Feminism

The vitriol spewed forth against Sarah Palin by many who call themselves feminists has confirmed an opinion I have long held about the feminist political movement. I call it a political movement, because as a social movement I think feminism is far far greater than those who abuse it for their own political ends. And I think the division between the two is the poltical feminists seem to be whiners and complainers, true real feminists are doers.

This is not an original thought I know, but in my case it is deeply rooted in my family history, and in particular with my Nana - my father's mother. She was born in the 1920s, joined the WRAC at the end of World War 2 and ended up in Singapore during the Malayan Insurgency. She and my grandad met in 1952 on the voyage home (he was serving out there in the Military Police). In quick order she ditched her previous boyfriend who was back home in England, married my grandad, and had my father and my uncles. Not long after that - by the mid-60s (after her youngester starting going to school) she went back to work. Most women of her generation did not.

She did not just go back to work, she soon was earning more money than my grandad. She went into the male workplace as a working mum, and as the main breadwinner, while many so-called feminists were ranting and raving for other's to do the hard work. She, on the other hand, was chllenging the society into which she had been born and its mores in a more direct, more successful way. Dare I say it, the relative lack of barriers to women in the workplace today has more to do with women like my Nana, than those who marched on the streets.

And when it comes down to it, women of the future will have alot of thank Sarah Palin for, because as a doer she breaks new ground.

Comments

[Steadfast]

Sorry, for someone who reads so much history I am surprised you'd think of Mrs Palin in anything but derogatory terms. Your Nana sounds wise and a person who got on with things instead of talking rubbish. Mrs Palin really hasn't been very good at anything except being 'me' focused, talking rubbish and stressing personal greed over the public good.