What reason(s) does a woman have to be a feminist in the West today?

Question

Please give specific reasons not just buzz words like 'equality'.

Please back up your reason with evidence e.g. if you say 'For equal pay for women' give evidence that women don't get the same pay for doing the same job as a man.

Answer 1

I am sick to my stomach of them, the breed, the creed, i just am

I keep seeing Macbeth, in my mind, when i think on them destroying all great womanhood and attacking men

Its like the worlds worst False Religion, its comical when they buddy up to me at work to talk me into their Hypocritical ‘nice sounding’ clan…lol

Answer 2

I would consider myself a feminist, but not in terms of man-hating or being a L*****n.  I don't know if you're referring to the Western US or where, but I do occassionally bump into people who are sexist.  When I went to a career fair when finishing up my graduate degree, one of the recruiters told me, "We even hire women."  To me, that comment is sexist though it didn't hurt my feelings - just made him look ignorant.

I now own three companies, one of which is responsible for coordinating freight with trucking companies to transport our product.  I get comments like that one consistently from that industry, and the sad thing is that it's still accepted ... actually the comments aren't in favor of women, but rather that they'd "like to speak to the real person in charge" or that "it doesn't matter what a woman says."  It's hard to find a good freight company because I just can't stand those who are openly sexist.

Now, that being said, I do believe different people have different aptitudes, and this may really p**s some people off.  I am invovled in construction on a regular basis, and when I watch framers build a home, a fit male framer can lift more lumber and larger sheets of OSB than can an equally fit woman.  I have yet to find the Amazon exception.  I by no means do I mean women are inferior, but find other ways to do the same work.  I think acknowleging differences is not the same as being sexist.

I guess as a feminist, I resent generalizations of women that give the impression that we are a lesser citizen or "lower on the food chain."  I resent that gender alone can decide what people think of me ... honestly, let them find out if I truly stink or excel at something.  Truth is, my businesses are flourishing in a time when a majority of my competitors (mainly men - many of who are looking to me now for a paycheck) are floundering.  I don't think it's gender-based.  I think it's business posiitoning, business sense, and knowing how to compete in lean times.

With regards to pay, I don't see discrimination in my life.  I feel like I haven't been discriminated against in jobs that I've applied for in the past.  I do see that many women want greater flexibility and/or do not remain in the job market (often due to obligations to children), and a trade-off for that may be pay.  Fathers who stay home or need like flexibility I think would experience similar situations.  I employ both men and women.  Those who are in the same position, make the same money.  I will admit when I have a 35 year old man apply for a receptionist position, I do wonder what he's been up do and if he lives in his mother's basement, while a similarly aged woman I assume she's been raising kids.  I try to keep that out of the decision process, but there is a little bias that goes both ways.

I think in general it is not a significant wide-spread issue in the Western US, but is confined to specific industries and perhaps small pockets.  Unfortunately, sexist pigs do make it to positions of influence where they can really cause a lot of problems, but I have seent that generally men respect and treat women appropriately.

Answer 3

In the west? Not much I guess. Not so much equality or fighting oppression as popularity and money for some of them. Some feminists, like Neil Lyndon's friend at the end of this story admit that they know what feminism in the west has become, but simply won't quit it because they wouldn't get another job, their popularity would sink and no sane man would support them after what they did.

http://www.ukmm.org.uk/issues/suppressio...

Feminism does a good job of brainwashing young women into thinking they live in a world dominated and run by men, where men are enemies and not partners, competition and not comrades, predators and ogres, not equals. Most western feminists are just poor stooges who flex their vocal cords about the sexist wage gap and domestic violence the year long. What these people think is service for society is actually something unwanted. Feminists are losing credibility in the west, and with good reason.

http://www.freewebs.com/feminism-evaluat...

These women aren't all selfish. Most of them are just brainwashed.

And they aren't doing their movement any good by sticking around in a misandrist country like the USA (don't give me that political representation stuff. Can you name one pro-male senator?) shouting about imagined wage gaps. A movement which loses credibility in home soil will have it very tough in places like Pakistan and some Middle East countries.

