What Happened to Feminism?

For six thousand years, women were degraded, demeaned, denigrated, and owned. Women could not hold most jobs, participate in theology, government, or law. They could not own property, request a divorce, or be formally educated. Women were not allowed to play in a symphony, design an edifice, or participate in the arts.

Women were viewed as subservient to men. They were on the earth to attend to men, produce male children, and be a body for sexual pleasure. Generally speaking that was it.

Then, two hundred years ago, things started to change.

Feminism moved into human consciousness.

While many consider feminism a reflection of time filled with "angry, bitter, male hating women" in the 60's, I'm using the dictionary definition:

Feminism:

"The doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men."

In other words, feminism is the belief that women are fully human and deserving of equal rights as men.

For two hundred years more and more men and women moved into a consciousness where women are understood as equal human beings capable of sharing their gifts and talents with the world.

In several countries and comm unites throughout the world, women and men had a sense of a new morality. An awareness came into humankind that women were actually human beings deserving of education, opportunities, and human rights,

And, today, things again have changed.

What happened to feminism?

Today, in many parts of the world, women do indeed have equal opportunities. Women can be educated, participate in community, and share their unique energy and essence with the world. Yet, perhaps more than any other time in history, young women are again feeling reduced to a body.

Our society is inundated with the message that women are on the Earth to sexually serve and accommodate the needs of men. While the demand for women to have male babies, to reproduce numerous offspring, and to cater to the male is slowly disappearing, young women seem to be buying into the belief that they are their bodies, and their self worth is equated to how sexually appealing they are to men.

Eating disorders, body image issues, and self-loathing, all representative of a culture that has reduced women to a form. Women and girls whose primary focus is on attracting and keeping a man seem to have lost the awareness that they are more than their bodies, and they have more to share with the world than sexual attractiveness.

This out of control need for women to base their self worth on their body damages self-esteem and thwarts the ability of women to fully embrace their femaleness.

Yes, women are beautiful, sexual, and attractive.

Women are also talented, gifted, bright, alive, vibrant human beings. Women have ideas, ideals, insights, thoughts, experiences, and wisdom to share!

Do we realize how far we have come only to be reverting back to a mindset from an archaic time?

I wonder if young women do not realize what it took to bring forth the opportunities they are currently afforded in much of the world.

Do young women know that until the last few decades, married women in the United States did not even legally own the rights to their bodies? It was not against the law for a man to rape his wife until a few years ago.

Do you know that in recent history women could not request a divorce?

Do young women know how many thousands of women and men worked tirelessly for decades to give women the privilege to vote?

To give a sense of how recently women have moved into equality, here are a few firsts for women in the United States:

1849, first women to receive a medical degree in the United States.

1853, first women to be an ordained minister in the United States.

1869, first women lawyer.

1914, first women to conduct a symphony.

1925, first woman governor.

1967, first woman to sit on the NY Stock Exchange.

1981, first Supreme Court Justice.

1997, first woman Secretary of State.

Much of the world has certainly made huge progress in the last hundred years. In fact, it was less than one hundred years ago, in 1920, the nineteenth amendment to the United States Constitution passed as law.

And yet, 20,000,000 unmarried women in the US did not vote in the last general election.

Why?

Are we taking for granted our equality? Do we forget what it took to bring us to this place of freedom?

As we begin the new year, it is my hope that we, as women can remind ourselves of our legacy and honor those who have brought forth the equality, respect and human rights that many of us enjoy.

It is my hope that young women particularly will understand that they are more than a form, and their physical attractiveness is not the definitive measure of their worth.

It is my hope that women will embrace their dreams and share their gifts.

It is my hope that single women who want a relationship will find a man who respects them, who honors them, and who values their unique contributions, personality, and character.


Note...I write this mindful of the many women throughout he world who still are unable to walk in public without a male, who cannot exist in public without a veil, who cannot drive a car, vote, or own property.