I was reading a popular opinion blog on a news site today, on the demise of the feminist movement. I think we can all agree that feminism isn't what it once was. There was a time last century when women held rallies and protests and burned their bras. In the century before that a woman threw herself under a horse for women's suffrage. But back then feminism was a good thing; a revolutionary concept. As the blog points out, today it has become a dirty word.
It's not hard to see why. Today if you call yourself a feminist you're lumped into a category of man-haters and bra-burners. In the readers comments on that blog you see some take it even further. They believe women don't want equality at all, but superiority. The believe women want to have their cake and eat it too, or the more modern interpretation they want everything a man gets, but still want special treatment at a night club.
I will confess that in my teens I got swept up in the wave of "Girl Power" that was generated at the height of the Spice Girls' fame. I wore the t-shirts, and I spouted all the sentiments. I never burnt a bra, but I wanted women to rule the world. But I was only 13, and didn't completely understand what feminism was about, I was merely caught up in the popularity of it. However, an epiphany came from the most unlikely of places; a science fiction novel.
The novel I speak of was The City And The Stars by Arthur C Clarke. For those who love sci-fi, this novel is a thing of beauty. Set billions of years in the future, when the Earth is in ruin except for one domed city. One page of this book changed my life. On that page the protagonist takes his ex lover to a part of the city that is quite cold, and so he gives her his cloak to keep warm.
It doesn't sound like much. Merely an act of chivalry. Except that in this future there is no such concept. In this city men and women are entirely equal. The man gave the woman his cloak out of guilt, because he had brought her to this cold place. Had she taken him, he would have been wearing her cloak. For me this was a revelation. From that page in that book I learnt what true equality between the sexes could be.
There are those who believe men and women in the Western world are already equal. Well, not quite. We've made progress for sure. Women can vote, we can drive, become a CEO, even the Governor General. Many news writers will quote that there is a difference in what women earn compared to men - I'm honestly not sure this will ever change. There will always be women who choose to raise kids rather than have a career, or choose a lower-paying job that better suits their family life. There is no shame in this as long as it remains a choice. But there is still a long way to go.
I recently heard a teacher complain that a student had asked to see her breasts. I read a blog where a woman was told she was responsible for having been raped because her behaviour made it seem like she wanted it. I've heard employers say they won't employ women of childbearing age, so they don't have to deal with maternity leave. I personally have been asked in job interviews if I'm married or intend on having kids - questions than an employer isn't really allowed to ask, but which I answer because I'm scared I might miss out on the job if I protest. Domestic abuse and rape remain at levels that are just too high. This is hardly my idea of equality, and I simply can't believe this is as good as it's ever going to get.
However, going through the reader comments on the blog I read, what really stood out to me was that many men seem to feel that in today's society they are downtrodden ones. This is not news to me, I have sat through a few lectures from men who believe women get special treatment and it's just not fair. The funny thing is that they're sort of right. But only sort of. These downtrodden males quote a few examples of how they are made to feel the lesser sex.
There are massive efforts to raise funds for breast cancer each year, but far less is raised for prostate cancer. There are hundreds of women-only gyms around the country, but none that are only for men. Women get the final say of whether they have a baby, and men are stuck paying the child support, not to mention paying taxes that award women the baby bonus, and soon possibly maternity leave too. Both sexes can be victims of sexual or domestic abuse, but women are encouraged to speak out. Men are more likely to keep quiet for fear of being labelled a sissy.
This thing we need to acknowledge though is that it has taken over a century of fighting for women to achieve these things. Two decades ago the only way to support breast cancer funding was to wear a pink ribbon, now the month of October is awash with pink products, but it took a long time to achieve that. We fought to get the final say over the children we carry, give birth to, and raise. Once upon a time we weren't allowed to speak out over domestic abuse either, because our husband was the boss.
Personally, I'd like to see all these difference be ironed out. If I could buy a bottle of tomato sauce with a moustache on it, in the knowledge the company would donate money to prostate cancer funding, I'd jump at the chance. I'd like to see some separated fathers get more access to their children, and more say in their upbringing, which currently the law doesn't always allow for. I'd like to see some men-only gyms open. Some believe there would be protests if a men-only gym opened, of women campaigning to be allowed in. But for as song as women-only and unisex gyms exist, I highly doubt that. It's not like the old days, we don't have women campaigning to get into the masons purely because it's for men only, they now have their own women only version. I'd like very much to see men seek help if they are being abused. But these things won't happen overnight. Women have had to work hard to achieve these great things, so men need to put in the legwork.
