Feminism is Still Fresh

Currently, the concept of feminism is misunderstood by those who are not familiar with it. The term strikes up images of man-hating, hairy women who are loud mouthed and annoying. For this reason, many people—both men and women—would not identify with this movement. Little do they know, there are no strict guidelines for a feminist. Whether or not a person decides to shave or wear make-up, regardless of sexual orientation, a feminist is a person who believes in equality of all humans. Just as the civil rights movement to further the racial minorities, the feminist movement is dedicated to the advancement of women.

According to the Webster’s New World College Dictionary, Feminism is “the principle that women should have political, economic, and social rights equal to those of men,” and I must say that I agree. A feminist is a humanist, a person who believes that all people should be equal. But there is not just one type of feminist. Linda M. Scott, author of Fresh Lipstick: Redressing Fashion and Feminism, talks about how detrimental it can be to place one certain appearance on feminism. She argues that “ideas about self-presentation, sexuality, consumption, power, and images that are specific to certain ethnic and class groups…[need] to be reexamined if the feminist movement is to be genuinely representative of all women,” and because these images cannot be compiled into one, it is harmful to believe that there is just one type of feminist.
(Scott 2) There are no restrictions based on gender, ethnicity, appearance, or class. A women can choose not to shave and be a feminist; she can wear high heels and dresses and be a feminist; a man can dress in drag, or dress like Brad Pitt—there is no one model of feminism. There is also not one set list of issues to be worked through for the feminist. In Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future, Jennifer Baudgardner writes that “[t]here will never be on platform for action that all women agree on…[F]eminism is as varied as the women it represents,” and feminists are united instead by the commitment to change the inequalities women face. (Baumgardner 47 & 48) There is no right or wrong path of feminism, but rather, it has evolved into something unique for each individual, because each person has their own personal way of identifying with the movement. Feminism began with the idea that women are independent beings, and therefore deserve rights separate from men and equal to them, and feminism still is based on that idea.

The feminist movement began with the suffragists, who largely were also a part of the abolitionist movement during the 1800s and early 1900s, rallying for the right to vote. The U.S. women’s suffrage movement was led by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Stanton. These women were working towards political equality, and thus freedom. Stanton once angrily questioned what person could hold the rights and responsibilities of another person in her defense of the movement, explaining the need for women to have a say in government. (Row-Finkbeiner 21) The women of the first wave of feminism were seen as threatening and were often arrested and jailed, and as seen in the film Iron Jawed Angels, were led to hunger strikes following the examples of Alice Paul, the found of the National Women’s Party. The first amendment to give women the right to vote was introduced in 1878, but did not pass until 1920. Unfortunately, many women were still restricted from this right due to Jim Crow laws, which required literacy tests and poll taxes at the voting polls. Even so, Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, author of The F-Word: Feminism in Jeopardy, writes that these women “helped change the perception of women from voiceless dependents to independent thinkers with a valid choice in shaping the country,” thus, still gaining a great deal for womankind. (Finkbeiner 23)

The second wave feminists had the right to vote and used their political power to continue towards equality. Notable names from this time include Betty Friedman, writer of The Feminine Mystique and Gloria Steinman, found of New York magazine. These women worked for increased gender equality in the workplace and government and greater access to birth control, including abortion. In the years after the first wave, feminists were fighting against the idea of “women’s work,” which allowed women to only have roles as teachers, nurses, and secretaries. They were seeking greater independence by gaining successful careers and vying for equal pay for equal work, which led to the creation of the Equal Rights Amendment. However, it still has yet to be passed.

Our generation is categorized at the third wave of feminism, and as Baumgardner writes e, “young women today feel as if they live their feminist lives without clear political struggles.” (Baumgardner 21) Many believe that feminism is an issue of the past because we have already achieved equality; however, not only are we still fighting to maintain what we have gained in the past, but there are still wage disparities between men and women, and great inequality in household relationships which puts more pressure on women. (Rowe-Finkbeiner 3) Women are expected now to work as much as men, but still are supposed to take care of their children, cook dinner, and keep an immaculate house. They are looked down upon when they must take off work to care for a sick child, or even take off for maternity leave. In many cases, this can jeopardize a women’s career, and is considered when she might be up for promotion or is first hired by a firm. Sexual harassment is still an issue both at work and in everyday life, as well as abuse, and sexual harassment was ruled an illegal form of job discrimination by the Supreme Court only 21 years ago. Sex education, child sexual abuse, body image, equal access to technology, self-mutilation, and globalization are other common issues addressed in the third wave. However, at this time, many women do not consider themselves feminists because they do not want to be labeled or put into a box, and for this reason, the feminist movement lacks clear unity and drive. (Rowe-Finkbeiner 2) Another possibility for this lack of unity is that this feminist movement is mostly defined by intellectuals, just as the other movements were said to have been led by upper-class, white females.

