“Feminism is the radical notion that women are people”
Feminism is the belief that women and men are equal, that everyone is entitled to the same rights, has the same opportunities, the same responsibilities, and is treated with respect REGARDLESS of their gender.
Feminists believe that women should be free to make their own choices in every area of their lives, without having to face discrimination or gender barriers.
You may have heard a wide range of comments about what a feminist is, does, or looks like – IGNORE THEM! Feminists are women who believe that women are equal. You can believe this no matter what you wear, how you look, what your job is, or who you love. Feminism is not about discriminating against men, it is about ensuring that women AND men are treated equally.
The Facts
There are many people who believe that we don’t need ‘Feminism’ in Aotearoa-New Zealand any more. After all, we have a female Prime Minister, Chief Justice and Governor General, so haven’t women achieved equality?
The unfortunate answer is NO. The facts in Aotearoa-New Zealand are these:
- Women’s average income is FALLING!! In 2000, women’s average hourly income was 87% of men’s earnings. Today that has fallen to just 84%.
- Women still spend twice as long as men doing housework.
- Women are still far more likely to be the primary caregivers for children.
- Occupations are still relatively segregated – women make up over 90% of all secretaries, nurses, and midwives. Men make up over 95% of all carpenters, joiners, mechanics, and heavy truck drivers.
- It takes women much longer to pay off their Student Loans because of lower income and time out of the workforce to have children. This means that women end up paying more for their education than men and are less likely to be able to specialise.
- We still do not have representative numbers of women in our Parliament. Women make up about 51% of the population, however only 29% of MP’s in Parliament are women.
- Women still make up the majority of people who are officially living in poverty.
- How many women judges are there? Chief Executives? Big business owners? How many women are there in Treasury? We are still greatly outnumbered by men in all of these powerful positions, plus many others.
We may have been the first women in the world to win the vote – but there is still a lot of work to do before we can say that we are a country that truly treats women as equals!
“It is action, not words, that make change”
There are HEAPS of ways you can take action against discrimination and inequality. Here is just a list of ideas:
- Call yourself a feminist! Reclaim the ‘F’ word.
- Explain to people what feminism really means – educate them about the ‘real’ facts.
- Join a feminist organisation like the YWCA.
- Keep being a voice for change – remind people about the discrimination that continues to affect women.
- Get involved in organised campaigns.
- Support other women!
- Question discrimination wherever you see it.
- Be yourself! Be proud of the woman you are – there is no better statement against discrimination.
There are women everywhere in the world!
This is a fairly obvious statement, but it is important to know not only what is happening to women in our own country, but also what the situation is for women in other countries. Women make up at least half of the world’s population – so imagine what we can do if we work together!
There are places in the world where women still don’t have the vote, are not entitled to work, nor to have an education or choose who they love & marry, nor to be safe in their own homes…. the list goes on and on. Feminism is global!
You can find out more by checking out some of the websites below.
Become an e-feminist
There’s LOADS of information about feminism and women on the internet – we’ve listed some great places for you to start.
Aotearoa-New Zealand
Global
This page was written by Melita Farley. Melita is a feminist from Wellington. She has been involved with the YWCA for some years, working in a variety of paid and volunteer positions. She runs her own business and is studying Psychology part-time.
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