Feminism! Are you a Feminist? I am!

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After 40+ blog posts while rapidly approaching my 52 week goal of posting a weekly “F” word post, you might imagine my choices for “F” words have been significantly reduced.  Upon scanning the “F” list I composed over a year ago, I ran across the word feminism and became interested in exploring this topic further. images-5

Being a child of the 60’s and growing up in a traditional home, I have tended to think of feminists as “bra burning” men haters who were part of the women’s liberation scene in the 70’s. Embarrassingly, even as a 50 something woman and rape survivor, I wasn’t quite sure what feminism really meant or if I was one ?  When I told my husband I was writing on the subject of feminism his question was: “Well, if you’re a woman, aren’t you automatically a feminist?” I guess that’s obvious but perhaps not necessarily?  Several articles do conclude that a person is either a feminist or sexist.Unknown-3images-2

Wikipedia defines feminism as such:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminism

Here is another definition given to me by a very important person in my life. (I hope you recognize who you are while reading this):

“I have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is. I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a door mat.”-Rebecca West

And here are just a few articles I found on the subject of feminism:

http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2012/12/reasons-people-believe-feminism-hates-men/images-6

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/womens-rights-news/what-is-feminism_b_6985612.htmlimages-3

http://everydayfeminism.com/2012/07/feminism-is-for-everyone/images-4

What I realized after reading a few current definitions and articles is that INDEED, I am a feminist.  I have never wanted to be a man (well wait, on second thought, after writing that, I can’t exactly say that’s true for I WOULD find it fascinating to switch brains for a while) but I completely believe in equal rights for women!  I stand in awe of the women I read about and know who are successful in their careers, who are well educated and who are also great mothers.  There are so many women whom I admire for so many different reasons and on so many levels.  I chose a traditionally mostly female career of nursing- where I believe some subservient behaviors were reinforced.  I was comfortable in that role then.  I saw this quote on FB last week and really liked it though as something to challenge myself to do:Unknown-2

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I can hardly wait to see what kinds of shattered glass ceilings women make in the years to come.  I love many men in my life, including my Father, Husband, two Brothers, Sons and Friends, etc.   It would just really be cool to see women continue to gain power and equality in the years ahead.  images

I marvel at the fact that it was less than 100 years ago when women were even granted the right to vote (August 18th, 1920).  We’ve come a long way but I look forward to seeing how equality evolves over time.images-1

Unknown-4So…what do you think?  Are you a feminist?images-7

 

 

 

 

2 Comments

  1. Mark Kroskin says

    Very interesting blog post Berit. As the father of a three year old daughter, I find myself thinking about these types of subject matter. What will the world be like for her and how to best prepare Mila to compete and thrive in it? Not just professionally. I’ve enjoyed reading your blog posts.

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