Recently, I’ve heard this trending topic of “evil feminism”…mostly from (warning: offensive stereotypes ahead) Bible-gassing crazies and right-wing propagandists. What’s so wrong with feminism?
Feminist movements seek to promote gender equality in economic, political, legal, and social arenas. The rise of feminism began about mid-19th century and gave way to many of the rights and freedoms we, as women, enjoy today. Here are some highlights:
- 1869 – The women’s suffrage movement began. From that point, it took almost 50 years for women to be officially given the right to vote.
- 1920s – Following the passage of the 19th amendment, a series of Women’s World Fairs were held, at which women showed off their achievements in the arts, literature, science, and industry and swapped information about career opportunities.
- 1921 – The American Birth Control League was founded.
The league held that children should be:- conceived in love,
- born of the mother’s conscious desire,
- and only begotten under conditions which render possible the heritage of health.
The league asserted that “every woman must possess the power and freedom to prevent conception except when these conditions can be satisfied.” This organization basically gave all women – rich and poor – equal access to birth control and birth control education during a time when many women couldn’t even get birth control information from their family doctors. That doesn’t sound so bad, right? This very organization eventually became Planned Parenthood. GASP!
- 1961 – The President’s Commission on the Status of Women, led by Eleanor Roosevelt, was founded. The organization documented substantial discrimination against women in the workplace and made recommendations for fair hiring practices, paid maternity leave, and affordable child care.
-
1963 – Equal Pay Act was passed.
-
1964 – Civil Rights Act was passed, part of which barred discrimination in employment on the basis of race and sex.
- 1972 – Education Amendments banned sex discrimination in schools.
- 1974 - The Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibited discrimination incredit practices on the basis of sex, race, marital status, religion, national origin, age, or receipt of public assistance.
- 1976 - The first marital rape law was enacted, making it illegal for a husband to rape his wife.
-
1978 – The Pregnancy Discrimination Act banned employment discrimination against pregnant women. Now, women cannot be fired or denied a job/promotion because they are or may become pregnant, nor can they be forced to take pregnancy leave if they are willing/able to work.
- 1986 - The Supreme Court found that sexual harassment is a form of illegal job discrimination.
-
1994 – The Violence Against Women Act tightened federal penalties for sex offenders, funded services for victims of rape and domestic violence, and provided for special training of police officers.
So, do these female anti-feminists not enjoy their rights? I’m seriously puzzled here.
These anti-fems argue that the feminist movement is solely responsible for the detriment of our nation’s children. They think it’s the reason men aren’t manly men anymore. I don’t get it. We feminists are man-hating b*tches who let other people raise our children? a. That’s not what’s wrong our nation (that’s another blog…). b. That’s not our goal, people. The goal of feminism is to allow we women the rights and freedoms that men enjoy – we should have the freedom to make our own choices. If your choice is to stay at home with your children, keep house, cook all the family meals, and submit to your husband’s will, that’s your choice. I applaud you. Personally, I enjoy being married – being a counterpart to someone else whom I love more than myself. My husband and I still have roles, but they are roles to which we each willfully agree. Yes, I desire to maintain my own individuality and success outside our home. And guess what? I will STILL keep a clean house, cook gourmet dinners, and help my [future] kids with their homework. Because I can.