Many women are unaware that there is a feminist movement occurring, as was I before I became involved in Women’s Studies. Women’s Studies Programs are opening the intellectual field for analysis on gender issues of the past and present. The classes urge students to look for the inequalities between the genders and become aware of double standards. It also helps inform us of ways in which we can help the feminist movement, whether through simply volunteering, researching non-profit organizations to help, or just gaining and spreading awareness. Women’s Studies allows open intellectual discussion to occur in the classroom, and together the students learn and can come to their own conclusions about gender and the current state of women. Most importantly, it gives us language to use in order to analyze the issues we deal with in our individual lives, whether or not the students believe they are feminists or will ever take another Women’s Studies class. I have benefitted greatly from this class, and have enjoyed learning from the readings. The class allows those who are feminists to connect and reinforce their beliefs, along with learning new channels of communication and research. The Women’s Studies department allows for the advancement of intellectual thought in both women and men on the subject of feminism, and gives an opportunity for discourse and networking at the university. I am sure it both creates feminists and gives tools to the people who already were feminists, or had not yet realized it.

I, myself, am a feminist. I knew this before I took the class, but I am even more firm in my belief because of it. As Scott writes in Manifesta, “testimony is where feminism starts.” (Scott 20) I grew up in a feminist family: my grandmother ran away from an abusive husband and worked in order to take care of her six children by herself. My mother asked out my father instead of the other way around, and with three sisters, there was no distinction of male or female household chores, and we were all taught how to change our oil and our tires. We were always assured that we could do whatever we wanted, and when boys and girls were separated in school, it always confused and frustrated me. This frustration increased when I began to attend church in my teen years, where I felt men and women were not viewed equally. Apparently, as a member of the female species, I was not supposed to have sexual feelings, because we were ruled mostly by our emotions; men were the physical ones. They were also the leaders, and while women could lead, it was only when men failed to do so. I felt the women in the bible were greatly slighted when it came to telling their stories. Women were submissive, and must be modest so as not to lead men to sin. Girls could not wear bikinis to pool parties in the summer, but men could always walk around with their shirts off. Men were also seen as the foremost providers, and women were to be concerned with their children and pleasing their husbands. While I love what the church is supposed to be, I had grown tired with the skewed expectations of men and women, and found solace in feminism.

As my knowledge of feminism has grown, I have begun to identify with many of the issues being raised within the feminist community. Throughout her book,The F-Word, Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner uses interviews with women who express their concerns about family and relationships. I found that I had the same view as many of the young girls who were worried about how they would balance their family and their career later in life. I also firmly believe that sex education needs to be improved in school, as teenagers need to be educated on birth control and sexually transmitted diseases. I have performed in the Vagina Monologues and worked with the Advocates Against Sexual Assault on campus, and helped with the event Take Back the Night, both events which raise awareness about violence against women. Lastly, I understand what Rowe-Finkbeiner feels when she describes the dinner party in her book, stating that “[e]very issue…spiraled into our personal lives, and personal stories inevitably led to their political implications and strategies.” (Rowe-Finkbeiner 24) I adore the Norman Women’s Collective because it allows women from the community to come together and discuss women’s issues and how they relate to our lives. It is awesome to see how people of different sexual orientations and ethnicities can come together and talk about issues from their perspectives, and we can educate one another. I have no doubt the feminists before us felt the same.
I am a feminist, because I love humanity, and wish for all people to be equal. For this reason, the first suffragists rose from the abolitionist movement, and fought to win the right for all to vote. After they had gained the right to a political voice, women began fighting for economic and social equality as well, and the struggle continues. Women’s Studies courses and feminist groups allow for feminist thought to be brought to attention and for feminists to find methods of communication inside and outside of the college institution. While many believe we live in a post-feminist world, feminists are still trying to bring to light the ways in which women and men are unequal, in places such as work and the home. Feminists have been given a bad reputation in the past, but there is no one look or way of life for the feminist.
 
Works Cited

Baumgardner, Jennifer & Amy Richards. Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future. Farrar, Staus and Giroux. 2000: New York.
Rowe-Finkbeiner, Kristin. The F-Word: Women, Politics, and the Future. Seal Press. 2004: Emeryville, CA
Scott, Linda M. Fresh Lipstick: Redressing Fashion and Feminism. Palgrave MacMillan. 2004: New York.