, discriminatory nutrition and routine violence against women, a 'gendercide" that far exceeds the genocides of the 20th century. Violence against women and the violation of women's rights are global problems.
But girls these days are outstripping boy's performance at school and (in the UK) there's been a five-fold increase in the number of women who earn more than their partners over the last generation. And the numbers of women in charge of the purse strings is likely to rise as a result of the recession which sees a greater proportion of men losing their jobs and women able to multitask with several part time jobs. Ironically for many its not a matter of choice but necessity and not necessarily empowering, just often very frustrating and exhausting as bills need to be paid. The rise of so-called breadwinning wives has led to a number of support groups for men. Men call each other "Brother" and "Bro" these days, a bit like us Sisters back in the second wave. Perhaps these support groups will grow into conscious-raising groups calling for a World Men's Day (WMD). But lets hope that this doesn't become confused with Weapons of Mass Destruction something very easily done.
International Women's Day (IWD) on 8th March reminded me of the days back in the 80s when, as an ardent feminist, us sistas used to send each other solidarity post cards with captions such as "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle". I wonder if women still do that sort of thing. I suppose not. It seems that IWD barely gets a mention at all anymore. It used to be one of the highlight conscious-raising days of the year when us sisters gathered for deep and meaningful discussion on sexual and gender politics (often over a lentil stew, beansprout salad and red wine.). Hairy legs and armpits were trendy, heaven forbid wearing lipstick, and a Brazilian was someone who lived in South America! Some of us went everywhere barefoot and rode a bicycle and, of course, most of us were vegetarian. But then feminism seems to have changed somewhat over the years.
The other day I asked my 17 year old daughter and her friend what they know about feminism. "Is that when those crazy ladies chained themselves to the fence to get the vote?" I explained that there have been waves of feminism. The suffragette stage in the early 20th century was the first wave, my active feminist days in the 80s were part of the second wave and now, apparently, we're in the third wave of feminism, or Lipstick Feminism. "Is that like a Tsunami then!" was the reply! A feminist tsunami - now there's a thought.
But on probing deeper, I found very little nurturing instincts with either of them. The thought of having babies horrified them, they don't want them, they want careers and babies will get in the way.…. But most of all they want to earn lots of money and have fun!
Second wave feminism empowered many women but it also generated a backlash stimulating negative stereotypes of what it means to be a feminist. Lipstick feminist find it sexually empowering to wear make up, dress up and hold feminist values. Women argue that by taking control of their sexuality from wearing short skirts to pole dancing they are empowering themselves and women in general. So now its OK for women to call each other "bitch" because they've taken control of the word. It seems anything goes as long you find it empowering (so if having a facelift and tummytuck empowers you then that's ok … hmmm? Perhaps if it can be pain free too?)
When I said to my daughter that now we're in the Lipstick Feminism wave she seemed reasonably happy to be part of that wave. But then she's got more attitude than her petite blond bombshell can handle and I'd say she's more part of the Grrrlll Power movement. All that attitude will, I'm sure, stand her in good stead. For her its automatic that she will go to university and do a science degree, whereas in my generation if it was a career especially anything to do with science you could become a nurse. And then that career would be put on hold while you raise your family. Little does she know that her sense of entitlement now is because of all the hard won struggles of the previous generations?
I have to say that I have always been true to my feminist ideals, have never been dependant on a man and have always worked through raising my three children. But everything seemed a struggle, from going to university, to climbing the rungs of a career and constantly hitting that glass ceiling. Many women have felt conned by feminism (perhaps in the second wave) when they believed they could have it all - the career, the children, the relationship, the power! When I found myself still hanging up the laundry at midnight after a long hard day's work and sleepless nights you don't feel like a superwoman, just super exhausted! Yet I would not want it any other way and have been glad to have grown up in a generation where women have informed choices and opportunities.
Since its birth Women's Day has grown to become a global day of recognition and celebration across developed and developing nations. There is now a significant change and attitudinal shift in women and society's thoughts about women's equality and emancipation. Younger generations may feel that all the battles have been won but unfortunately women are still not paid equally and globally education, health and violence against them is worse than that of men. Women are still largely absent from key decision-making positions in business and politics.
Still 1.3 billion people live in absolute poverty and majority are women, women work two thirds of the worlds working hours but earn only one tenth of the world's income and nearly a billion people in the world are illiterate, two thirds of them women. A women still dies every minute as a result of problems in pregnancy and childbirth and the vast majority are preventable. One in three women worldwide is beaten, coerced into sex and it is estimated that 100 million females are missing from the planet as a result of sex-selective abortion, discriminatory nutrition and routine violence against women, a 'gendercide" that far exceeds the genocides of the 20th century. Violence against women and the violation of women's rights are global problems.
But girls these days are outstripping boy's performance at school and (in the UK) there's been a five-fold increase in the number of women who earn more than their partners over the last generation. And the numbers of women in charge of the purse strings is likely to rise as a result of the recession which sees a greater proportion of men losing their jobs and women able to multitask with several part time jobs. Ironically for many its not a matter of choice but necessity and not necessarily empowering, just often very frustrating and exhausting as bills need to be paid. The rise of so-called breadwinning wives has led to a number of support groups for men. Men call each other "Brother" and "Bro" these days, a bit like us Sisters back in the second wave. Perhaps these support groups will grow into conscious-raising groups calling for a World Men's Day (WMD). But lets hope that this doesn't become confused with Weapons of Mass Destruction something very easily done.
ok what a great take on life !! :)
ReplyDeletego girl
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