"I don't like being called a feminist. I'm a woman. That's it."

I don't think that's true, mignon. I meet shedloads of women her age all the time (because I work with them) and very few lack opinions or don't want to discuss things. I think actually lots of young women (just like lots of older women) feel they have to put on a front and not look as if they're interested in things.

I don't give her points for engaging. This is a cheap and easy 'opinion' to hold - it's not original writing, it's a re-hash of points being made with the same tedious claims all over the place.

Oh no.

This is a terrible article on so many levels. It's immature and entitled, and it's not very well written. Shame on the Huffington Post for publishing this, because the writer just comes across as sounding young and inexperienced instead of being convincingly provocative/offering an alternative, considered standpoint.

I suppose you're right, though mignonette - at least she's engaging...

Yes, she's immature. Yes, she hasn't grasped why she is able to say in print, why she does not see herself as a Feminist.

But at least she's engaging in the debate when so many young women seem not to want to form any opinions on the state of 'their' nation at all...

'But if we class this sort of behaviour as sexism, then surely we are diminishing what sexism actually is?'

Oh not this again - 'stop making a fuss you pathetic wimps, let me tell you about some real sexism'. This is just so tedious. Feminism is not a competition and silencing other women like this is just not helpful.

I am always wary of anyone who uses 'males' and 'females' to describe people rather than animals. The only people I've heard use these words to describe humans (outside of a discussion about biology) have been misogynists.

I used to think (when I was young and foolish, perhaps much with that writer) that all this feminism and gender studies is a waste of time. But now I understand: if you cannot name something you cannot fight against it. Even coming on here and seeing how people analyse and talk about things allows you (me) to clarify why it is that, for example, people apologising for swearing in front of "ladies" should be so infuriating, why Page 3 is an affront etc etc, even though you already feel that something is wrong with these things. To articulate is important.

As for changing the world, of course we are changing the world. It doesn't happen in one day. But one more person being told it would not do to objectify women, one more person who realises how the world operates (talking to BIL this weekend who thought the equal pay act got rid of unequal pay between men and women ), one more person with raised awareness, that's got to change something. No? Am I overly optimistic? Don't care.

Yes, that's how I feel too.

I am torn over it - I think there are degrees to it all, and probably all of us, feminists or not, are always finding new limitations on us we weren't aware of - or we're feeling crushed and we don't know why. But I think I would rather know, than be hitting out like that, and making hypocritical demands on society.

I can see why she's making those demands and getting angry with feminism; it just doesn't seem terribly healthy or likely to do much for her in the long run.

annie - did you 'find' the outrage/impotence in feminism, though, or was it always there? I'm not trying to be snarky/smug, I mean, I don't know if you're saying feminism makes women impotent, or it makes us aware we already were?

I'm afraid I read that article and I want to shake her. It is immensely disrespectful to write that and she comes across as a shallow, selfish, privilged person who thinks what matters most is how she looks to other people. She's happy to dictate ('Ditch the f-word. It's not doing us any favours.'), but insists other women should not be allowed to speak for her.

It makes me fucking furious and I know I should be directing that at the people who publish this sort of guff (which I hope and trust the writer will be ashamed of in a few years time). But just now I'm struggling not to be simply angry with her.

"Nearly every time I venture on a night out I am groped by a leering male. I don't think this is sexism. I think it's rude, immature males who don't know how to behave around women."

Sigh...

If men were objectified like women and casually groped and leered at on anything like the same scale as women, then maybe we could put it down to 'rudeness' and 'immaturity'. Otherwise, well, try joining the dots.

It's such a struggle to debate with people who steadfastly keep those blinkers over their eyes.

Last time I looked at the voting on this, the feminist 'n' proud had changed more minds than the not-a-feminist.

And, before anyone asks, I'm not speaking for you either, I'm speaking for myself. Because I want to. And, more importantly, because I can

And why can you speak for yourself Lucy Sherriff? Think on it....

The impression I got from reading this is that it is written by a rather immature woman not long out of university and with not much real life experience. Give her time.....

Personally, I don't think feminism is about writing placards or marching particularly. It's about how you see the world and your place in it as a fully functioning human being.

And yes Lucy Sherriff, if you believe in having the vote, being paid the same as a man for the same work, in having equal opportunities etc. then you are a feminist - even if you don't call yourself one. The rest is merely semantics.