Are you a feminist?

[spacedonkey]

I was born in 1968, so I'm one generation on from the 1960s/1970s women's rights movement generation. Growing up I was more focused on hating Thatch than women's issues - it seemed the battle for equality had been won. But it hasn't. And increasingly I find myself reaching for the dungarees, so annoyed do I get about the continuing inequalities women experience (still paid less than men, getting sacked for being pregnant, still doing most of the unpaid work in the home, not to mention the tyranny of "beauty" etc).

Where is feminism these days?

I was a member of that. Did you ever go to Sisterwrite (women's bookshop/cafe in Islington)?

No, I was too much the provincial!

It really wasn't the most welcoming place on earth if you were wearing heels and makeup, I'll tell you that much.

I bet!

And a big skirt and a fur hat!

Oh My God(ess), were you looking for a fight????

I always dressed like that!

two worlds colliding! I'd love to have been a fly on the wall.

i'd probably fit in fine nowadays !

Aloha, you weren't the only one in make-up! I used to wear a huge fake leopard-print coat, big hat, fishnet tights, and red DMs. With an Anarchist/feminist symbol painted on. I looked like a law student pretending to be a drama student. Which is exactly what I was.

Agree with Aloha re the equality bit. Feminism wanting equality basically just meant women acting like men, whereas 70's feminism was about women's liberation, liberating the feminine in both men and women.

A tiny, insignificant number of feminists giving the whole of women a bad name, is like claiming that it's the Black Panthers' fault that racism still exists and has given the cause of black liberation a bad name. The number of people involved in separatist movements were so small as to be negligible, but of course the media picked up on them because they made a good story, in the same way it now picks up on suicide bombers to discredit the whole of Islam.

Militant separatists are about as relevant to feminism as suicide bombers are to Islam, imo.

Any thoughts on how women today can act against discrimination? Is collective action still appropriate?

...hmmm need to think about my response !!! Definately all for equal rights. I loved and relished the fact that I was the first and only female Director of a very male-management led organisation...but then I gave at work when I had DS ....planned to go back, have the nanny from 6 weeks etc etc but when it came down to it I just couldn't do it. Still believe that women have a much stronger and maternal bond with their babies and I would have resented it if DH would have had the time off and looked after him and I went back to work, my instinct told me that I would do a much better job (DH is a very good dad I would like to point out ) Still believe that, in general, senior roles and the working culture that exists within those businesses driven by profit and loss (most !) are not geared up for family life and certainly not for mums with children....mores the pity !

Should I link the old thread on this??

here

thanks mt

Not definitive by any stretch of the imagination..

I definitely am. To me, the label doesn't matter - in fact the "I'm not a feminist, but..." bit makes me want to poke people in the eyes. I work in a very male orientated arena (M&A law) and am entirely prepared to do my job on equal terms with anyone else. DH is completely comfortable with taking an equal share in household matters and child rearing matters and doesn't have issues about being responsible for preparing supper (thinking of it, buying it on the way home, cooking it) or checking reading practice etc. He organised this year's birthday party, made a pirate galleon ship cake and does his fair share of homework checking, nappy changing and getting up in the middle of the night to adminster nurofen and cuddles. Anything else would be unacceptable to both him and me (although it is fairly eay for us as we were in a way direct contemporaries at university and professionally).

Both my daughter and my son are being brought up with identical skill sets - independence, ability to cook, respect, enjoyment of running around.

Oh someone parp me to save me from myself. This is a real red rag subject for me.

does masculism exist?

And today, my lovely friends, is the 30th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act. Only 30 years.

Let's all have a drink to celibrate!

celebrate.

Don't care!

martianbishop & I have an issue about spelling. she doesn't give a fuck but it bugs the hell out of me.

Seriously, please don't let MN be a typo free zone. I'll have to quit. I can't spell or type, and don't have the time to spell check everything. I would find it deeply wounding if people did this all the time. I would spell correctly if I could