Ashley writes:
In response to a Canadian federal cutback to women’s programs, people have begun a blog tag.
5 things feminism has done for me:
1) Allowed me to go to university.
2) Give me a way to fight against international injustice to women as well as local injustice.
3) Given me an outlet to vent about the female obsession with bodies, and a way to fight against it.
4) The right to own my own property, and to not have them taken away should I choose to leave my husband.
5) The right to choice about who I am, what I will do with my life, what career path I will follow, what I will do with my body, and many other things. Choice is one of the most powerful things given to us by feminism. We can choose to vote or not, who to vote for, whether or not we want to marry, how many children to have, how to dress, when/who to have sex with, what type of bith control to use, the choice to use birth control (and without male permission), among many other choices we have as a result of feminism.
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![[EFC Blue Ribbon - Free Speech Online]](http://www.efc.ca/images/efcfreet.gif)
Tory@York | 30-Sep-06 at 9:07 am | Permalink
Can any of you writing these “5 things” cite anything that wasnt accomplished decades ago?
Scott Tribe | 30-Sep-06 at 9:19 am | Permalink
Gee Tory.. apparently its all hunkey-dory with women, is that your attitude?
Well, it isnt. Let’s take a look at a report that SWC Canada did at its website.
In this first graph, income for men is in the upper line, women in the lower line.
Some more graphs showing the disparity.
And another dismaying one.
As I’ve said elsewhere, it seems to me those show we’ve a long way to go yet… and that the SWC federal agency is indeed still relevant.
I’ll go further then that: I’ll say rather then lopping off a bunch of funding…if anything, money to the SWC federal agency should be increased, particularly when we are running a 13 billion surplus.
I’d much rather see the money go to that then 15 million $ go to the Canadian Army for TV and media advertising trying to get recruitment numbers up and showing controversial ads.
Tory@York | 30-Sep-06 at 10:45 am | Permalink
Im not saying theres no economic disparity, but my comment was asking whether she can list anything recent. And now more specifically, what has SWC actually done to “liberate” women that has not already been done in decades past? I mean cmon, allowed you to go to university? You gonna credit SWC for that? Right to own property? Get real. I challenge you to show me something that SWC has actually done, concretely, for real women.
Saskboy | 30-Sep-06 at 10:52 am | Permalink
“but my comment was asking whether she can list anything recent.”
Excuse me, but those ARE all historically recent examples. If you’re looking for something in the past year you’re forgetting that those examples are still relevant because without the changes in the 20th Century, they wouldn’t be realistic options for women today. The disparities that Scott offered you in picture form for easy comprehension are realities for women still today. Obviously there is more work yet to be done in regards to equality.
talk talk talk | 30-Sep-06 at 11:37 am | Permalink
#4 doesn’t apply to native women in Canada. The Conservative Indian Affairs Minister is starting talks to rectify that, and though the First Nations Chief is open to that, I like how he says native rights come first. Wow. How did he get away with implying that native women don’t have human rights? I guess because native men don’t want to share and because Canada is only now — in 2006! — TALKING about giving the women property rights. Nice.
Tory@York | 30-Sep-06 at 11:55 am | Permalink
still nobodys giving me any answers about SWC, and why it should still be funded. What has it done? I find this lack of response on that issue very telling
Ashley | 30-Sep-06 at 11:56 am | Permalink
The women’s movement is still working on things. Native women don’t have property rights, we still don’t have equal pay for equal work. In fact, except for perhaps the top one, all of those are relevant issues.
Saskboy | 30-Sep-06 at 12:06 pm | Permalink
Tory, maybe that’s the problem with SWC. It may not be that it doesn’t do things for women, it’s that they aren’t publicized well enough as to what they do for women’s rights.
Tanya | 01-Oct-06 at 11:53 am | Permalink
It’s refreshing to read this post after the misongynistic crap-slinging that was posted on small dead animals. After reading that, I realize that feminism still has a long way to go.
1. Feminism has taught me that abortion is not a fringe issue.
2. Feminism has taught me that women still do the majority of the housework.
3. Feminism has taught me that the “mommy wars” are a good way of pitting women against each other. Why is it that I keep hearing that raising children full-time is the “most important job in the world”? If it’s so important, why aren’t men stampeding into the home to raise children?
4. 77 cent dollar.
5. The work that still needs to be done can not be accomplished through legislation. You can not legislate what people do in their own homes. You can not legislate away sexist attitudes. A society that condones Bratz dolls is a sick society and banning Bratz dolls is not the answer.
My comment in the SDA thread was moderated away. Hmmmm I wonder why that is?
Saskboy | 01-Oct-06 at 12:15 pm | Permalink
Maybe whoever is watching Kate’s comment queue isn’t open to other ideas. Now there’s a surprise ;-) Or was it taken right off of public view?
Tanya | 01-Oct-06 at 1:53 pm | Permalink
All I know is my post was put in queu and it never appeared. I was quite respectful and I didn’t use any naughty no-no words. I suspect that any pro-feminist views were deleted simply because I didn’t see any remarks that went away from feminist-bashing. It was quite disheartening.
Here is the offending thread and it looks like my remarks were too controversial. :(
http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/archives/004696.html#comments
K. | 10-Oct-06 at 1:44 pm | Permalink
For Tory:
Anyone who’s been to a rape crisis centre in the past day/week/month/year/decade has benefitted from the work of SWC-CFC. And so far as I’m concerned, until something happens to make sure that no one ever has to visit one again, there’s still work for the SWC-CF to do.