The image of Feminism

For more than 100 years women have fought to gain the same rights men have already. And for more than 100 years men have not been happy about it - understandable. But now, a lot of women aren't happy about it either - and that's not understandable.

The main reason for this is not that those women want to go back to those times when women weren't allowed to vote, to work, to go to school or decide for themselves whom to marry. But being a Feminist is not cool any longer (unlike when I was still a teenager, we did a lot of posing as a Feminist even before we fully understood what it means). Girlies are cool. Female singers who pose quite like whores are cool. And the last thing a girl wants to hear these days is "don't wear sexy clothes and don't act in a way that makes men/boys drool". They want to wear sexy clothes and make men/boys drool. And you know what? It's their right to want this - and to do it.

It's not very useful to discuss whether or not a self-confident woman should wear make-up or fashionable clothes - provided she wants to. Yes, it is wise to ask yourself why you want to wear make-up and fashionable clothes. And, honestly, I don't think the wearing of make-up should be - or ever was - a key issue of being a self-confident and emancipated woman. Feminists have spent ages - and litres of ink - to point out that "what is inside counts". And if this is true, the outside can look fashionable, if the woman wants it.

But those looks shouldn't be what counts when a woman is judged. Ability, talents, knowledge and experience should count - as they do with men.

And a Feminist can have a romance, too. Why should a self-confident woman not have a relationship - or children? Unlike what people think about Feminists (image, remember?), it's not the main goal of Feminism to fight and dominate men, the goal is to gain equality to men in every aspect of society, law and politics. Feminists don't want to be men, they want to be equal to men, but women, nevertheless.

The image the last generations of Feminists have created (surely in Germany, I'm not that sure about other countries) isn't good. It needs to be changed, otherwise there won't be a new generation of Feminists strong and large enough to continue the fight for equality.

E-mail me if you know a good informative site about Feminism in Great Britain, the United States or other countries. I can tell a lot about Feminism in Germany, as I live there and have always lived there. What I really could do with, would be material (and links) about Feminism in other countries. After all, the problem of the unattractive image of Feminism is not just one of Germany.

The image of Feminism isn't necessary the reality as well. But it's up to the Feminists themselves to show to the world they're no monsters or demons trying to bring down mankind.