I think you've got it all wrong.

Most women I know have grown out of the feminism label.

They prefer to champion equality between the sexes - a two way street. As opposed to fostering that women vs men mentality.

Probably because they realise that feminism is (or should be) obsolete and the disgusting attacks on men are unwarranted and full of deceit and deception. To put it simply.

Usual Suspect

The young women I spoke about have grown up being able to make choices. They are wise too in that they have observed from older women around them what are the likely outcomes and life careers from certain choices. They will continue to learn.

Why should they own the baggage of older generations? Why should they be thankful? Isn't it enough that they are getting on with their lives and will have more choices available to them than their mothers, or their fathers for that matter?

The feminist movement as it is now reminds me of the RSL, which was similarly elitist and excluded all but their anointed ones and especially the opposite gender from membership. However, one day the RSL found its clubs closing through lack of support as all of the old members faded away. Even as clubs closed, the die hards remained elitist and were still lecturing all and sundry and especially the younger veterans (who didn't fight 'real' wars you know). Feminists are like that: they alone have the 'knowledge' so there is nothing to learn from young people who are ignorant and thankless.

Every young woman should be conscripted for gender studies bootcamp and serve several years in the trenches of the gender war before they know what is good for them, eh?

Fact is, it is not the fault of young women that the old jackboots of feminism are irrelevant to them and it is their choice what shoes to wear.

Runner, well said and totally agree, but also so many people find that Feminist is a dirty word because they see its double standards & misandry at work every day.

Feminist = Equality? What an oxymoron. If you truly cared about equality & society you would be a Humanist not a Feminist!

‘You go girl’ ‘It’s all about ME’ Feminists don’t give a stuff about anybody but themselves, if they did the last thing you would need to call yourself is a Feminist. Only when the femipower are happy (impossible) will the world be a better place…….history proves that’s a lie.

Feminist/Mangina version of equal pay…….’she’ only needs plays 3 sets of tennis to ‘his’ forced 5 sets, yes Feminists are all about finding excuses for their version of equality & equal opportunity.

Feminist/Mangina version of equal representation from government……..’she’ gets ‘her’ own Government Departments & ‘she’ gets ‘her’ own Ministers!..........
……. ‘He’ gets…….ZILTCH! such wonderful equal representation, so sorry for the future of the little boys & of cause non feminist women with all the policy makers killing off any rights to be different & have different opinions to a Feminist.

We have well recorded history lessons that show just what happens when the rights & minds of unarmed people are trampled on in the name of?

Humanist is life equal. Feminist is all about her & no other version will be tolerated.

This was an interesting article. Thanks Monica.

I disagree with patriarchy theory. But I also disagree with the analysis that says women have won equality. Equal wages for equal work is still a dream.

However the women's liberation movement (yes, its initial name, I understand) or WLM won the right to work and challenged the very order of society of that day - the male domination of work and the stereotypical role of woman as mother and carer.

I also think there is something else at play.

The WLM aross in a time of real social ferment. It became the women's movement as part of the swing to the right.

Elements of that movement took patriarchy to its logical conclusion and thus thought they had or have more in common with Margaret Thatcher or Sarah Palin than the working class movement.

On top of that I think it fair to say that across Western society the dominant neo-liberal philosophy has emphasised individual effort and competition at the expense of co-operation and community. This has undermined the "unity is strength" arguments of feminism in its many guises. Paradoxically, today's seeming conservatism among younger women is built on the success of the WLM in breaking the shackles of the woman at home myth and making it seem a natural part of society that jobs are there for all who want them, irrespective of gender.

Of course, as I mentioned before, the struggle is far from over for decent child care, reproductive control, equal wages, equal positions in (an essentially hierarchical) society and so on. But when young women realise they are not as equal as they thought, the social base for a fightback doesn't exist in any organisational sense. It can be built but that would also involve a more leftward move in other sections of society too, like unions launching strikes to defend wages, jobs and conditions, a mass anti-war movement and so on.

The last gasp words of a lonely feminist world :)

"You can call me names but that can never change who I am."

Fraccy.. combativeness is not the solution.

Gentleness and love are... on both sides of the gender equation.

As soon as you make it a 'battle' you have lost the war...

I'm referring only to a 'between the sexes' scenario here. We must be very combative and vigilant on those things which effect 'all' of us together in society, and I don't mind passion from my opponents, it helps clarify the target. We won't all be equally passionate about the same issues.