Whitney Edwards CWU WGS201 A.

01

(I / WE) NEED FEMINISM BECAUSE.. I need feminism because, even though weve made progress since winning the vote, we havent reached full equity. Particularly equity in pay. We need feminism to resist pervasive, persistent media pressure to look a certain way (e.g. sexy, stilettos, anorexic, etc.); if as a group we help each other avoid the traps, we are healthier physically & psychologically. I need feminism to support my granddaughters healthy upbringing (which is in alignment with my daughters feminist sensitivity). It is a serious topic we discuss; my daughter provides instant feedback when I slip into old conditioning. We need feminism to help save the planet. Heightened female yin energy desperately needed to counteract millenniums of male, yang energy dominance. We need feminism to help our less fortunate sisters around the globe. We of the male gender need feminism to find healthy balance of energies. Thank you Whitney Lyn

July 11, 2013

On July 3, 2013, Whitney sent me the following request:

The Question: "I or WE (you choose) need feminism because..." completely open ended question and completely up to you on how you answer this. Half of this assignment for me is collecting images of people completing these templates or images of the templates themselves. Iwould like to collect both from you if possible.

We need feminism because the battle still lives on and it is still very relevant in todays world. The very evening (July 3rd)I received the request to write this feminism was mentioned on TV. On Channel 4, KOMO News, they mentioned that in todays world, women make 73 cents on the dollar compared to men. I have lived, and continue to live, the feminist battle. But feminism is a bit of an old-fashioned word. I think these days, HUMANIST is more appropriate and encompasses more. As Lizzie Crocker put it, Humanist is a word less alienating to people who think of feminism as a load of strident bitches wanting everyone to have equal pay, equal rights, education, and health care. The feminist identity has become more of a negative label too stigmatized to be taken seriously anymore. My 38-year-old daughter doesnt even relate to the term. This could be hard to swallow for feminist icons like Gloria Steinem. I am all for gender equality, but I no longer call myself a feminist. I have fought the fight. Perhaps thats because, despite my beliefs the label no longer includes so many other inequalities in todays world. My disassociation with the feminist label and its negative connotations just boils down to semantics. The ideology hasnt lost its value; its just been poorly branded. The word feminism is used consistently to demean or dismiss peoples ideas. Im not the uptight, man-hating feminist. but I certainly believe in equal rights and that women are just as capable. I believe we have the right to love another human being without concern of sexual orientation, we have the right to choose what happens to our bodies and I dont think the more negative word of feminism covers all of that. Butif you believe in the strength of women, or their equality, youre drenched in feminism. Believing in or fighting for womens rights doesnt fit neatly into the feminism box anymore. Not as far as semantics go. But for many women, its still relevant, and its worth asking others, including men, how they feel about the F word. Perhaps then well better understand why it carries such destructive stereotypesand how to effectively rebrand it. Danielle Lamb

Whitney Edwards CWU WGS201 A.01

(I / WE) NEED FEMINISM BECAUSE.. We need feminism because the female component of our species is integral to the success of the species as a whole. Failure to recognize the abilities and potential of any individual is a sad commentary on any society, much less one as advanced as we think are. -Michael Estes ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________

Whitney Edwards CWU WGS201 A.01

(I / WE) NEED FEMINISM BECAUSE.. I feel that we need Feminism because without it we would have a Male Dominated World/Society and women would not have the freedom to be independent. Going back in time men were the ones to make rules, earn paychecks, make changes and run the World. Without the introduction of Feminism women would be stuck in a complacent role with no say in how their lives would be/could be lived. Without the introduction of Feminism women would not have the freedom to be independent and they would have to rely on a man to take care of them. They would have no say in how they live their live from day to day. There was once a time when women were not allowed to speak their minds or stand up for themselves. The introduction of Feminism changed this. Feminism has given women a VOICE. I have an 8 year old daughter and I feel very lucky that I can teach her that it is ok to be independent and stand on her own two feet. She can speak her mind and have her own thoughts/ideas as long as she is mindful of other peoples feelings. I feel that Feminism allows women to feel confident in areas where they may otherwise feel weak. I feel Feminism allows women to have a voice where they may otherwise feel they need to be silent.

