I heard young people talking to older people the other day and the older people were commenting on younger women not being so into feminism as they were when they were young.

I know that when I was young feminism was a big subject and it was being preached to us hardcore in schools and in the public eye. Now it seems that feminism is not so big a deal to people at least not in the news and in popular culture. We seem to applaud women for being "Housewives" and in relationships in reality shows but not for their own achievements.  Women certainly are  not on even footing with men yet and I wonder where all the interest went!

Are you a feminist?  Do you think feminism is as interesting to women now as it used to be?  Can you link the astrology?  Do you feel women are gaining in power or loosing power at this time in history?

I think younger Women take the freedoms & recognition gained by past generations forgranted. They were not even born when Women were out there achieving rights, that today are taken as given.

I don't mean this in a snarky way, I think that they are in a World much changed now, & really, honesly haven't any experience of "How it was".

I was thinking, just yesterday, about how fur is creeping back into fashion & how damned hard every decent person campaigned their ass off back in the day, to prove this was NOT cool etc...

We're slipping on a few levels, actually =(

It's nice to see you @Annalisa!!

I don't know if I'm a femminist. I just want things to be fair, you know, Libra. I want equal opportunities, equal pays and out with the double standards. I want women to be able to have a career and get pregnant without fear of loosing their job. I want violence against women to stop, as well as genital mutilation and killing female fetuses. I'm being an idealist now.

I don't know if they're gaining power or loosing it in other corners of the world. But in this corner here, they're gonna have to get a bit louder as well as stop sabotaging themselves (and others).

I find the people who actively identify as feminists tend to be really hardcore and militant about it, even getting towards the man-hating end of the spectrum.  This drives a lot of the more moderate types away.

That's by no means all of it, but it doesn't help.

It came up in the 60's with Uranus conjunct Pluto. Now we have the square so it's appropriate to look at the this and the results, etc. per the astrology model.

Nice to see you, McKenna!

I'd like to see more feminism coming into fashion and soon!

Everytime I come across a discussion of feminism, I think of this piece:

http://tomatonation.com/culture-and-criticism/yes-you-are/

Feminism isn't dead.

CW - no it's not, but I think a lot of people lump it in under "basic human rights" rather than fighting for it separately anymore

I am glad to see that feminism is not a dirty word for you, Annalisa :) it pains my heart when women spit that word out of their mouth like it's the worst thing ever. Feminists are not by definition ball busters or anything -- I love men and being the mother of boys, I totally see where we have screwed up men, at least emotionally -- two way street and all. 

But I hear you. I was born in 1980 and lived in a religious household. So being a feminist was a scary thing. But when I left home and had time to reflect and compare my experience with the world's, I realized that women are strong and that there is a massive asset -- a beautiful gift to the world in excellent femininity. I think the fundamental problem was not addressed to begin with:

I think all the focus on women's rights (appropriate, of course, and necessary) were done sort of in a "masculine" way because that's the language we're all taught to speak. But even women will scoff at "emotional" displays or "emotional arguments" or "taking things personally." These are valuable aspects to human experience that, if taken seriously, would HELP the world be a better place, just as "masculine" visionaries in history have contributed a lot. 

Nowadays, anything feminine is still seens as inferior or divergent from the norm. There are people/mankind, and then there are women. There are sports and then there are women's sports. Or lady cops. We are all brethren, and women are a subset. Men are still the NORM. And this bothers me A LOT. It's even more frustrating when I bring it to someone's attention and they think I'm totally off in left field: "I don't THINK about it when I'm saying it..." I know. That's why it's a problem!! :) 

Women nowadays think "if I am more sexual, more visual, more bawdy, more drunk, if I take what men like and 'claim it as my own' by dressing and acting like a whore, then I am truly free." Women, like all people these days, can be real cowards. They are terrified to actually BE WOMEN when they are pursuing careers, being mothers and wives, being teachers, etc, because they are afraid they will not be heard or taken seriously. What we need is more women living a strong version of femininity that is not ashamed of reasonable modesty and self respect, that is not afraid of a wildly sensual, powerful sexuality not based solely in male fantasy, an empathetic approach to business, to international affairs, to teaching, to parenting...a voice that empowers men to feel and be safe in having their own emotions and needs -- we need women who create beauty and harmony, who are not afraid to show CARE for the human side to every problem. These are not stupid, silly, shameful things. These are mature, necessary, essential things the world NEEDS. 

People don't like to think about that stuff. It's "boring" and it's "weird" and it's scary to many who have been threatened by fearful people who need to maintain gender stereotypes or the worst forms of gender expression (like flagrant, artless sexuality, for one) to conform to an idiotic standard outside themselves. 

Does that make sense? I think about this a lot...

word @treehugginmama!

I have always considered myself a feminist and don't consider it the F-word like many women my age seem to. I don't hate men, I don't think women who stay home are idiots, blah blah (insert tired old cliches about feminism here). I think many women equate feminism with anger and man-hating and pedantic arguments, which is unfortunate.

I feel women are losing power, definitely. It is too easy to abuse women, even easier than before. I could go on about this all day, but I won't.

