Silence of the Feminists

Do you remember radical feminists? They marched for the cause, firebombed sex shops, disowned their own sons, formed extreme sects and basically did all but chase men off the planet entirely.

So is this it? A 21st-century world of Blair's babes, metrosexuals and confused men who spent some time being in touch with their feminine side and then reconnected with their masculine side in a hurry – of course picking up some decent pointers on the way ;). Nowadays the closest we get to feminism is to watch the “Vagina Monologues” and shift uncomfortably in our seats. Even that seems like decades ago.

There are a lot of single women out there, mistakenly labelled career women who really are every inch Bridget Jones without the happy ending . And they are as confused as the next man.

I guess, then, that it’s a bit outdated to talk about feminists per se.

Ive certainly benefited from a ‘post feminist’ era. I have choice and political equality. By which I mean those who created choice through extreme sacrifice, gritty determination… who led by example. In the late 1970s, revolutionary feminists marched through the cities, hands held aloft in the international feminist sign of the vagina, demanding to "reclaim the streets". They waved placards and frightened men into terrible bores. Margaret Thatcher didn’t need to do any of that to get into power.

Apparently when Thatcher disbanded the Greater London Council amid the in-fighting and disappointment, the ‘Women's Committee’ aka rad fems, just drifted apart. How lame and typical. So Mags didn’t think much of them either and could see the wood for the trees! All just slogans, manifestos, words, more slogans. But whilst they didn’t really achieve anything, shouting hard enough meant it was a headline issue. And maybe from it and through it, role models, pioneers and exceptionally courageous women of no particular importance set about changing society. Some may argue not always for the better. The femiloons, as with all loons, pushed to it all too far.

Of course Im grateful I have choice in all aspects of my life and that I have political equality. I can choose to stay at home and raise a family - or I can choose not to. Ultimately I think we all end up doing what works best in this modern world, what makes us happiest and life work more smoothly. I tend to view womens ‘rights’ as in everyone’s best interests, common sense in a modern world!

In other countries where ‘rights’ aren’t simply an overused 20C placard slogan, women need our support. In Iran last week some very very brave young women tried to attend a football match when Iran played Costa Rica. They were turned away. When they insisted they were beaten and arrested.

Women Arrested Trying to Attend Football Match

Why isn’t this headline news?

Maybe for the same reason Womens Day and its objectives in Saudi aren’t heralded. Maybe for the same reason Ayaan Hirshi is still a relative unknown. She shouldn’t be. Her courage is an incredible example to us all.

The more militant feminists who used to see everything as mens fault and then camp outside American airbases and bore us all to death with their campfire songs seem to have teamed up with the Socialist Workers party. Either that or they are on maternity leave & *nodding furiously* over Gitmo doing little else. To them, attacking any aspect of Islam is simply and carelessly deemed - racism. The football demonstration of young women in Iran and the courage of those seeking change to womens status via Womens Day in Saudi, seem to have slipped by unnoticed, unsupported, unchampioned. You cant tell me international rights issues aren’t fashionable after Gitmo.

At its core, feminism was a social movement largely focused on limiting or eradicating gender inequality and promoting women's rights, interests, and issues in society - worldwide. Is it still?
Forget it. The main beneficiaries of 20th century feminism seem to think the hijab here in the UK is a ‘right’ and a ‘choice’, and NOT an example of subjugation. Go figure.

Maybe the advent of human rights has muddied the waters. I think Prince Charles is right to suggest they promote the individual over society - to society’s detriment.

This isn’t an attempt to outline what went wrong, what went right. If its confused - its because I am : I’m truly worried that the actions of some desperate and brave young women are an awkward fat white elephant. In the West. In 2006.