This post will be my last official contribution to The Friedan Project so I thought I’d conclude it with what I have taken away from my experiences in researching and writing about this important topic.

My main inspiration for this project came from my family and my experiences growing up. I grew up surrounded by strong women- my two grandmothers (one loving and kind, and the other full of attitude and stories of adventure) and my almost regal great-grandmother. Add to this equation my selfless, hard working mum and it’s easy to see why I was arguing for equal rights from the dinner table from a young age. I never saw any reason why women couldn’t do anything men could do because all I knew were strong, independent, amazing women.

What really stirred me into starting this project though were two things:

Firstly, the lecture that I spoke about in my first post which is still stuck in my mind years later.

And secondly, a series of conversations I had with my grandmothers over Christmas last year which I also mentioned in my first post.

When I started The Friedan Project I had countless questions in my head that I wanted to explore and answer:

·        What is a feminist?

·        Does society still need feminism?

·        Am I a feminist?

I was able to answer these questions fairly early on:

·        A feminist is someone who believes in “equal rights and opportunities for women”.

·        Society will need feminism for as long as sexism exists, perhaps longer

·        Yes

From here, I went on to explore deeper into feminism than I had anticipated I would. It became an impulse to read everything I could find, to make up my mind about it, and to write. I am especially proud that I was able to write on such issues as victim-blaming, the sex industry and sterilisation as these are huge problems for so many women (and men) which haven’t been dealt with in the public sphere.

In my blog posts, I also included a lot of my own experiences. I chose to do this because I wanted to show how sexism is prevalent in most women's every day experiences- it’s not just something found in feminist texts from the ‘60s.

While I am proud of what I have achieved, I think that there were a few weaknesses in the project. For example, when I first started I felt like everything I wrote had to be an intensively researched, essay-like post which probably made everything sound a bit forced. As the project continued though, it became a much more natural process and I wasn’t afraid of posting up short blogs about a particular news article I may have found that day. If I could do the project over again, I would definitely approach it with a much more relaxed attitude.

Overall though, The Friedan Project turned out better than I had hoped. So much so that the conclusion of my media project class probably won’t mean the end for this blog.

The Friedan Project ignited something in me that I don’t think will be that easily extinguished. It gave me a creative outlet where I could read and write whatever I wanted whilst still passing it off as “study”- a refreshing change for a third year uni student.

But more than this, it helped me to straighten out my thoughts and organise my beliefs into something which feels much more meaningful than it did before. As Betty Friedan once said “The only way for a woman, as for a man, to find herself, to know herself as a person, is by creative work of her own. There is no other way”. The Friedan Project has done this for me.

It has given me a new identity as a feminist. It has made me feel as though I am part of something greater than myself- a movement that, as I learnt, is still moving and growing.

It did take a while to get to this new identity. One issue that I had when I started writing was that I felt as though I was all alone. Sure, there were a few old “classics” on my bookshelf (The feminine mystique and the second sex of course) and there were a few American websites I found, but there was nothing close-by to identify with. Nothing that was really “me”.

This started to change when I found the equality illusion by Kat Banyard which I have referenced a great number of times in my posts already. This book is much more modern and seemed to be echoing the same questions I had. But still, it was mostly based on British research, British interviews and British feminisms. I could find nothing Australian to identify with.

In more recent weeks however, the SlutWalk phenomenon has taken off in Australia and today, I went along to the one in Melbourne.

I have to say, it wasn’t quite what I expected. The media reports had made it sound like it was going to be filled with fishnet stockings and short skirts but it really wasn’t. Sure, there were a few people who dressed as outrageously as they could but overall most people were just in their everyday clothes.

There was also a much wider range of people than I expected. It wasn’t just the young and idealistic uni students like me- there were people of all ages, from all backgrounds and all sexualities. I was also very happy to see so many men supporting the cause.

By far the most overwhelming part however was the number of people that attended. Sitting here blogging from my home it’s easy to feel very alone in this movement but the SlutWalk today showed me that I am far from being alone in my beliefs. There were literally thousands and thousands of people taking to the streets today demanding an end to victim-blaming and slut-shaming.

Finally, Australia stood up and showed me that feminism isn’t dead in this country. It’s alive and well- it just took it’s time.

The event didn’t go off completely problem-free however. When the SlutWalkers made their way past Parliament, two lonely figures stood on the steps holding signs quoting the bible’s demand for women to dress modestly. The signs were soon torn from their hands and they were escorted away by police. This protest wasn’t the place to be messing with women. We were empowered and marching in our thousands against the very viewpoint that these two individuals were advocating for. They were never going to silence our calls.

