Women who kick ass 1. Buffy Summers

Thinking about feminism and women today has inspired me to start a series of blog posts on women who kick serious ass in their field, whether it be politics, music, science or anything else. The reason I want to write these posts is that I feel that young women, myself included, are inspired by successful women they see around them. It’s important to recognise the work women do, but also to show the next generation that their choices shouldn’t be limited by their sex.

However, having just written a blog post, and as a BTVS geek, I’m going to start it light.

Buffy Summers the feminist.
 She rejects established authority figures. Unlike the slayers before her she first partially accepts, and later totally rejects, the patriarchal hierarchy of the Watcher’s Council that exists to give her orders.
 She is not a lone hero. She needs the support of her friends (her surrogate family) and her biological family. She realises that strength does not necessarily mean fighting alone.
 She is intelligent, resourceful and brave, though of course not always.
 There is a debate as to whether Buffy is a feminist icon or not. Some point out that Sarah Michelle Gellar does conform rather closely to the stereotype of appropriate woman. She is skinny, blonde and beautiful. She also likes shoes. However, I disagree with this analysis. The essential values that feminists should hold are equality and diversity. Some feminists like shoes. Some feminists hate shoes. Rather than creating a new stereotype for women, serious and plain, feminists should aim to enable self-realisation for all women and men, free from stereotype.

The ‘f’ word Part 1

What need is there for feminism today?

The entry for ‘feminism’ from one online dictionary shows two parts to its definition. It is both a belief that women deserve equality with men, and it is the movement which fights to realise this goal. Although the word ‘feminist’ has been used to describe a narrow group of women who are sexist in favour of themselves, in reality it should and must be used to describe a wider group. If you believe that a woman is equal in worth to a man, and that any situation counter to this is unjust, then you are a feminist. And you should be proud of it.

Having, perhaps as recently as a few seconds ago, discovered that you are a feminist, and that this is a great thing, you may well ask what place there is for a feminist movement in 2008. Surely, at least in the UK (my place of writing), men and women are equal?

The role of feminism today is a topic that is very important to me and I shall write about it many times. To discuss every issue related to the importance of feminism in this post would be impossible. Here I will briefly discuss one example, sexual harassment and assault, that should suggest the need for a feminist movement to change both attitudes and behaviour. I will come back to under-representation, sexist images in advertising and other issues in later posts.

Sexual harassment and assault:

The BBC recently reported on a survey that highlighted the extreme levels of sexual harassment in Egypt. According to the Egyptian Centre for Women’s Rights, sexual harassment is experienced by 98% of foreign women visitors and 83% of Egyptian women. 62% of Egyptian men admitted harassing women and 53% of Egyptian men blame women for ‘bringing it on’. These statistics clearly show the need for a movement to help women in these situations. The issue of sexual harassment also exists closer to home.

UK: New poll finds a third of people believe women who flirt partially responsible for being raped
Posted: 21 November 2005The poll, ‘Sexual Assault Research’, published today (21 November) as part of Amnesty International’s ‘Stop Violence Against Women’ campaign, shows that similar “blame culture” attitudes exist over clothing, drinking, perceived promiscuity, personal safety and whether a woman has clearly said “no” to the man. For instance, more than a quarter (26%) of those asked said that they thought a women was partially or totally responsible for being raped if she was wearing sexy or revealing clothing, and more than one in five (22%) held the same view if a woman had had many sexual partners.Around one in 12 people (8%) believed that a woman was totally responsible for being raped if she’d had many sexual partners. Similarly, more than a quarter of people (30%) said that a woman was partially or totally responsible for being raped if she was drunk, and more than a third (37%) held the same view if the woman had failed to clearly say “no” to the man.
http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=16618

Women not only need strong legislative protection but there must also be a change in cultural attitudes towards sexual harassment and assault. A feminist movement is still needed, to demand an end to a culture that blames women for being victims of attacks that are, by definition, unwanted. This example is important because it shows how gender stereotypes, and stereotypes related to sexual violence apply to men too, as both perpetrators and victims, serve to legitimise aggressive and violent behaviour. Gender is a category that helps our understanding of behaviour and attitudes, therefore it is still important to call ourselves feminists, and to demand an end to gendered oppression, just as we demand an end to other types of oppression.