We Don't Need Feminism?

My daughter goes to a women's college, and I noticed when stalking Pinterest images related to the school, a campaign for feminism.  It looks like this:

and this

and this.


As I matter of fact, I had to work really hard to find some that didn't straight out say "I need feminism because I was raped or molested, or assaulted, and no one cared", but could not. .  If I was to sum up the gist of the majority of the captions, they said: "I need feminism because my rights to my own
body are in question"... ahem.  So based on these, yes. We need feminism.

But it doesn't start there.  Some "Good Christian Women" have started a campaign on why we don't need feminism.  They look like this:
and this


These anti feminism captions were more varied than the pro-feminism captions.  If I tried to sum them up, I would say they felt that feminists took things too far.. to be anti- men, and that these women were crying victims.  

I get it.  I really do, but the fact that some women don't like having the title feminism thrust upon them because they don't feel marginalized... yet, doesn't preclude the fact that many women are victimized solely because men are taught that they rule the world, and they have rights to girls and all the goodies they hold.  This is dangerous.  You know why...Elliot Rodger. That's why.  This guy felt that he had the right to the wonders of women, and because they didn't share their affections with him, they should die. 
On the other hand, I hate it when I say I expect my husband or another man to help me with something that men traditionally do (take out the garbage, hold a door, or just not slam the door in my face), and they say crazy stuff like "duh.... I thought you women wanted to do things yourself."  I also hate it when they call me out for a double standard that I never personally expressed.  I like being a stay at home mom, but guys feel like they get to question that because women's lib exists, and since I am a woman, then I must be all "with the movement" so I am violating some kind of women's lib law.  

Meanwhile, I never wanted to do anything but BE.  So I get the movement against the movement... and I understand that some women go overboard, but as the mother of an 18 year old, I know there are guys that think she doesn't have a right to her own opinion or body, and that is problematic.  So like it or not, I agree that we need feminism.
But what does that mean? 

Lately, there has been a movement of women getting on their knees and proposing to men. I find that mind blowing.  I feel like it reeks of desperation and any man who feels put on the spot with this proposal, especially if it is done in public is going to have an issue with feeling cornered.  

So, for me, I guess I am on the fence.  For me, I like the traditional.  But that doesn't mean women and girls should be marginalized for being female, or that men should get to make decisions for us. 

Call me fickle.

1 comment:

Happy Elf Mom (Christine) said...

I hate feminism as it seems to be portrayed right now. Just one example: "Free birth control" is not something the suffragettes would have everrr envisioned.

I think people can have human rights not to be assaulted and things like that. They can vote. THAT is what the first "feminists" (if we must use the term) were working for.

Such arguments that women are oppressed because they can't afford $30 in pills each month really minimises the experience of 1. the first feminists who in some cases literally risked their lives and 2. people with real conditions such as cancer with out of control co-payments and out of network costs... way more than $30.

I hate the whining, is what it comes down to.

12 grade year of homeschooling, Finishing Strong

We are almost done with my college prep series. There will still be a video on completing the transcript.    Stay tuned... meanwhile, ...