I am also a bit disheartened by the media coverage of the event. There might have been a lot of it but most of it completely missed the point of the protest. The media has blamed the cold weather for the fact that most of the walkers were in jeans and jackets rather than the miniskirts they had anticipated. But the point of the SlutWalk was that we should be able to wear whatever we want so it was sad that the emphasis of the coverage was still on the way we dressed rather than the issue of victim blaming. I suppose this was to be expected after the event was given such a controversial name but it is frustrating nonetheless.

Even after the poor quality of media coverage and the clash on the steps of parliament, the day was still an outstanding success.  The organisers, speakers and SlutWalkers should be very proud of themselves for bringing feminism back to the streets of Melbourne when I was all but convinced it had died out long ago.

For this feminist, The SlutWalk was an energizing experience and I hope the many other thousands of people there today feel the same way. This is just the beginning of something.

For those who may have followed The Friedan Project, I hope that what I have had to say has given you something to think about. If you’re interested in finding out more about feminism or about what to do if you feel you have been discriminated against, the following links may provide you with a place to start.

Feminist websites:

http://www.thefword.org.uk/

http://www.object.org.uk/

http://www.feminist.com/

http://msmagazine.com

http://www.mathaba.net/www/feminist/index.shtml

Where to go for help:

http://www.lawstuff.org.au/topics/discrimination/article2/what-can-i-do-if-i-have-been-discriminated-against-or-harassed-at-work

http://www.dvirc.org.au/

Getting men involved:

http://www.antipornmen.org/

http://www.menengage.org/

I think it is fitting to conclude The Friedan Project with a couple of quotes from Betty Friedan herself:

“A girl should not expect special privileges, because of her sex, but neither should she "adjust" to prejudice and discrimination.”

“A woman has got to be able to say, and not feel guilty, 'Who am I, and what do I want out of life?' She mustn't feel selfish and neurotic if she wants goals of her own, outside of husband and children.”

 The responsibility of finding out what we are missing out on is ours.

The responsibility of bringing about equality is ours.

We need to fight for it like we have never fought for anything before.

The men's movement

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote this after a discussion with my dad about mens perception of feminism.

According to my dad, most males feel threatened by feminism and I think that this is it's greatest weakness. Not only do we need men on our side if anything is going to change (most of the law-makers are men, afterall) but the feminist movement needs to be much more open and highlight the fact that it's not an exclusive club for "man-hating" women- it's something for everyone.

The fact is, inequality doesn't just affect women.

Take this article for example. It outlines new research which not only shows that men are having to work longer hours, but that they are feeling guilty for it and are missing out on the family time that they long for.

With gender equality we would have more flexible work hours for both men and women. This would mean that these families could divide the work more equally between the parents and no-one would have to miss out on seeing their kids grow up.

Yes, equal rights would be mostly beneficial for women; but I just wish more people could see its potential for men as well.

Breasts and chests

A couple of years ago, I remember telling my boyfriend that I won't believe we have achieved equality until women are allowed to walk down the street topless, just as men are.

Of course, I know this sounds a bit ridiculous and it's going against what I have said previously about being rational, but it's true.

Some women have small boobs, some men have big boobs. There is no difference between them.

Except that women's bodies have been sexualised and subjugated.

We've all been convinced that our bodies are something to be ashamed of and hidden- women have even been ejected from parliament for (god forbid) breast-feeding their children.

Thankfully though, this issue is getting some attention after a photo on a magazine cover had to be hidden because the topless androgenous male featured was deemed to be inappropriate. You can read more about it here.

This quote sums the article up well:

"It’s not simply that breasts are considered pornographic. It’s that we’re afraid of women and femininity and female bodies and, if a man looks feminine enough, he becomes, by default, obscene."

According to one reader:

"our inability to show our breasts, even when breastfeeding, means that their sole purpose is as men’s sexual toys and should only be used as such."

I'm inclined to agree.

Other readers comments also revealed movement's against laws in other countries:

"Topfreedom is a cultural and political movement seeking to advance gender equality by the recognition of the right of women and girls to be topless in public on the same basis that men and boys are permitted to be barechested. In addition, topfreedom advocates seek recognition of the right of nursing mothers to openly breastfeed in public, and of women to sun bathe topless"

"It’s not illegal in Canada for women to go topless. That was settled years ago by a young woman named Gwen Jacob who took off her shirt on a hot summer day, was arrested and took the case all the way to the Supreme Court. As a result we can take our shirts off if we want. However, one still does not see bare breasts on/in non-porn magazines"

Maybe it's just Australia that's falling behind...

