To be a bit dismayed if 4 million women visit this site,why are there so few posts on the feminism threads?

[Scarletohello]

Ok so I know there are lots of lurkers but if there are really millions of women who go on MN, why are so many threads on the feminism section consisting of so few women? It doesn't make sense to me as so many issues that
women post about on many different topics are actually feminist issues when it comes down to it...

There have been a whole succession of murdered women in th news this week alone.......

lucy I agree that what is important is that women do not have real choices or autonomy over their own body.

No, partly down to people yelling them shaving is anti-feminist. How do we ever expect to have full autonomy over our body's if women are going round telling women what they should should do with their bodies. Telling people their personal choices are anti feminist is the same as men who call women who don't save, Lesbians , like they used to in the 80s.

If women don't let other women makes their own choices without the 'but only one I the right choice', we don't stand a chance.

Yeah, all this telling men they are not needed in the family has got to stop, feminists!

Yes I do feel that men get pushed out.

I think it is really hard for them to get access to children on an equal basis.

I read many threads on here in which women complain that their DH has done something with the kids that she didn't approve of. (As if it is her right to decide everything)

I read threads in which posters urge women to leave without even thinking that the DC are the man's children too. The man/woman relationship breaks down and the advice is leave, (and take the kids - he'll just have to pay)

I agree about government and big business but in other organizations and on a day to day level it is less the case. (No examples yet - will have to research a bit)

I believe unemployment is higher amongst men at the moment - but will have to check.

I do feel men are constantly ridiculed and belittled. (Small penises, small brains, nerdy, can't dress themselves, arrogant, useless with the DC etc)

I also have a DS who is struggling and I think that has something to do with the way I think.

Sorry I have to go as going out this evening. (Don't feel in the least like it now of course!). Will return to this as I learn from these threads and value the opinion of other posters.

Cali I think some feminists do have an agenda to belittle men. O also think some feminists are use that term only to belittle people in general.

But that can said of all groups, they use their group and ideology to belittle others.

"If women don't let other women makes their own choices without the 'but only one I the right choice', we don't stand a chance."

Do you think any choice made by a woman is a feminist choice?

Hak I think some are feminist choices, some are just personal choices.

Hak I also think telling women their own choices about their own body is wrong, is an attempt at controlling women. An attempt at taking away their personal choice and their right to do so.

I started to question my commitment to feminism after trying to produce materials to support men who were victims of domestic abuse and coming up against a women's refuge group who tried to stop us.
We worked with a women's group on materials to support women and a men's support group on materials to support men and the women's group did their best to stop the materials for men.
I'm not going to get into an argument here about whether domestic abuse is the result of a patriarchal society, but I was shocked that a feminist group would try to stop support for men.

shewept - Virtually all young women in Britain shave. So clearly feminists are not stopping women shaving. Instead if young women do not want to shave, they are often ridiculed. The pressure is all one way.

I've tried to google the acronym, with no result. What does FWR stand for?

Thanks

Because maybe since the advent of gender equality in this country there isn't really a pressing need for a feminism section. Unless of course it's to discuss an equality where some are more equal than others.

I also think the way people talk about men on these threads would be totally unacceptable if it was men talking about a woman. "She's run up a credit card debt behind your back? What a stupid cow. Dump the bitch."

lucycant I dispute this. Because the surveys that show this are done with a small group of people and worked out to make an average. In comparison to how many women there are, they don't ask even nearly all.

I also disagree because, having had this conversation at work (promoted by a thread here) many women didn't.

Beside which, if some feel that HAVE to shave to be attractive...thats a feminist issue.

The fact that I shave because I lift weight and partake in functional fitness, so my bits get uncomfortably sweaty...is a personal choice. My choice as a human being. Nothing to do with media or attractiveness. Or because the Daily Fail wrote an article about women being more attractive if they shave even if you can't see it or some rubbish.

As I have said I will happily train in shorts and unshaved legs, if I don't particularly want to shave them. I have no worries about what other people perceive as attractive. I shave my body hair as and when I want to, for my own reasons. Its not a anti-feminist issue.

Also women and men have shaved their entire bodies for thousands of years, without the influence of the daily mail and countless prob websites.

I think Buffy is one of the valuable posters on FWR. She listens to other views and is not as intense as some of the other regulars- although sometimes I have no idea what she is talking about

Sometimes the posts can be very academic - which is off putting if you haven't a clue what people are discussing.

"The advent of gender equality" Burke? So the fact that women get paid less than men, that 50,000 women a year lose their jobs due to pregnancy, that only 23% of the government is female, that 85,000 women a year get raped in the UK, is not a problem? We're all equal except for the fact that women don't earn the same as men, or hold the same power and get attacked in their thousands by men?

Also lucycant its not up to feminists to stop women shaving, surely? Its about getting to a point where women are making these decisions for themselves, because that's what they want not because they feel they have to. Which I what I have done. Its my decision, based on my life my situation and I don't care what anyone else thinks my vagina should look like.

That's feminism. My decision about my body. For me. No one else.

shewept - I have heard midwifes say that under a certain age, the women they see will probably be shaved, and over a certain age will probably not be. Midwives see a very varied cross section of society. And it is not based on self reporting.

Women being raped is a problem! Wow I never thought about that! Good job there was a feminist around to educate me.

Buffy, no it was because they thought there is no real need for materials for men, domestic abuse is different for men and women (I agree) and not so dangerous for men as they are less likely to report a pattern of abusive behaviour. And women who see posters aimed at male victims might think they won't be believed and decide not to ask for help. We'd already said the posters would be in single-sex toilets.
The thing that most annoyed me was they said we could just print the poster aimed at women, it would also work for men. Despite the fact it was PINK and had "women's helpline number:..." on it and the reason many men don't report abuse being humiliation because it's seen as an issue for women.
I agree that MANY more women die at the hands of men than vice versa, but does that mean we completely write off the men who are at risk?