Are you a feminist?

R

Rose65

Well-known Member
Location
United Kingdom
I really am not, sorry! I like being a woman, ladylike and being looked after. I like having doors opened for me, getting my husband to do heavier jobs and so on. I'm not independent, I don't think I could manage alone very well because I think it takes teamwork to run a home and a life. I can't change a tyre, fix the boiler or do the plumbing. Men have certain skills, women different ones. I enjoy homemaking and cooking. Our type of intelligence is different, that's all. We are not inferior at all to men just because some of us choose to be traditional.

I just saw a funny video about the Titanic sinking and the women amazed NOT automatically being rescued first, because surely they want equality so they should be able to handle a sinking ship as well as any man?

Well, I would like to be rescued first please!
 

Rose65 said:
I really am not, sorry! I like being a woman, ladylike and being looked after. I like having doors opened for me, getting my husband to do heavier jobs and so on. I'm not independent, I don't think I could manage alone very well because I think it takes teamwork to run a home and a life. I can't change a tyre, fix the boiler or do the plumbing. Men have certain skills, women different ones. I enjoy homemaking and cooking. Our type of intelligence is different, that's all. We are not inferior at all to men just because some of us choose to be traditional.

I just saw a funny video about the Titanic sinking and the women amazed NOT automatically being rescued first, because surely they want equality so they should be able to handle a sinking ship as well as any man?

Well, I would like to be rescued first please!
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So maybe it's fair compensation that men get that extra $1.32 per hour, since they have to go down with the ship. ;)
 
Here are some definitions of a Feminist:

What is the true definition of a feminist?

Other forms: feminists. A feminist is someone who supports equal rights for women. If your brother objects strongly to women being paid less than men for doing the same job, he's probably a feminist. If you believe that women should have the same political, social, and economic rights as men, you are a feminist.

WHAT IS FEMINISM?​

IWDA is a proudly feminist organisation.
We exist to advance and protect the rights of diverse women and girls. Our vision is gender equality for all, and we’re working towards this through our program partnerships; movement building across Asia Pacific; and research, policy and advocacy, in Australia, the region, and the world.
We’re not the only international development organisation tackling women’s rights. But we’re the only one doing it through a specifically feminist lens.
Feminism means a million things to a million people. We’re not in the business of defining the exact terms of anyone else’s feminism, but we do want to clarify the basics.

So what does feminism mean to us?​

Quite simply, feminism is about all genders having equal rights and opportunities.
It’s about respecting diverse women’s experiences, identities, knowledge and strengths, and striving to empower all women to realise their full rights.
It’s about levelling the playing field between genders, and ensuring that diverse women and girls have the same opportunities in life available to boys and men.

Where does intersectionality come into it?​

Inclusivity is a core part of our feminism. You may have heard the phrases ‘intersectionality’ or ‘intersectional feminism’ cropping up more and more lately. Intersectionality has recently taken on more space in public discussions about feminism, but it’s not new.
Intersectional feminism can seem complicated, but it’s really just about acknowledging the interplay between gender and other forms of discrimination, like race, age, class, socioeconomic status, physical or mental ability, gender or sexual identity, religion, or ethnicity.
The barriers faced by a middle class woman living in Melbourne are not the same as those of a queer woman living in rural Fiji. Women aren’t just exposed to sexism – racism, ableism, ageism, homophobia, transphobia, and religious persecution are intrinsically linked to how they experience inequality.

Can anyone be a feminist?​

Yes! Being a feminist simply means believing in equal rights for all genders. It’s not about hating men. It’s not about women being better than men. It’s not about eschewing femininity.

Feminism doesn’t mean one person’s experiences are more important than another.​

It isn’t about creating a sliding scale of who is worse off – it’s about learning and understanding the ways that inequality affect women and men, and remembering that we’re all in this together. True equality leaves no one behind.
We don’t claim to be authorities on anyone else’s feminism, but to us, acknowledging how different forms of discrimination intersect with and amplify gender-based discrimination is a critical way to ensure all women reap the benefits of women’s rights.

The preceding is from this link: What Is Feminism? | IWDA

Here is the Wikipedia link: Feminism - Wikipedia

Personally, I used to consider myself a feminist many years ago but now believe there are also many other's rights to consider, too. One of them is animals rights. I don't mind anyone opening a door for me or doing handiwork for me. I also love to cook, bake and try new recipes and ways of cooking. I have always felt this way.
 
Yes I believe in equality for all. Not all men are mechanically inclined just like not all women are. What skills people have actually have nothing to do with gender. Some men are great cooks and housekeepers. It’s time we got rid of rigid stereotypes and let people be themselves. I always appreciate men opening doors, etc .
 