Women who write

I've just come across an article on Crikey addressing the reasons behind novels written by women going unread or unrecognised.

So interesting and so relevent.

It also made me realise that I am guilty of this myself. On my bursting-at-the-seams bookshelf, the only women featured are Anne Bronte, Harper Lee, Sylvia Plath and Charlotte Perkins Gilman.

Oops. Maybe I have some shopping to do.

You can find the article here.

Q and A

Next weeks episode of Q and A (on Monday at 9.35 pm, ABC) features "anti-porn feminist" Gail Dines.

For a taste of what to expect, there is an article on The Age website which can be read here.

Dines writes that:

The man "makes hate" to the woman, as each sex act is designed to deliver the maximum amount of degradation. Whether it be aggressive fellatio or violent sodomy, the goal of porn sex is to illustrate how much power he has over her. Yet the women are still portrayed as enjoying these scenes. Images like these are commonplace on the internet and shape the way men think about sex, relationships and intimacy.

Following the article are a few hundred readers comments. I like this delightful one in particular:

"When you've got a penis and male libido maybe you'll have a viewpoint worth hearing"

*sigh*

At the very least, Gail Dines appearance on Q and A promises to be interesting. I'll certainly be watching.

Here we go again...

How can anyone question the relevence of feminism today when stories like this keep coming up?

This controversy (and the readers comments which follow) has it all: Lack of choice, victim blaming, and outright sexism.

When will they learn?

Pay equality

Nearing the conclusion of The Friedan Project, I am excited that there is finally some happy news to report on.

The Fair Work Australia tribunal today found that the reason community service workers are paid less can be mostly attributed to the fact that the majority of workers are women.

While accepting that there are other factors contributing to the lower wages of community service workers, the tribunal did acknowledge that "gender has an important influence".

Overall, the tribunal concluded that:

"In order to give effect to the equal remuneration provisions in these complex circumstances, we consider that the proper approach is to attempt to identify the extent to which gender has inhibited wages growth in the SACS [social, disability and community services] industry and to mould a remedy which addresses that situation."

Maybe the feminist cause isn't lost after all.


I also found the following comment on the story interesting:

"The pay gap is about gender not only because "caring" work is often undervalued as women's work but also because when men enter this sector they rarely stay for long in frontline roles. Males are often quickly elevated to management (this is often their choice to avoid the wage penalties associated with frontline community services work); all you need to go to is a board of management meeting for a large NGO and you'll see the gender imbalance quickly disappears once we start talking proper salaries and conditions."

Hopefully these factors will also be taken into account when the tribunal later decides on how much should be added to the wages of those in the community service sector.

If you're interested in reading more about this exciting development, you can find the story here

SlutWalk update

Details for the Melbourne SlutWalk have been announced!

The Melbourne SlutWalk will be held on the 28th of May at 1pm begining outside the State Library.

Read more about it here or find it on facebook or twitter

Hope to see you there!

"Feminist" revisited

After a long, late-night phone call to my dad last night, I’ve gained a much better understanding of the perception of feminism and how this causes problems for many men.

Although my dad agreed that he was technically a feminist, when I asked about his perception of feminism he said the term ‘feminist’ wasn’t something many men like to use to describe themselves because it is “still a term attributed to women”.

He told me that “there is a backlash with males against feminism” and that in many cases feminism “generates animosity towards females”. He admitted that while the word ‘feminism’ will always be in use, it “doesn’t do the movement any good” because men see it as being “confrontational” and “extremist” and it makes it seem as though women’s problems are “all men’s fault”.

When confronted with feminism, he said, many men are likely to either “attack” or “shut it out”.

He offered the term “equalist” as a better alternative however I would argue that if the label ‘feminist’ isn’t going to go away anyway, maybe we just need to focus on changing the perception of it.

One way of doing this that comes to mind is for feminist to use less aggravating and ‘man-blaming’ language in favour of something that recognises that it isn’t men themselves that are at fault but the overarching social system- the patriarchy.

We need men on our side if we’re ever going to achieve anything and it is important that we keep this in mind when arguing for our rights. We might not be able to change the perception of the movement overnight, but it is in our best interests to at least try to make the movement less threatening and more accessible to everyone.

The 'industry' 2.0

I’ve written before about the sex industry being a trap for women, but putting an end to this exploitation won’t come about without help.

In Sweden, it is legal to sell sex acts, but in 1999 it was made illegal to buy them. This means that women aren’t being punished for the situation they have found themselves in but instead it is the men that are exploiting this by paying for sex acts that may find themselves faced with a fine or even up to six months in jail. This law has had important flow on effects, also leading to a decrease in the trafficking of women.

