Feminism, women's rights

Didn't win the Guardian competition with this article, therefore I open it up to criticism, adaptions etc...

Many would possibility consider the rights of women completed; after all women are seen in the media, in politics and in high-ranking position, but actuality this is the minority, or just the few lucky ones. In reality the world over, women are suppressed - economically, religiously, politically and sexually. It is set up through a masculine governed culture that ranks women as lesser beings, placing their opinions and rights as secondary, and in many countries their education as completely unnecessary.

 

The list of problems that are facing women is extensive - from the illiteracy rates in many respected nations, to the women who are enslaved in workhouses and brothels. For example, the persecution of rape cases that are convicted in this country is less than 5%. Add to this the increasing acts of violence against women not only in England, but Europe and the world, and we can see that the Women?s movement; still has a long way to go. Yet, females are criticised for pointing out this crimes, which are committed against half of humankind.

 

If one, as I sadly discovered in my university seminar only a few months ago, is to declare oneself a feminist - you faced raised eyebrows and derogatory comments - and sadly, I doubt that this is uncommon. And worst, a majority of this hostile reaction was from my fellow female peers. It is, as though; it is considered unfeminine, to be a feminist. Arguments that I heard, and tried not to laugh at, is the thought that women are somehow endangering the male ego, which seemed to point, rather at fear of altering the established order of things, perhaps even making it fair (an absurd demand, of course). But who would want to give up their advantages, when they have been so irrationally handed out?

If there is a fault, obviously this misogyny is one, but we females can also take a part of the responsibility for probably re-address the balance. This I think can be pin pointed to the lack of unity in the Feminist movement ? this is not solid base for all of us to unite behind. But surely we all want equal rights?

Therefore perhaps a new definition of what it is to be a Feminist is needed; one that, women from a supposedly free and educated country such as England, will not feel embarrassment to be proud of. They will want to stand and say they are entitled to their equal rights, if fact it is something that they deserve -

 

The right to say and think as they please.

The right to vote.

The right to pursue their education, and career, as far as they choose.

The right to equal pay and the chance to compete for the best careers available.

The right to wed, whom they choose, without intervene from any source. Or the right to remain single should they decide.

The right to raise their children, with support from their husbands/partners.

The right to own property, land and moneys.

The right to sex, with whomever they choose.

The right to refuse or worship whichever religion they should choose.

 

Most of these listed above are, in fact human rights, but ones that, in certain situations and places remain elusive for many thousands of women. This is what Feminist should have established and enforced, and what, we, as females should be as one in achieving. These entitlements are justly ours, ones that through history, governments, and even our own fathers, husbands, brothers and friends have unknowingly or intentionally taken from us. We are given roles that we must play out, ones that have come to define us, but ones that also seep away our potential.

These roles that force women to consider beauty, above their health, intelligence and well being (for what else is the blind stupidity of the modelling world?s obsession with size zero?) I do not deny that it has become a self-fulfilling prophecy with females unable to escape the ?vital? importance of looks, nor do I condemn those who value their appearance, but it cannot and should not be the only quality that is required for a woman. It is something that turns them into the walking wounded, from ancient Greece with Helen of Troy, down to the unfortunate Ana Carolina Reston (who was only twenty-one when she died from anorexia in 2006.) These women are tragic examples, of placing so much importance on beauty. Women are not given the right to dismiss the imagined glory of beauty; they must fight even nature to preserve some false ideal, and sometimes they must even die for it. Nothing as fleeting as beauty should be worth that.

 

The ability to dismiss the significance of beauty is hard indeed, the right to do so; is perhaps even harder. What women so fundamentally lack is choice. Everything is so laid out, that making an independent decision is a constant battle. This lack of choice in the pursuit of the ?ideal? good looks highlights a real issue for women - the basic right to make a decision, on their own, and that one that will not gander criticism from either gender. Should a woman wish to develop her career; she should not be seen as cold or uncaring, nor should a woman who decides to have a child, be undermined as lacking in ambition or wishing for an easier time. Both these commitments should be valued, for both are worthy contributions to society. For this to happen changes must be effected. It should be an attitude that changes, we as individuals - both male and female - and in various different ways must change how we perceive one another, and stop attempting to prevent what is only fair and just.

 

Women?s suffering as gone unanswered for too long, it is high time that rights that women deserve go ignored. I hope naively perhaps that the world my daughters live in will be better, one, which they shall not fear. 

WHAT TO DO WITH USELESS FAMILY MEMBERS?