Murrmurr said:
So maybe it's fair compensation that men get that extra $1.32 per hour, since they have to go down with the ship. ;)
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In 1979 I moved to Alberta to get a job in electronics. For 3 to 4 weeks before being hired, I did some landscaping. I worked side by side with my brother, equally placing rolled sod or grass. I placed as many rows of sod as my brother but he got $1.25 per hour more. The owner of the business said he knows the law is unfair, but that’s just the way it is. After the first paycheck I didn’t try as hard to keep up. If I was getting paid less, I did less.
 
"Is there still a women and children first rule?

There's no law or regulation that says women and children must be saved first; rather, he's said, it's a tradition ingrained by Hollywood. In real time, human behavior in catastrophes often plays out more like every person for themselves, according to experts who have studied the dynamics.Dec 16, 2023"

Women and Children First? Experts Say That in Most Crises, It's More ...​

 
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Pepper said:
It's not a reversal of the question though. A man is never asked if he supports being a man, or supports other men. The very question asked in OP is archaic. A woman can love to cook and be a homemaker without that question.
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Yes, I see what you mean. And a man would never be asked the question, "Do you support equal rights for men?" because he is top of the totem pole and has no other experience. Except among other men of course which is detrimental enough..
 
I never considered myself a 'feminist', not sure exactly what that means, I can only say how I am personally.

I definitely believe in equal treatment, equal rights and equal pay regardless of the gender involved. I have worked all my life in male dominated blue collar Union jobs and was a Teamster Union Steward and company Leadman for a while. Those were the terms used, and I was good with that. I don't fuss over anything petty like insisting on being called a Leadwoman, etc. A female coworker suggested I insist on it, not an issue with me.

I always received the same salary as the men, because I did the same work. If I was not capable of doing equal work, I would not have taken the jobs. I never wanted any special treatment at all, and never got any.

I don't have any problem with a man holding the door for me if it is convenient for him and he wants to. I have held doors open for many men without a second thought. That's the way it should be IMO.

Women should have all the rights that men do, including the right to vote and make their own personal health decision without interference.

My husband and I treat each other with respect as equal partners in our long-term marriage. I may do yardwork and he may do some cooking and barbeque, etc. He maintains our vehicles because he has a lot of experience and knowledge, and I don't. Who is doing what is insignificant, we're a team with the same goals, happiness and well-being, smooth running household, excellent care of our furbabies.

I don't dislike men or women or any gender for that matter. I was never a girly woman, I dress in comfortable clothes because I'm usually hands-on in working around the house or yard, or out in the wild camping, hiking, etc. I wear tee shirts, jeans, cargo pants, etc.

I was never an activist, just do my own thing and enjoy life.

28376-Life-Is-Good.jpg
 
PeppermintPatty said:
In 1979 I moved to Alberta to get a job in electronics. For 3 to 4 weeks before being hired, I did some landscaping. I worked side by side with my brother, equally placing rolled sod or grass. I placed as many rows of sod as my brother but he got $1.25 per hour more. The owner of the business said he knows the law is unfair, but that’s just the way it is. After the first paycheck I didn’t try as hard to keep up. If I was getting paid less, I did less.
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Men and women have equal rights in the US, and in Canada, too, I'm sure.

(In the US) The Equal Rights Amendment was first drafted in 1923 by two leaders of the women's suffrage movement. The Equal Pay Act was signed into law in 1963, The Civil Rights Act in 1964, and The Equal Rights Amendment was refined and reintroduced in 1971, and again in 1976.

If it was the same or close to the same in Canada, you could have reported that 1979 wage disparity to the Dept of Labor (or Canada's equivalent) and your employer would have had them breathing down his neck.

The same is true today. Wage disparities, sexual harassment, and hiring, firing, and failing to promote an employee based on gender is illegal.
 
Rose65 said:
I really am not, sorry! I like being a woman, ladylike and being looked after. I like having doors opened for me, getting my husband to do heavier jobs and so on. I'm not independent, I don't think I could manage alone very well because I think it takes teamwork to run a home and a life. I can't change a tyre, fix the boiler or do the plumbing. Men have certain skills, women different ones. I enjoy homemaking and cooking. Our type of intelligence is different, that's all. We are not inferior at all to men just because some of us choose to be traditional.

I just saw a funny video about the Titanic sinking and the women amazed NOT automatically being rescued first, because surely they want equality so they should be able to handle a sinking ship as well as any man?

Well, I would like to be rescued first please!
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I don't think of myself as a feminist, but I do agree that equal rights are important and a goal worth pursuing.

That said - and I've stated this before - the best era for me would be the 1950's, where women were women, and men were men. That is, rather than men and women as the same. I recognize this as being sexist, and contradictory. Sometimes, life is. But then again, I don't get to choose, and if I told my wife to live with me in the 1950's, I'd get a good kick in the nether-regions.
 
