My Issues with the Feminists

First, let me assert that I am a feminist, at least as far as condemning domestic abuse (and the attitude of men toward women that is shown by men who feel they can do that sort of thing to their spouses and girlfriends), condemning sexual harassment, favoring equal pay and equal opportunity, and encouraging girls to consider any and all traditionally masculine occupations.

Also, I positively applaud when women in third-world countries start businesses; and I believe women should have control over their own health and reproduction, and do not feel that a man should be able to override the woman's decision. (Sadly, in too many countries, women cannot obtain contraception supplies or even counseling because of the objection of a husband, priest, or some other--usually a male).

On the other hand, I find I have to take issue with some of the claims, assertions, and implications that feminist women seem to use.

I used to work for a woman who was quite the energetic feminist. One time when she and I were chatting, I referred to one of my female students--this was community college--as a "girl." Said boss very quickly said, "I she over 16? If she's over 16, don't refer to her as a 'girl'."

Well, this is nonsense. Never mind that many women refer to their fellows of that gender as "girls" (or even guys!). Adult men are often called "boys": the boys in the band, boys' night out, the boys of summer, our boys in the service. And surely many, if not all, of the males to whom this term is applied are over 16.

Can you say "double standard"? Maybe even hypocrisy?

Next, women seem to like to facilitate the idea that cancer is a women's issue: women own cancer, and seem to be trying to make "cancer" synonymous with "breast cancer." Contrary to the impression they foster, breast cancer is not the most common type of cancer. Both of these are false. According to statistics I just saw, one in three women will get cancer, whereas for men the figure is one in two! And breast cancer is the third most common type of cancer. Most common is digestive tract (I would have thought lung cancer). Second most common is male genital tract cancer. In other words, more men die from prostate cancer (possibly lumping it with some other "male genital cancers," if there are others) than women die from breast cancer. Yet, where are all the marches for prostate cancer, the pink ribbons, etc.? Women have been very vocal about all the women who are carried off by breast cancer--and that is a terrible thing, to be sure. (Let me hasten to point out that I have lost more than one friend to breast cancer, and it has stricken my family as well.) But by comparison, I have to suppose that men are just dying in silence.

P.S. Confession, disclaimer, or whatever: I am a survivor of prostate cancer, so maybe I have an axe to grind in all this.

Copyright © 2017.

Women's Rights

Our public TV broadcasting system, PBS, has been showing a program titled Makers, about women's progress in the past 50 years.

The following countries have had women prime ministers:

• Sri Lanka
• India
• Pakistan
• Israel
• Germany
• United Kingdom
• Australia
• Ireland
• Bangladesh
• Thailand

Also, the Philippines and Iceland have had female presidents. South Korea recently installed a female president.

These lists are not exhaustive; they represent only what I can easily recall, so there very likely are more.

The United States, on the other hand, has never had a female president or vice president. There have been three female Secretaries of State in the last 20-some years; and women have held other Cabinet positions.

The United States Supreme Court briefly had three women sitting on it (out of nine members), but that was exceptional.

The United States Senate currently has one-fifth female members. The percentages of women in the Senate and on the Supreme Court, taken with the lack of female presidents or even vice presidents, show that the United States, which views itself as an advanced country, may yet have a ways to go regarding equality for women.

And in much of the world the situation is dismal. The news recently has focused on a girl in Afghanistan named Malala, who was shot in the head by the Taliban because she wanted education for herself and others of her gender. In Saudi Arabia women presently are fighting for the right to drive a car.

And in many countries women are still regarded as chattel. The idea that the man is the boss in a married couple still widely prevails and means that a woman might not be able to decide for herself when or if to bear children. Even in the West, some marriage ceremonies still include the woman vowing to obey her husband. If a married man forces himself on his wife sexually, that often—maybe usually--is not criminal.

Update. I have added to the list of women prime ministers several times, as I have learned of more such.

Copyright © 2013 by Richard Stein