S/R #3

Friday, October 3, 2008

Synthesis: The movement for equal rights for women has been diverse, long, uphill, global, and is still a challenge.

Response:
WOW. Feminism completely blew me away this week! I love learning so much about these huge, important issues that affect our lives in countless ways, especially with my limited previous knowledge in the area.
I thought it was a powerful way to start this discussion by examining our preconceptions about feminism, and seeing how this movement to "break down barriers" in fact upheld some, especially in regards to African-American women, and the manner in which the 'private sphere' of women was maintained during much of the first wave movement for the vote. By fighting for rights for a specific kind of woman, the idea of women's rights is not being grasped fully, as Soujourner Truth illustrates so impressively in "Ain't I A Woman?".
Moving on to later in the first wave: I was completely riveted by the movie "Iron Jawed Angels", and our discussion about Alice Paul and other suffragettes that recognized the gravity of the situation, and threw their entire selves into demanding the recognition of every one's natural right to vote. I feel deeply indebted to these amazing women for their braveness and iron wills, for without them, I may not have been able to cast a ballot to vote in this important election. Thinking about what these women went through to enable me to have this natural right, I made a commitment to myself never forget how important my vote is.
And then the second wave... again, wow. I owe so much to some very strong, brave women that challenged the deeply established status-quo in so many ways to give me and so many other women the opportunities and rights I take for granted every day. Reading "A Day Without Feminism" was very eye opening in this regard. The lifestyle described was my mother's childhood and young adulthood-- not very long ago! So much has changed... The idea of no child-care centers, sport teams for girls, a severe lack of support for lesbians, no/few prestigious schools, hardly any scholarship, and women being fired for being pregnant.... none of these things changed naturally or on their own! What a massive effort was made to change so many aspects of daily life that suppressed women and disempowered them.
As for third wave, I am so motivated to be an active member of the third wave and continue to work for the changes that still need to be made in our society to achieve equality. Walker's article made me feel the extreme anger she experienced, and most women have experienced, at the destructive ideas so deeply ingrained in our society and especially the stigmas associated with 'feminism' and the fight for women's rights. Somewhat related:
Today in Paideia, I brought up an issue in the book we were discussing regarding gender inequality (it was a philosophical text by C.S. Lewis, and (as was the custom in the 40's) how Lewis used the pronoun 'he' and the words 'men', 'Man', and more to illustrate his points about humankind. (The text was even discussing how writing can plant ideas in readers unconsciously through assumptions, so I found his assumption of 'maleness' particularly maddening because of the sheer hypocrisy.) I could tell that many class members found this discussion uncomfortable, and I felt a bit of eye-rolling going on. This positively infuriates me, that this huge issue of human rights can be trivialized and dismissed, and that people fail to see how important this issue is.

p.s. I joined LC Feminists yesterday... YAY!