Murrmurr said:
Men and women have equal rights in the US, and in Canada, too, I'm sure.

(In the US) The Equal Rights Amendment was first drafted in 1923 by two leaders of the women's suffrage movement. The Equal Pay Act was signed into law in 1963, The Civil Rights Act in 1964, and The Equal Rights Amendment was refined and reintroduced in 1971, and again in 1976.

If it was the same or close to the same in Canada, you could have reported that 1979 wage disparity to the Dept of Labor (or Canada's equivalent) and your employer would have had them breathing down his neck.

The same is true today. Wage disparities, sexual harassment, and hiring, firing, and failing to promote an employee based on gender is illegal.
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I was really ticked off and due to his decision he got half the work out of me. For 3 weeks I slacked off and saved my back. Had I known it’s not legal, I would have reported him. Laying sod is back breaking work.
 
One can be in traditional roles and still be a feminist - being a feminist is about supporting equality and choices for women (and men)
Whether you personally can change a tyre or do plumbing doesnt change that - I can't either but that doesn't stop me supporting equal rights and choices for all.
I like getting my husband to do heavier jobs too - he is stronger than me. But he can do cooking and cleaning etc too - it isnt a polarised division.

I dont agree that men and woman have different skills - other than what they have learnt and obviously culture and society we were brought up in affects that.

Many more women and men are in non gender traditional jobs now - not because people have intrinsically changed but because they have the opportunity.
 
Murrmurr said:
Men and women have equal rights in the US, and in Canada, too, I'm sure.

(In the US) The Equal Rights Amendment was first drafted in 1923 by two leaders of the women's suffrage movement. The Equal Pay Act was signed into law in 1963, The Civil Rights Act in 1964, and The Equal Rights Amendment was refined and reintroduced in 1971, and again in 1976.

If it was the same or close to the same in Canada, you could have reported that 1979 wage disparity to the Dept of Labor (or Canada's equivalent) and your employer would have had them breathing down his neck.

The same is true today. Wage disparities, sexual harassment, and hiring, firing, and failing to promote an employee based on gender is illegal.
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Basically all true but some female dominated industries still have awards (in Australia, at least) that have lower pay scales than male dominated industries, even though similar levels of training/education and skill/responsibility are involved. The female dominated unions, such as those associated with child care, have much lower membership rates.

When I started teaching in the sixties female teachers had achieved equal pay. Before that they received a percentage of the male rate, something like 85%, for exactly the same work. Nurses on the other hand were quite poorly paid. Male nurses were a rarity back then. I was shocked to learn that as a second year out teacher I was better paid than an experienced nurse in charge of a hospital operating room. I also had shorter hours and longer holidays.

I think that is when I realised the importance of strong union membership and women agitating for a better deal. Naturally, I became an intellectual feminist although I never marched or demonstrated. I did find my voice when men were disrespecting women and I raised my daughter to be a strong, resilient woman. She did the same with her own three daughters. My son tells me frequently that he is glad that he had a strong mother who went out to work, not like the mothers of most of his classmates.
 
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Warrigal said:
Basically all true but some female dominated industries still have awards (in Australia, at least) that have lower pay scales than male dominated industries, even though similar levels of training/education and skill/responsibility are involved. The female dominated unions, such as those associated with child care, have much lower membership rates.

When I started teaching in the sixties women had achieved equal pay. Before that they received a percentage of the male rate, something like 85%, for exactly the same work. Nurses on the other hand were quite poorly paid. Male nurses were a rarity back then. I was shocked to learn that as a second year out teacher I was better paid than an experienced nurse in charge of a hospital operating room. I also had shorter hours and longer holidays.

I think that is when I realised the importance of strong union membership and women agitating for a better deal. Naturally, I became an intellectual feminist although I never marched or demonstrated. I did find my voice when men were disrespecting women and I raised my daughter to be a strong, resilient woman. She did the same with her own three daughters. My son tells me frequently that he is glad that he had a strong mother who went out to work, not like the mothers of most of his classmates.
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Does Australia not have a gov't agency that enforces labor laws? In the US, you don't have to be a union member to get fair and equal treatment, you simply report abuses to the Dept of Labor.

In fact, all businesses in the US are required by law to post the labor laws and the labor department's phone number in a "prominent area". They're usually posted in the employee break-room or near the time clock, places like that.
 
I always met women , who could open their own car doors. If women couldn't open their own doors, we couldn't let them have a license, they'd be stuck in their cars all over the nation. I don't want "the little woman". I want a mate, who can comfort me, as well as I give comfort. To me, that's not feminism, that's recognizing the humanity in all of us.
 

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