Hello Foxy,
I have always defined feminist exactly the same way as you did yesterday ie : “feminism(as given in
dictionaries) was the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities”.

I do not believe that the substantial economic improvement that I and all my female relatives have made throughout our working lives has been at someone's expense.

I do not think that you will get much traction with the “zero-sum-game” economic argument. I dare say those that do adhere to the “zero-sum-game” concept would not show too much reason in most discussions. “Many men” - my experience would suggest very few.

The very important word in your definition of feminism is opportunity. The society that I want to live in strives for equal rights and opportunities. Rights can be legislated and opportunities can be provided and reviewed but a society cannot provide equality of outcomes.

This is where I think most of the discussion is centered around. If two different people freely choose two different life paths they cannot expect equality of outcomes. They will have two sets of outcomes which they should be content with as they freely chosen them. If at some time (and I am sure most of us have done this) we find our outcomes do not meet our expectations we either change our expectations or choose different opportunities.

Dear WTF?,

The following link may be of interest:

http://thoughtcatalog.com/viva-bianca/2014/10/what-the-hell-does-feminism-mean-today-anyway/

I am a mother of 7 children and 4 are women, two choose to work, both in upper management in medical related professions. Two are full time parents; one with almost 8 children, combines parenting and caring for her lawyer husband, with volunteering at both the primary and secondary school. My other stay at home daughter has a law degree; she has chosen to have her family, currently 4 kids, and help her husband who has a trade profession, and she is an excellent household manager. She also holds positions on the local soccer club, and at the preschool, and has a part time job that she can do from home. She plans to go into the at large labour force, when the family is set up so that her husband can work from home. My three boys also have excellent professional jobs! They each pull in more than our combined income ever was, as do my two girls in full time work.

Both my husband and I have been fully employed professionals, until in recent years, when we are able to balance work, leisure and volunteering. Fortunately we all have very good health. I was not always a full time worker; while the children were growing up, I also did the thrifty home-making, but kept my hand in working during the school holidays when dad became 'mum'. I am a feminist; All my girls are feminists, and the males in the family are feminists, but we are all masculinists as well.
Good fortune came our way, and we have always tried to treat every person as unique individuals with unique talents.

The trouble with our 'feminist' society, is the narrow definition of feminine, and the lack of support for individuals!

I agree with Foxy's definition of Feminism & support equal pay for equal work. I have always supported the notion that once you start work & are proficient in your chosen field you should be paid the Adult Rate regardless of your age or sex. But, is it a level playing field?

Growing up in Nth Qld I was payed Adult rates when I came to Brisbane at 17. I received a big awakening. Going from $14 a week plus overtime which took my weekly pay to around $35 a week, to $6 was a big shock. (See the Pound sign instead of $)

Workplace Health & Safety has a lot to say on what Men & Women can & can't do. If I remember right Men can only free lift 25 Kg. & Women 18 Kg. This is only one example there are far too many to mention here. If equality is brought in across the board will this affect all those things such in the WH&S Rule Book. There is a lot to consider. Child Care Rules, Maternity Leave, Time of the Month Leave. Men??

The Army has done much to create an equal opportunity workplace but at the expense of lowering standards. The fitness test has been lowered to meet female standards for one.

This begs the question. "Will gaining Equality lower the expected Standard of the work expected to be done.

In an Office situation all the Clerks, Male & Female, sit on their Bums & tick & Flick all day, very stressful I'm led to believe. I believe theirs is a case for equal Pay.

Cont

Cont.

Apart from this there are fields that men & women are more suited for & personal fields where both men & women feel more comfortable doing & having been done. I'm sure if I was a Care Nurse I wouldn't be sent to bathe a female patient in most cases. Should this be taken into account.

I can just picture SOL reaction when a big burly male rock up to give her a bath after she has been incapacitated. Yair right. Equal rights you know. ;-) Then there is the Sports locker rooms. Are the male TV Journalists & male Camera Crew going to be allowed in while the women are showering like the female Journalists are allowed in to the Male Locker Rooms nowadays? All Questions of equality.

Personally I'm in favour of equality as long as it is totally across the board. Not picked or chosen by the Rabid Feminist Class.

Dear bridgejenny,

Thank You for sharing your background with us.

There is much misinformation about what feminism
actually is. There are so many stereotypes and
myths that mislead people. As well as extremists
who don't really understand and put their own
twists onto things that no one wants to support.

The reality should be that no movements should
propogate tension and hatred between the sexes.

Still, as stated earlier - prejudice is a great
time saver. You can have opinions without
having to get the facts.