my thoughts of feminism

I am a big supporter of feminism. I hate it when books, movies, music, society use women as a means to get a man something. Whether it's sex, power, or politics women seem to be a means to gratify the ego of some men. I hate that. I have lived all my life in cultures that claimed to be equal and yet there seems to be more and more inequality the older i get.

It seems organisations are particularly prone to trying to control women. Churches define women's roles and when women step outside those bounds they are often socially or financial disadvantaged (financially, if they work for the church). It disgusts me when women seek help from the church and are told that the men in their lives are the ones who will give (or not give) them help as they see fit. Sadly this isn't a situation that is confined to 50 years ago; this is happening today.

Political groups often see women as easy targets. It is popular and easy to critize a woman in politics if she has views on family, health, or abortion. Women in politics are often seen to not give enough attention to their own family therefore have no relevant experience to speak on the matters of family. If she sides with abortion rights, she's seen as a whore. If she side against abortion, she's seen as an over protective mother type. If she wants more health care for her family, she's too lazy to get working and support her own healthcare. Somehow men seem to be immune to these sorts of attacks...

Even feminism itself is starting to define what is good for a woman. No Prior Restraints pointed out the other day how feminism had become a tool by which to tell women how to think. "you can't listen to Taylor Swift because she isn't empowering women in her songs" Wasn't the feminist movement supposed to support women's right to think for themselves? Make choices for themselves?

This is where the point to all this is supposed to be made clear. A happy summery to make the world liveable again...or maybe a call to action. There is neither here. There is no solution that will make organisations see women as people and not just 'women'. There is no sentence that can make the injustice of it 'okay'. There is just women who are sick and tired of being told what to do and how to think.