It is always funny when men make statements about women's lives (or men's lives) and then blame feminism, without once even attempting to define the term or its relationship to the phenomonen that they are discussing. Why does he presume to speak for (all) women (he could at least speak for men about men but prefers to pronounce on women as if he is an expert)? The fact that this bloke reckons he has the right to tell women what's wrong with women and what's wrong with what they think and what's wrong with what they do certainly highlights that feminism has a long way to go yet. He would be better off giving the reader an account of why, despite feminism, men are the primary perpetrators of the most expensive, pervasive health risk to women aged 15-45 - violence against women - and the impact this has on men's capacity to form and sustain relationships... come on- think about yourself instead of blaming women (again).

I am in my middle years and still not sure how a feminist or feminism is defined. In the seventies and early eighties feminism concerned itself with equal rights, equal pay and a struggle for society to see women not only as mothers ie. CHOICE. The same way a man was seen as more than just a breadwinner or a father.

It is not so simple these days and I believe that families where one parent stays at home are largely penalised economically and in social status. Even our new PM (who I voted for) refers to Australians in general as "working families". Every time I hear that phrase I cringe no matter whom utters it. It implies that anyone who does not fit that mold is not part of the norm. ie. what about other types of families, singles and pensioners.

It is all part of the modern day myth that the economy overrides any other factor and that we must all be out there working as hard as we can and for longer hours than ever before. It is becoming increasingly difficult for a family to choose to live on one income. The CHOICE has gone and the gap between rich and poor is ever widening. Fertility problems are on the rise because people are delaying having their first child due to economic or career factors.

Feminism to me is about fairness and equality for men and women in whatever shape or form they come in. If we don't include men then we just become another narrow viewed interest group at the demise of the bigger picture.

We do have to remember though that it was the feminist movement and suffragettes that helped women obtain the vote and removed the stigma of women as some sort of inferior being. Social change or evolution does not without some form of cause or movement at the fore ie. a time and a place for a cause.

I agree with Mark Richardson that something is definitely wrong in society when it comes to "working families" and now our relations ships and especially women, are really suffering as a result, as illustrated by Danielle's story.

We no longer have the real choice for the mother not to work (or at least few are game to make this choice).

Society promotes the play boy mentality of putting of relationships until much later in life and playing the party field.

The one thing that society still harps on about is the importance of home ownership. It seems to be the only sacred cow left. Everything else is up to your choice. But I think women are starting to show the results of many of these poor choices, of basically devaluing the family and children.

Feminists have been off focusing on getting paid the same as a man while the really important things in life have passed them by.

Y'know what strikes me about all these debates about the influence of feminism, or the media, or whatever damn influence-du-jour is being discussed.

I don't give a damn what the media says about the importance of home ownership. I've no desire to get caught up in the real estate game and I think there's better investments out there.
I don't give a damn about expectations of a playboy lifestyle. I've been known to play that game, but I prefer a decent relationship.
I don't give a damn about waiting to have kids, if I find someone I want to have kids with, I'll have kids with them.
I don't give a damn about the failures of feminism, or all that much about the successes. I think women deserve equal rights as men, which makes me a feminist I guess. But I reject the assertion it has to be about careers or attacking men.

I don't give a damn what other people do in their private lives, as long as they're not hurting others.

So to Joe2008, I say that if people are really so vacuous as to get sucked in to playing the role of playboy just because of 'the media' or if they feel the need to buy a home because of it, well, if they're that foolish then it's their own stupid fault.
You speak about choices as if they're a bad thing, well, on that score I've got to pull you up. Having the freedom to make choices is something I do care about.
That's what real feminism should be about. The freedom to make choices.

Even dumb ones.

Nothing lasts... who knew.

Everything ends... who knew.

Women have reproductive biological clocks... who knew.

IVF fails... who knew.

Some people are short sighted... who knew.

Actions have consequences... who knew.

Men are blissfully delaying what they've always resisted now thatthe social expectation is off... who knew.

Feminism did as much, if not more to liberate men from constrained gender based roles and life cycle choices... who knew (and thank god).

We're all in it for ourselves now. Its a 'l, me, mine' independant, empowered state of mind type of world now.

Liberation frees people and doesnt free people... who knew.

And, contrary to all the blather about the state of gender relations in the last decade, regarding peter pans and peta pams... no one actually cares, else it would be changing... who knew.

Oh and did l mention... who knew.

I doubt feminism fails women any more than women fail feminism. As someone famous once said, it’s all in the implementation. One thing has still not changed – women are credited with its successes and men for its failures. As Trade says, who could’ve known …