Friday 8 October 2010

What ever happened to all the women?

A strange blog title perhaps...but it's something I've been thinking about for a while. Brace yourself because this is going to be a philosophical post. Oo-er.

Now, I wouldn't call myself a bra-burning feminist but I'm all for (entirely Biblical) gender equality. I'm also a bit of closet fan of Simone de Beauvoir and I love teaching the more straight-forward theories of Helene Cixous. Proverbs 31 is one of my favourite chapters of the Bible because it allows women the freedom to be active at home and at work and feel joy at both...and they say that the Bible is anti-women (it isn't, by the way...perhaps I'll write a blog post on that some time). My concern is that current society seems intent on counteracting gender equality in a very peculiar way. Oh yes, women can now (for what it's worth) be business leaders, politicians and (even may I say it) academics. They can also be wonderful wives and mothers. There are choices that wouldn't have been on offer to my great-grandmother (who, by the way, spoke five languages and drove ambulances!). These are all good things.

But I don't see many of these women about as I walk the streets of sunny Lincoln or read magazines or watch television. Instead women seem intent on reducing their own status in society. So, yesterday I was listening to a radio programme as I wrote my book chapters. The piece was about WAGS (Wives and Girlfriends) and (blimey even worse!) wannabe-WAGS. A girl was invited on to the show to speak about her experience. She said that every weekend she and her friends managed to get on the list for the most exclusive bars in her city with the sole intention of chatting up a footballer. When asked why she did this, she replied (and I paraphrase), "I just love their lifestyle: the houses, the cars, the holidays. I just want to be spoiled". This is apparently a competitive sport with girls even spiking each other's drinks and telling blatant lies about their 'competitors'. It was all extremely depressing.

Saturday nights (even in a place as relatively tame as Lincoln) sees young women dressed in very little wobbling along the street in unbelievably high heels (I'm jealous - I have neither the legs nor the feet to get away with either of these fashion items!) . Getting very drunk seems to be the way to go. OK, so call me an old-fashioned prig if you like but such sights really upset me. I am not sitting in judgement in any way at all; it's just that when I see these girls I want to go up to them, take them by the hand and say "lady, do you know how precious and full of potential you are? You are a beautiful and intelligent young woman in an age where the world is open to you. Why do you think so little of yourself? You are worth so much more than you think you are". Now perhaps you're thinking "but why not just let people enjoy themselves?" I love a bit of fun, but I must admit I don't see a world full of happy women. There is (apparently) gender equality, material wealth, sexual freedom, the enviable (!?) opportunity to get very drunk and find yourself next morning lying next to a nameless gentleman with very little recollection of the night before. So, in light of all this, why aren't 21st-century women wandering around with inane grins on their faces? I can't see any evidence that women's lifestyles are making us feel happier or more contented. I would be glad to consider evidence to the contrary if you can supply any.

Whatever happened to the finer points of the feminist revolution? We seem to define ourselves more and more in relation the what others think of us (I largely mean this in a physical way), we seem to be obsessed with outward appearance and cannot resist peer pressure. We (whether within the church or outside it) seem to care more about whether we have a man or not than whether we are a good friend or a fulfilled individual. We seem to have less confidence, less self-assurance and less self-worth. Most of us seem to suffer more acutely from sadness and loneliness. Every magazine is full of 1) pictures of women to emulate 2) pictures of women to laugh at because they are fatter than normal/thinner than normal/have a spot on their face 3) advice on how to cope with stress/bitchy best friends/a lack of sexual opportunity 4) men to ogle. We've rejected the perceived restrictions of 'old tradition' and embraced a whole new set of shackles. Though you may think I am being dramatic, these shackles are destroying a whole generation of young women.

So, to finish on a positive note, my hope is that women will grasp their full potential, whether in work or in the home. I would love every woman to recognise their innate worth. I spend quite a bit of my time with impressionable young folks and I just love it. I hope that I'm able to encourage the girls to reject society's expectations and embrace a world full of possibilities.

Here endeth the sermon ;-) Just something I've been thinking about...
CSW

2 comments:

  1. Preach it sister!!! Thanks for communicating these great thoughts! Wish we could chat about it over a cupa.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Man, that sounds like a good plan!
    Cx

    ReplyDelete

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