Little Anti-Feminists Everywhere

Feminism: movement for the political, social, and educational equality of women with men; the movement has occurred mainly in Europe and the United States. It has its roots in the humanism of the 18th cent. and in the Industrial Revolution. Feminist issues range from access to employment, education, child care, contraception, and abortion, to equality in the workplace, changing family roles, redress for sexual harassment in the workplace, and the need for equal political representation.

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My boyfriend was at work and his younger (read 19) coworker came and and exclaimed "I'm so proud of myself! I finished my essay on a feminist view of film, and I can't stand feminists!"

My boyfriend was obviously taken aback by this and ask her:

BF:"What is your issue with feminists? Don't you appreciate all they have done for you?"

coworker"Well, I just want to have kids and be a mom, so I don't know what they have done for me! They are just a bunch of whiny manhaters!"

BF:"oh, so you don't mind making less money then men for the same job? You would rather NOT have the right to vote?"
coworker:"oh, well I guess that part was good"

My boyfriend was very curious as to how I would have reacted to this girl had I been there.
It would have been a very simple statement..

"You wrote that essay for University? And you like University? You are being allowed to take a class in film huh? and not just nursing, typing or teaching? Ya you have a feminist to thank for that. How about your tattoo and various piercings? The fact that your arms are bare and you get to wear a bikini to the beach? Yep, feminists made that happen too.... You were saying?"

As my pin on my purse says "Feminism is the radical notion that women are people"

I had a drink with a professor once who discussed one of the major problems with feminism today. It's that women in their early twenties did not watch the battles, or see the way it was before the feminist movement and often times do not appreciate it. All they know about feminism is that some women got together and burned their bras, and apparently hated men.

They don't see the struggles women went through (and are still going through around the world) to gain access to education, a fair representation in the political process or the same protections under the law granted to a man.

I hope my future daughter(s) and students will be better than that. That they will be able to look beyond the connotations of feminism and at what the movement has actually acheived.