This is a question that has undoubtedly struck all of us from time to time. Especially when we hear our mothers telling us to tidy up a perfectly clean room, or smelly brothers finding your bra and thinking its funny. But I’m not talking about the annoying aspects of family life, which one day I hope I can look back on and smile at (or at least not wish to throttle my smallest sibling) Nor do I refer to the ones you read about in the papers, the ones who routinely leave their babies bruised, sexually assaulted and sometimes dead, although these tales are worth certainly worth hearing and the perpetrators deserve to be locked away for a considerable amount of time. No I am not referring to these, no I mean the rather useless variety of family members, the ones who are mean, and cutting and often pretend you don’t exist.

 

This is about some of the other sort of family members, who actually rarely deserve to belong to something that as this association of something loving and special – the family unit.

My family are for example an unusual bunch, filled with the very special to the frankly weird, and not very wonderful. Then again I doubt anyone would ever describe their family as normal.

However there exists some interesting people amongst ‘my group’ (also referred to as blood relations), whom I have on occasion questioned wither these people should exist within a family group, and why the possibility of eviction and the choice to pick someone new, hasn’t been invented yet. (Although I guess this comes when you marry/date a potentially new member…. Inviting some poor sucker to be pulled in, or worse integrating yourself into their possibly even stranger family. Neither option appeals right now, but exists in blissful future, and is sadly probably not too far off! Oh the joy of future in-laws.)

Of course we might all decide we what to be the son or daughter of a president or king, although if it’s a choice between say; ex-president Bush and Prince Charles, I’d be had pushed to decide which one, I’d rather not call dad. The fact however is this, that while we can pick our friends, family is trickier.

And I can count my blessing in my many ways in this regard, after all my family are still alive. I have a great mother and brothers, aunt, niece and grandma - I'm lucky. But the whole dad thing,its like opening a can of worms, with less pleasant results... perhaps opening a can of toxic fireworks???? 

But and I am not the only one in this situation, who can say with straightforward confusion, what the hell dad? This question also extends to his dear family… whom I have spent very little time with, but have decided perhaps prematurely that it was enough. Call me odd, but I actually think you can pick your family, or at least pick the ones you want to avoid and pretend don’t exist. If only this method worked during the holidays....

However, as a woman today, I seem to think that my relationship with my father is important, but the hopeful, “one day he’ll like me” or “one day he’ll stop calling me fat” or “one day he’ll say he’s proud of me”, really has to stop, if only for my own sanity. You’d think common sense would have kicked in sooner, when you consider the number of my friends, siblings and peers who come from broken homes, perhaps sanity has to be deserted or else you’d be faced with the harsh reality that a lot of these fathers, including my own, are mean shits who left our mothers, with not enough food, money or emotional support to raise an ant, let alone a child.

 

But believe it or not, I’m not writing about the uselessness of fathers, or even men (because I am aware of the women who do leave their children, although it is the minority whatever others say). No, I’m writing about the idea of family. In families, yes there’s arguments, fights and disagreements and yes, sometimes separation is the only option but the fact remains that family is meant to have been created under the ideal of unity, affection and love against diversity. You can’t fight both the other world, when your supposed base of affection and support is crumpling around you. Family is meant to be your link to your past, and is supposed to make you want to strive for the future, rather than think that you’d sooner eat live wasps than put another innocent life through the crap you’ve been through.

 

I guess I wonder if we can’t even be considerate and thoughtful to our own family, what chance do we have against the wider world? These lessons of respect, love and understanding should be one that is begun in the home, but since that is something that the previous generation has yet again not entirely succeed in achieving, we can but hope for the future and cut most of our ties with the past. And not choose them a nice retirement home....

Re Thinking

I always had a rather poor opinion of blogging to be honest. Had the rather highhanded theory that you'd have to be rather big-headed to want to run around saying whatever came into your mind... and the assumption that anyone would care, expect your nearest and dearest. But here I am, with a new viewpoint. Admitting my previous idea needed a rethink. 

Blogging is to my mind the perfect forum for honesty. As is the Internet, wither we like it or not. It is a chance for you to say and do, pretty much as you wish. The first real freedom of speech. It also offers up the global world at just a touch of a button.

Of course this isn't new, or news... but it is something, that in an age were, whichever direction you face, and whatever your political leanings the opportunity to express them has become limited or squashed. And thus with my first ever blog, I'd like to say hurrah for the ability to write, and say whatever I think. Even if its daft.