I consider myself a feminist. I am for women's rights. women's development women's advancement in the workplace and the equality of women! And I think we still must be fighting for it.
When I was in college there was lots of talk about feminism. There were the bra burning days, the demonstrations to get us out of the kitchen and into the work force for equal pay, birth control pills and even free sex.
So where is feminism today? I was reminded recently that women still earn about 76% of men's pay. I occasionally catch a conversation with some seemingly enlightened male friends who are impressed when a man raises his children on his own. Yet, rarely does the conversation include the same sense of awe when referring to a woman who has raised children on her own.
I think somewhere along the way we stopped being militant. And I think that is a good thing. Militancy can be destructive. But I also think we cannot forget the cause.Younger women, the 20's and 30's women, have always known a world with feminism in it. Their mothers, women like me, perhaps like you, brought the tenets of feminism to them as part of their core values and upbringing. And what about the young men. Young men like my son who would never believe that any woman should wash his clothes, cook his meals or cater to him. His natural tendencies are for an equal partnership and a relationship with all women which is one of equality and mutual respect.
I am sure I am not the only one with an enlightened son. Many of us have raised our sons with these same core values and they are contributing to a more equal and just world for both sexes.
But it seems like we have stopped. I know it can be argued that the statistics reflecting differences in pay between men and women are in this day skewed. No one knows exactly what the real difference in pay is, and some argue there is none. But, if indeed, we are enlightened and have moved forward enough that this is not an issue, why just recently did the case of Lilly Ledbetter vs. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, which was yet another cry for equal pay for women, appear before the supreme court?
Many women still do not earn an equal wage. And in the majority of homes of working couples the female is still mainly responsible for childcare and domestic chores. The issue of feminism goes so far beyond a paycheck. Paternity leave is still an odd concept on many corporate fronts.
Yes, we made some strides. We have some laws to protect us. But many of the same issues from 30 years ago are still out there in the workplace, at home and in our relationships. ou can accept the discrepancies you still see. Or you can speak out against them. We owe it to our sisters, our daughters and our daughter's daughters to continue the journey. To continue the education, the awareness, the values that bring the important contributions of our femaleness into the awareness and appreciation of our society.
Here is a set of activities youcan do for just one week, a mere 7 days, to help keep the awareness of equality alive.
Day One: Get online and research where the pay differences between men and women are in your community.
Day Two: Compose a letter to your local legislator stating your findings and the need for awareness and movement forward. If your research show very positive changes, applaud your legislator. If you research shows a grave lack in the equality for pay submit your letter in a way that asks for change.
Day Three: Once your letter is composed, send it to 10 high profile women in your community, Ask them to forward your letter to 10 more women in their circle of influence and they, in turn, forward it, as well.
Day Four: Organize a one day coffee at your home and invite 10-12 friends as volunteers. These volunteers are male or female. Share your findings of equality in your community and enlist their aid to continue with more research. Ask them to report back to you what they find. This exercise does not have to be a burden. Simply one or two documented facts from each person can provide much more information for your information. Its always amazing what a group can do to get things done as opposed to one person at a time.
Day Five: Please understand that most very likely Day Five is not really the next day. But if you put a deadline on your request from Day Four, you should be able to do this activity within a couple of weeks. So, on Day Five, make sure have received responses from all volunteers.
Day Six: Compose your findings into an easy to read document. If you are not a writer or it seems like a daunting task to put words on a page, perhaps you can find a friend to help you. Writing just comes easier to some than others.
Day Seven: Compose an Awareness Email with the information you have collected. Add the names of the volunteers who have contributed to the research and send it out to your database. Ask the volunteers to send out to their database, as well. Remember to also send your Awareness email to the 10 high profile women from Day Two.
That's it. So what have you done here? You have created awareness. You have simply taken 7 days and done your part to continue to move women forward toward greater equality. And if your research shows that your community is providing equality for women then you have supported that movement and have done your part to continue movement in the right direction and acknowledge those are making it happen.