Women and men committed to equality for the genders is never going away; it is that commitment that helps me define feminism and for that reason I do not think feminism is dead.

I believe in equal pay for equal work, but - for whatever reason - the word feminism has become equated with man hating. I hear the word feminazi often enough that I realize a lot of people look at feminists with disdain. It turns me off from calling myself a feminist, although because I am of a younger generation (Pluto in Libra kid) I will admit I take a lot for granted and don't have to refer to myself as a feminist to expect equal pay or respect. To me it's just a given.

I think women are losing power. Specific women. And many women bring up their daughters in the wrong way, dressing them way too old for their age when they are still in elementary school. This doesn't put women on "equal" footing with men.

This is my view as a younger person growing up decades after the movement started.

Positive feminism: Promoting equal pay, women in the armed services & in combat, in sports, in higher positions of power, and the like. Educating girls that it's okay to feel good about themselves, and it's okay to be a tomboy and wrestle in the dirt with the boys. Having a freedom to choose what you want to wear. Breaking the glass ceiling for females in the workplace.

Ball busters: Using only your body to get ahead in life and calling it feminism. Forcibly including positive female presence into something where it's generally not found from day 1 (like feminists complaining about the lack of strong independent women in the Game of Thrones books and TV show. How can you do that when the book immitates general Low Fantasy?). It's not promoting feminism to go rallying for equality but stay imposing rules onto men just because the person is a woman--the special snowflake treatment.

Nothing irritates people more than a ball buster feminist.

One thing that comes up quite a lot in my sphere of interest is questioning female archetypes in TV, music, movies, and video games, which is a 2-sided coin.

On one side it's good to ask tough questions about why people are still showing the "sexy femme fatale" or the "demure, obedient maiden" in this day and age. It's more or less reinforcing that idea into a young person's mentality. Nobody wants to be labeled.

On the other hand, you're forcing your opinion onto another, and these kinds of portrays have been around for centuries. Sometimes they're even acuracte descriptions of personalities.

I used to identify more strongly as a feminist always. Now, due to my beliefs, and learning more about the 'second wave' feminists of the 1960's, I still do identify as a feminist, but more of a third wave feminist. As I don't know if I truly identify with the second wave feminists, but more so with the first and third waves, as women of color were not a part of the previous movement. And issues of race/ethnicity/sexuality among women were not part of the second wave to my knowledge. And there's always more work to do in my eyes as a woman of color, and a sexual minority in some ways.

I read a lot of Cherie Moraga, Gloria Anzaldua, and Bell Hooks in my women's studies classes, and I think we briefly touched on the work of Betty Freidan. I loved the topics we covered, and the critiques we made of the feminism of the 1960's, it brought it all down to earth, and made it easier to understand why some women felt left out, like my Mothers  older sisters, ect. I don't think femnism is gone in today's world, but I do think it has evolved into something more than what it was/has been, as the issues and society have changed, and there is always something new to talk about.

Regarding where we are now, I still think there are huge gaps in pay/economic advantages between caucasian women and caucasian men, and large gaps between women of color, and caucasian women, and a other combinations of ethnicity/gender. I hope those gaps in living, and thinking change for the better soon, but I think it will take some time for those socio-economic gaps to close. I also notice the 'war on women' is getting worse in some ways, and that's deeply saddening to me. I'm noticing that things outside the 'normative culture' namely, minorities are being asked to conform to the dominant culture more and more, and I'm just waiting for another million woman march in WA DC some mornings when I read the news.

Just my thoughts from a Sun/Uranus brown girls eyes. : )

This issue is always tricky to me, as I do truly believe that everyone should have equal rights.  At the same time, there are very distinct differences between men and women (which I feel is a good thing).  These differences are not always black & white and don't always apply to everyone of a gender.  Still, I do feel that everyone should have equal rights.  As for the astrology, I've got sun opposite moon, balance or equality for all ;)
Angie

@curious wanderer - I found another Tomato Nation fan, yay! That link should be required reading.

Anyway, the definition is, "If you believe in, support, look fondly on, hope for, and/or work towards equality of the sexes, you are a feminist."

@solaire "I don't know if I'm a femminist. I just want things to be fair, you know, Libra. I want equal opportunities, equal pays and out with the double standards. I want women to be able to have a career and get pregnant without fear of loosing their job. I want violence against women to stop, as well as genital mutilation and killing female fetuses."

Yes solaire. You are a feminist. :)

@Korrelyn "the man-hating end of the spectrum"

If I could clarify one point, it would be to put to rest this "man-hating myth." I am a feminist. I was a Women's Studies Minor and active in the movement in late '80s/early '90s. Man Hating has zero to do with feminism. It has to do with the position and condition of women in society, and at the end of the day it's surprising how *little* of that has to do with men!

I swear that the ONLY Men Haters I have known were women that were NOT feminists and were all hung up on the validation and approval of men for their self-worth, and bitter about their bad experiences with the opposite sex. Feminists don't care about that. We're out there advocating for women's rights.