Answer 4

None. We wouldn't even have the problem of feminism today if the feminism faction hadn't broken away from the equalist movement in the first place. (The feminism faction weren't at all happy with just being equal. They wanted to be more equal than equal.)

Like the problem of naziism wouldn't have existed if Hitler hadn't been born in the first place.

EDIT: Nice picture, Laura.

Answer 5

Power. greed, supremacy, superiority.

There's 4.

Answer 6

For acceptance and to show reverence to their foremothers. Other than those, I can't think of a good reason.

Answer 7

Trying to explain why I'm a feminist is like trying to explain why I have small hands. It's just a fact.

EDIT: Maybe it's the way I was brought up, I don't know. Either way, it's there, and it's not going away.

Answer 8

Feminists do not see the struggle for equality of opportunity, material equality and cultural/political equality as being separate entities. I'm tired of being told, but 'women have come so far, you nearly have equality...'The UK Equality Commission acknowledges that material equality with men (pay parity) could be achievable in 200 years, and that is if men do not move any further financially! So, really, it is a distant reality that my great great grandaughters may not even realise.

Never mistake greater independence, earning potential, more freedom of movement for women as being eqqual with men.  So, it is the struggle to be emancipated from a patriarchal system which describes, represents, exploits and subordinates women that I wish to be part of.  It has nothing to do with hating men, but everything about telling them that the rights they take for granted, enshrined in law, upheld culturally is what women aspire to.  It is not about wanting to be like them, it is all about wishing to be equally considered and respected by them!

Read a Brief History of Misogyny The World's Oldest Prejudice by Jack Holland, yes, men can be totally aware too, and you will see how far this rabbit warren goes!

Answer 9

To uphold the progress made by our foremothers who fought for equal opportunities in education and employment, the right to vote and hold elected office, and reproductive choices that enable a woman to decide when and even whether she wishes to bear children.

To advocate for human rights for women globally.

Answer 10

I think maybe out of anger...or that they are different than the norm.  Plus being an activist, they want to help out women overseas.  Maybe growing up they had a bad relationship with a male figure.

Since women in the West today have more power then men, greed and being a bully also comes into play.  And revenge...

Answer 11

As a woman, I honestly can't think of any..   Women in the Western World have it very good and easy.  In fact, we even have special perks that men don't even have.  If anything, I'd say men are the one that's at a disadvantage.

It puzzle me why feminism still exist, especially in the West.

Answer 12

Reason 1 : To NOT feel guilty while enjoying the special privileges/laws that femminism gets for them

Reason 2 : To have a gang to back them up while they go about their misandrist ways.

These are the only NON-HUMOROUS reasons I could see for a woman wanting to be a femminist as of today.

Answer 13

I think feminism is alive and well I am very proud of being a feminist I like and enjoy men when it suits me they are not a need in my life and I truly do not think they are in any womens lives. I would never have a joint bank account with one or let any man have his name on a morgage or rent book a very good piece of advice for all women.

Answer 14

First and foremost, to be thankful for everything feminism has accomplished thus far, and ensuring that those rights aren't revoked.

I think what's important here is to consider the definition of feminism. There are multiple factions and facets of the movement and it's unfair to dismiss the entire movement based on the outdated factions. It is still relevant today.

Feminism also address issues of global poverty, economic dispartiy, racism, violence and war, as well as sexism. It is an anti-oppression movement inclusive but not limited to gender and as such, I want to be a part of it.

As for the buzzword equality, I think it's overused and misunderstood. I want fairness that accounts for gender differences, not the same rules for different people. Not all women are alike, not all men are alike, and women and men cannot be treated all the same either.

There are many things that have been achieved be feminism, but there are many things that have yet to be worked on.

As for your comment on equal pay for women, here's a recent study on that specific issue by the Canadian Labour Congress. We're still a long way off. This study looks at gendered difference in pay within occupations.

http://canadianlabour.ca/index.php/pay_e...