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Feminism to me used to mean equal pay for equal rights. Wanting respect, in a man’s industry, for doing as good if not better a Job then some of the contractors I had worked with. While growing up it seemed that all feminists were man hating bra burners. I’m sad to admit I was not aware there was a 2nd wave let alone a 3rd & 4th Wave of Feminism; besides Just being ignorant of what feminism was and what it represented. I know my father held women in high regard but he and my mother didn’t ever speak of oppression of women or feminism or privilege.
I knew our family assembled more a matriarchy form, I felt like a princess when in the presence of Grams, and still do. The paper and video “day with and a day without feminism” opened my eyes to feminism and where feminists as a whole were coming from. I was born in 1970, “a day without feminism has us think about what it would be like if things were as they were when we were born. I was also adopted, my father asked my 16 year old mother to marry him the day I was brought home from the hospital. Father was left blank on my birth certificate.
I was given my Mothers’ name of Bonaventure and my father adopted me Just before I was enrolled into kindergarten o If I hadn’t found my birth certificate playing “teacher” with my sisters I may not have known. The thought of finding my birth certificate minus my Fathers’ name was emotional enough. I’m sure I would have felt worse if the word ‘illegitimate would have been placed where it was intended blank. After I figured out what the word was and what it meant. I wonder how mine got through the cracks.
Was it possibly because my father asked my mother to marry him the very day my birth certificate was printed? The paper “A day with feminism” is a dream that many women only dream of. Men showing emotion… (Vive seen my dad cry but only a couple of times. And my Grandfather, saw him cry Just once, at the funeral of his brother). Men work in day care facilities and are paid as much as plumbers, sanitation workers and fireman. Children play Barbie’s with feet big enough to stand and boys GIG Joe is also a member of the peace keeping force.
Environmentally sound, friendly feminine products are available and at the price of a week of razors. This does sounds like a dream. I do believe that we can keep up the fight and push the system to the point of breaking. Where Women will be truly equal to men and men to women. Religion is such a pressure on this subject. I as a Strong Christian Women that believes the words written in red. Women of all Religions need not Judge but pray for the equality and Freedoms for all women everywhere.
Feminism isn’t for all. Women have proven to be steadfast in their decisions of being happy with the way things are as individuals, and that’s fine. But like the ERA supporters stated in “second wave feminism” that treating women as individuals rather than classifying them by gender had nothing to do with the division of labor at mom or social etiquette or even the miscalculation of women but those reassurances fell on deaf ears. Individuals will go through events differently than others that’s a fact.