does feminism play a part in every thing.

[McNewPants2013]

I agree with feminism, and I thank all those women who have fought for the same rights as a male.

But does feminism play a part in everything in life.

For me, yes, I think so. But that's personal. It doesn't for lots of people and that's their business.

just on the top of my head.

things like premiership football, where male do get alot of media attention.

"I would love to know an area in life in which equal rights shouldn't be an issue."

maternity for a start..

Er...that would be a yes, really.

squeakytoy, good example.

Ah, but which feminism...the various factions seem to spend so much time fighting each other afaics.

IMO in most areas equality works but some where there are real differences (eg maternity) there is no point carrying on as if there are none.

I think everything in life can be examined from a feminist perspective, so yes.

I don't think feminism is as simple as 'equal rights', as squeakytoy's example of maternity demonstrates - or rather, 'equal' doesn't necessarily mean 'the same'.

Feminism is very relevant to maternity because it's women who bear the children and the way society is set up at the moment, that prevents us from being equal. It doesn't have to be that way. We could change society so that those who bear children (or are potential bearers of children) are not at a disadvantage.

I don't think about feminism all the time (obviously ) but I think it's possible to apply feminism to everything and ask how things are measuring up. For example if you're watching the news, how long can you go before hearing about anything a woman has done?

Yes, in the same way that politics plays a part in everything. Everything is political, and everything has a bearing on how women function in this society.

But feminism means different things to different people.

I think maternity is a difficult on with feminism.

I would hate to have had the same matenity/paternity rights as men.

Yes, to me it does. Premiership football is an issue (to use your example) because womens' sports aren't given anywhere near as much coverage, because the coverage of sports is male-dominated, and there seems to be an abundance of scantily clad women when really there is no need for that (although the US is very much worse in this respect and we don't tend to have half-naked women on football oriented TV programmes).

" Yes, in the same way that politics plays a part in everything. Everything is political, and everything has a bearing on how women function in this society."

Agree with this 100%

male nannys?

I see nothing wrong with male nanny's, MW or any other 'women' based jobs.

Men & women are not the same which is, I think, a good thing. I see no reason why men & women cannot do the same jobs, assuming they are intellectually & physically suited to so do.

My only concern is that men & women in the same job & on the same grade do not always get the same pay & conditions. This is entirely wrong.

It's not about maternity rights being reduced to match men as they currently stand though. It's recognising that time off after having a baby could be equally split between men and women, or men could take the lions share of the time off (once the woman has recovered from the birth of course).

IMO feminism absolutely plays a part in most things.

okay what about the women tennis players who want equal pay yet not prepared to equal PLAY?

theyre not prepared for 5 set matches yet want the same money as the men? That's unfair to the men.

Macenroe and Rusedtski said that and got flamed for being sexist yet if they asked, say, Serena or Azarenka would they say theyd play a 5 setter then?

or mixed singles?

parental leave, rather than maternal or paternal leave. More choice, more equality - not less.

For me it is in everything, yes. I don't think about it all day, but it informs all my decisions

The example of maternity is a common misunderstanding. Men and women aren't the same, but should be equal.
So obviously women give birth and breastfeed and men don't. But we should put things in place - like rooms for expressing at work, to give a small example - where the fct that women want to bf doesn't ruin their career.

recognising that time off after having a baby could be equally split....

What about breastfeeding?

This whole thing is complicated.

Sorry, that post tailed off and made no sense at the end, DH walked in with chips

For me, Feminism is not so much equal rights as the elimination of discrimination and consideration that there may be a different and valid other way ...

And yes, it affects all aspects of life.

Sorry I should have said time could be equally split should both parents want it to be - bf does make things more complex of course. But if maternity leave then leads into pt work, that's where women start falling off the career cliff. And one way to stop that is making childcare more equal right from the start.