As well as punishing men, the law has also brought about changes for the sex workers themselves by making it easier than ever to escape from the “trap”. Women have access to counselling, accommodation, and even job training.

Unfortunately, the law hasn’t yet been adopted by many other countries (only Iceland and Norway so far) but on face value, it appears to be something which may be effective in Australia.

I know personally of one sex worker who is in the industry in order to provide for their family living overseas. With this law and the subsequent changes in the laws perception of sex workers, this person would be given access and training for jobs which would enable them to earn money without putting them at risk for sexual assault and all the other horrible things that the industry brings about.

The possibility of enacting a similar in Australia might not solve the problem but it would at least bring the issue into the spotlight. Maybe it’s something Australia should be thinking about...

Slutwalks

A Toronto policeman’s less-than-thoughtful comment to a group of school kids that “women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimised” has lead to worldwide protests. You can read more about it here and here.

In Australia, “Slutwalks” are being held in both Adelaide and Sydney and there are plans for others in other cities around the country.

It’s time we do something about victim-blaming and put the focus back onto who is really at fault.

Feminisms?

A couple of days ago, I was invited by my project supervisor to hear Alexandra Heller-Nicholas speak about her area of expertise: the depiction of sexual violence in rape-revenge films.

I found the whole seminar extremely interesting but because I am not exactly a fan of horror films (even most Disney movies are too scary for me!) it was more difficult to understand. However, one point Ms Heller-Nicholas made really stood out to me.

 Ms Heller-Nicholas suggested that we shouldn’t talk about feminism but feminisms. She claimed that “feminism isn’t a particular argument; it is a set of debates”, and “feminism is not singular, it is a plural idea”. In particular she said that the only thing that all feminists agree on is the idea of “gender difference as a site of power”.

In some ways, I think feminism is a lot like religion. Just like the way in which religions such as Christianity have a whole set of different denominations- so too does feminism. Some people don’t identify with a particular set of religious beliefs but take different things from different parts of religion and that’s just what feminists to do to.

I also think that the idea of feminism being a “set of debates” is just as important. Maybe the imperative thing isn’t having all feminists agree on a particular issue but having feminists openly and publicly debating issues. Surely just encouraging others to think about society differently will go some way to shaking up the patriarchy.

The idea of feminisms frustrates me, I must admit. I am used to having concrete definitions for the ideas I believe in and the fact that the different feminisms are so full of contradictions only makes things more difficult. But I think it’s just one of those things that takes a bit of getting used to. After all, it’s the part that we all agree upon that really matters to the cause.

The problem that has no name

One of my aims when starting this project was to properly analyse how far women's rights have progressed in order to figure out why everyone seems to think we have already achieved equality.

Because I don’t have a wealth of experience as a twenty-year-old, I think that perhaps the best way to explore these issues is to go back to when they were first argued for and dig into those classic feminist texts which adorn my bookshelf.

Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique is my favourite because it really gives the reader a sense of what the world was like in the 50’s and 60’s. In fact, the 2010 Penguin Modern Classics edition includes an introduction by Lionel Shriver which sums it up perfectly:

“Friedan gave a voice to millions of women who had been suffering in silence, convinced that they alone were ungrateful or mentally disturbed. She provided women with a sense of solidarity, and reassurance that in finding the life of a housewife dreary, monotonous, and hauntingly empty that they had plenty of company”.

The opening chapter of the feminine mystique is where Friedan’s world really comes to life for me. In it, she addresses “the problem that has no name” and explores why women seem to have given up on “not just existing in and through others”. The women quoted in the chapter talk about feeling “empty” or as though they “don’t exist”. Many feel as though they are just going through the motions and doing “everything women are supposed to do”. Friedan concludes that:

“We can no longer ignore that voice within women that says: ‘I want something more than my husband and my children and my home’”

So if we really are living in an equal society now, this should all seem pretty foreign to me, right?

It doesn’t.

Even today, the “problem that has no name” is obvious amongst women. I know of many who have given up their dreams or careers to become a parent, only to find that it isn’t a fix for anything. Day after day they are bored, they long for that “something more” but don’t have the opportunities to get there.

I personally can’t imagine being completely fulfilled as housewife or mother. I need to exist for myself, not just for others. But don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t mean that I don’t want to be a mother, I do, but I never want to be just a mother.

Unfortunately, society doesn’t yet give us much choice- it has to be one or the other. A lack of affordable childcare, inflexible workplaces and the assumption that women should always be the primary caregiver are the precise reasons why the problem with no name still exists today.

All I can hope for are these problems to be solved before I have kids; otherwise I’ll probably end up experiencing Friedan’s world myself...