Now is not the time to rest on our laurels and say "this will do". Both sexes have to work towards true equality.
It's not hard to see why. Today if you call yourself a feminist you're lumped into a category of man-haters and bra-burners. In the readers comments on that blog you see some take it even further. They believe women don't want equality at all, but superiority. The believe women want to have their cake and eat it too, or the more modern interpretation they want everything a man gets, but still want special treatment at a night club.
I will confess that in my teens I got swept up in the wave of "Girl Power" that was generated at the height of the Spice Girls' fame. I wore the t-shirts, and I spouted all the sentiments. I never burnt a bra, but I wanted women to rule the world. But I was only 13, and didn't completely understand what feminism was about, I was merely caught up in the popularity of it. However, an epiphany came from the most unlikely of places; a science fiction novel.
The novel I speak of was The City And The Stars by Arthur C Clarke. For those who love sci-fi, this novel is a thing of beauty. Set billions of years in the future, when the Earth is in ruin except for one domed city. One page of this book changed my life. On that page the protagonist takes his ex lover to a part of the city that is quite cold, and so he gives her his cloak to keep warm.
It doesn't sound like much. Merely an act of chivalry. Except that in this future there is no such concept. In this city men and women are entirely equal. The man gave the woman his cloak out of guilt, because he had brought her to this cold place. Had she taken him, he would have been wearing her cloak. For me this was a revelation. From that page in that book I learnt what true equality between the sexes could be.
There are those who believe men and women in the Western world are already equal. Well, not quite. We've made progress for sure. Women can vote, we can drive, become a CEO, even the Governor General. Many news writers will quote that there is a difference in what women earn compared to men - I'm honestly not sure this will ever change. There will always be women who choose to raise kids rather than have a career, or choose a lower-paying job that better suits their family life. There is no shame in this as long as it remains a choice. But there is still a long way to go.
I recently heard a teacher complain that a student had asked to see her breasts. I read a blog where a woman was told she was responsible for having been raped because her behaviour made it seem like she wanted it. I've heard employers say they won't employ women of childbearing age, so they don't have to deal with maternity leave. I personally have been asked in job interviews if I'm married or intend on having kids - questions than an employer isn't really allowed to ask, but which I answer because I'm scared I might miss out on the job if I protest. Domestic abuse and rape remain at levels that are just too high. This is hardly my idea of equality, and I simply can't believe this is as good as it's ever going to get.
However, going through the reader comments on the blog I read, what really stood out to me was that many men seem to feel that in today's society they are downtrodden ones. This is not news to me, I have sat through a few lectures from men who believe women get special treatment and it's just not fair. The funny thing is that they're sort of right. But only sort of. These downtrodden males quote a few examples of how they are made to feel the lesser sex.
There are massive efforts to raise funds for breast cancer each year, but far less is raised for prostate cancer. There are hundreds of women-only gyms around the country, but none that are only for men. Women get the final say of whether they have a baby, and men are stuck paying the child support, not to mention paying taxes that award women the baby bonus, and soon possibly maternity leave too. Both sexes can be victims of sexual or domestic abuse, but women are encouraged to speak out. Men are more likely to keep quiet for fear of being labelled a sissy.
This thing we need to acknowledge though is that it has taken over a century of fighting for women to achieve these things. Two decades ago the only way to support breast cancer funding was to wear a pink ribbon, now the month of October is awash with pink products, but it took a long time to achieve that. We fought to get the final say over the children we carry, give birth to, and raise. Once upon a time we weren't allowed to speak out over domestic abuse either, because our husband was the boss.
Personally, I'd like to see all these difference be ironed out. If I could buy a bottle of tomato sauce with a moustache on it, in the knowledge the company would donate money to prostate cancer funding, I'd jump at the chance. I'd like to see some separated fathers get more access to their children, and more say in their upbringing, which currently the law doesn't always allow for. I'd like to see some men-only gyms open. Some believe there would be protests if a men-only gym opened, of women campaigning to be allowed in. But for as song as women-only and unisex gyms exist, I highly doubt that. It's not like the old days, we don't have women campaigning to get into the masons purely because it's for men only, they now have their own women only version. I'd like very much to see men seek help if they are being abused. But these things won't happen overnight. Women have had to work hard to achieve these great things, so men need to put in the legwork.
Now is not the time to rest on our laurels and say "this will do". Both sexes have to work towards true equality.
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