Whitney Edwards CWU WGS201 A.01

(I / WE) NEED FEMINISM BECAUSE..

We need feminism because like many other equality movements feminism has been questioned in recent times if its existence is still warranted because of the advances it has made. Also like other movements, feminism has been stigmatized for a vocal minority in its ranks that are disruptive to its goals. As such, feminism is still needed because much work still needs to be done in female equality but some of its supporters who are divisive disruptive would do better abandoning the movement. Although great strides and advances have occurred for womens right in the last century, many issues still remain. In the United States women still receive on average less than men for the same work and the US Senate has an all-time record number of female senators at slightly more than 10%. Also, many myths and misconceptions still exist with female anatomy and ignorance about the subject is not being remedied in schools. Outside of the United States, women are still treated like second class citizens, or worse, in many countries. Female genital mutilation, arranged marriages and human trafficking of women for the sex trade are all still prevalent. These issues, let alone inequality in pay, property or voting rights are still being fought against by brave women all over the world. The women who are fighting this are the beacons of hope in the feminist movement. They fight for women to be recognized as equals in this world and to be treated as such. This type of feminism is still very much needed. However, there are women out there who claim to fight under the same banner as these heroes but instead push agendas that are counterproductive and detrimental to real change. Feminists that are hateful towards men or spew angry rhetoric instead of proper civil discourse serve only to stunt feminisms growth and allow for other groups to stereotype the movement instead of promoting the changes that are so desperately needed. These feminists hurt feminism and are the equality movements equal to political anarchists. We need feminism but feminism does not need all of the feminists out there.

Whitney Edwards CWU WGS201 A.01

(I / WE) NEED FEMINISM BECAUSE..

All anyone has to do is read a paper, watch the news, or spend time on the internet to understand that the fight for feminine equality is far from being over. What frightens many women, myself included, is the idea that we should now be content with what is loosely defined as equality. The womens movement has been fought for over 150 years and is redefined by each generation based on its progress and position, but we are a long way from equality. The representatives, the senators, corporate CEOs , diplomats and lobbyists are still overwhelmingly male dominated positions and whether we like it or not, that is where the power lies. As a result, we are still fighting about reproductive choice, equal pay for equal work, promotion based performance and the importance of family oriented workplace policy. My mother was fighting for these things in the 60s and 70s as a result my road as been much easier, but far from smooth. Women are still at odds with themselves and with the demands of the workplace and the demands of the home. I do not know if that can change, but I do know that if everyone becomes the complacent what we have gained, we will quickly lose. The feminist movement is worldwide, and it will not be over until women have taken their rightful place in the leading. I know in my heart that this world will be a better place when women have their voices heard, their opinions respected and their dignity upheld. I have a daughter and she deserves nothing less.

Whitney Edwards CWU WGS201 A.01

(I / WE) NEED FEMINISM BECAUSE..

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Whitney Edwards CWU WGS201 A.01

(I / WE) NEED FEMINISM BECAUSE.. __Feminism is a conversation about equality. There are several areas of conversation where in this world we still, in this day, struggle with equality. We need feminism because until each person realizes their own value, and sees the value in each other, based solely on the fact that we are human, we will need equality movements, such as feminism. Until every single human understands the beauty, divinity, and power of their own and each others humanity, we will continue to need the feminism and other equality movements seeking to hold up a mirror. ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________

Whitney Edwards CWU WGS201 A.01

(I / WE) NEED FEMINISM BECAUSE..

Of how society has continued to tolerate the unequal treatment and respect levels of both sexes in several areas, for example; equal pay for equal work, socially respectable situations and the advertisement of the female body is much more criticized than that of the male body.