Is Feminism A Good Fit Today?
What Works And What Do Young Women Want?
Having lived through the first and second waves of the Women’s Revolution, it’s interesting to me to ponder what many people call the current evolution—The Third Wave.
In 2004, thirty-one year-old Lisa Jervis wrote in Ms. Magazine, “We’ve reached the end of the wave terminology’s usefulness. What was at first a handy-dandy way to refer to feminism’s history and its present and future potential with a single metaphor has become shorthand that invites intellectual laziness, an escape hatch from the hard work of distinguishing between core beliefs and a cultural moment.”
Canvasing our large and vocal audience at WomensMedia, I’ve gotten this message from women in their 20’s, “I don’t need another wave. I don’t need to agree to a platform. I just need to do what I believe is right for me.” I support women who feel this way, but I’m working hard to add the idea “and I’ll help other women along the way.” Each of us can plow through the workplace and pick up a successful strategy here and there over the years. At the end of your career, you can look at your accumulated knowledge and realize you could give a young woman a head start today. I know it takes an effort and some time, but it’s one of the most important things women need to do to help other women move up from second-class status in the working world.
Women should have an equal shot in business. We’re in the pipeline—half the workforce. We have the credentials—we’re graduating from college in record numbers. We’re dependable—we’ve shown we’ll come back, ever-loyal, after getting our families off to a good start . . .if, you’ll give us the chance. What aren’t we getting? We aren’t getting the rapid promotions, the good salaries, and the upper management positions that go to men.
Now, don’t you think this would make women want to bring back Gloria Steinem and start the marches again? Well it doesn’t. When I talk to women about being treated equal to men at work, I get push-back at the hint of the word “feminism” or the thought of speaking up about unfairness in the workplace. They tell me they don’t hate men. Where does that comment come from? They sadly shake their heads and agree they’ve experienced setbacks that don’t happen to their male peers. I sense they want to help themselves, and they’d consider helping other women, but they want to avoid, at all costs, being put in the Troublemaker Bin! OK, I can agree with part of it. I can agree that when you’re tossed into the Toublemaker Bin, you’re at a distinct disadvantage in that company. Find your resume and start polishing it up. I can agree it’s sad to experience inequities just because you’re a woman. But I cannot agree you should be passive every time you’re mistreated. And I cannot agree that being For Women includes Being Against Men.
Tip: How do you answer that ubiquitous question: Are you a feminist? Try saying: I’m for women and not against men. While I’m preaching, I want to remind you to help at least one other woman this week. That’s why I’m blogging. I want to give you something to discuss with other women that will fuel progress. You’ll do a better job of speaking up when you see unfairness if you have a pact with another woman. You don’t have to speak up with an angry voice—remember humor is easier to swallow. This week, discuss one It’s-Just-Not-Fair that seems to happen only to women in your business. Talk about what you’ll say from now on—every time it happens. Shining a small spotlight repeatedly is how we’ll make change happen.
Further Reading:
Website, WomensMedia, by Debra Meyerson, Gender in Business: Speak Up About Double Standards
The Choice Is Yours
Website, Women’s eNews, by Courtney E. Martin, Young Women Say Generation Labels Need Not Apply
Book, by Melody Berger, We Don’t Need Another Wave: Dispatches from the Next Generation of Feminists
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Nancy,
Your post struck such a chord with me! In my first years of college, I remember saying that I was not a feminist because I like men … and then I took a class in Women’s Literature that changed my life. At the time, I was a professional runway model. After that class, I quit modeling (and happily gained 30 pounds so I could look like a real woman), took on a full-time class load, and proudly declared myself a feminist. (I also stopped referring to myself as a girl … I am a grrrrl! and a woman.)
Yet I still cringe every time I refer to myself as a feminist because I know the stigma that word has now. And WHY?? Women still face disregard and lack of opportunity that men simply don’t. Feminism, as a movement, remains a dire need. How do we remove that stigma and get women (and men!) involved in feminism once again?
I don’t have a magic answer to that question, but I do believe we have to include men in the movement. After all, feminist advances benefit men, too. For example, my husband is a stay-at-home dad. He’s a natural nurturer and I’m a natural businessperson. It works beautifully. But not very long ago, he would not have had that opportunity. I would not have been able to earn enough to support the family (many women still cannot), and he would have been shunned. There are so many men out there who would welcome the opportunity to slip their own societal bonds. By working together, we can make it happen.
Ahhh … I’ll step down from my soapbox now. I thank you for broaching this important topic. There’s a great book I recommend for anyone who reads this blog, too. It’s _The F-Word: Feminism in Jeopardy_ by Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner.
Yara Nielsenshultz
Red Pepper Writing
Comment by YaraN — November 3, 2006 @ 10:40 pm