reasons why we still need feminism

Since I'm getting sick now (thanks, mijo), here are just some off-the-top-of-my-head reasons why we still need feminism:

Natalee Holloway and all the resulting blame the victim crap.
The hatred of powerful women, from Hillary Clinton, to Condoleezza Rice, to Martha Stewart.
"Where are all the women bloggers?"
Sex tourism.
Lawrence Summers
Pharmacists that won't fill birth control prescriptions.
Or, to put it all more succinctly: it's the patriarchy, stupid.

Update:  In my fever-induced delirium last night I came up with a couple more.
Abstinence only sex education
The Disney princesses

Comments

[Kimberly]

Good list, Nina. Hope you and the kidlet are feeling better soon.

[Elizabeth]

May I add?

Breast implants.

Botox.

*taps on glass ceiling* yep, still intact.

[The Fat Lady Sings]

Get better soon, my dear - and I do agree. Like Elizabeth said - that glass ceiling is still very much intact.

[trouble in shangri la]

Feminism, yes. The current incarnation of "let's cry about how victimized we all are while we drive our cars to work and are passing men daily educationall and professionally" feminism? not so much.

[nina]

Oh, I was waiting for a comment like this. Not sure what driving our cars to work has to do with anything, and I haven't noticed women taking over the world professionally or educationally. Why is it when people point out injustice, they are often accused of whining?

[trouble in shangri la]

I think that if one does a little research on earnings, educational attainment, and professional qualifications, one would find that women are indeed overtaking men in many, many realms. Particularly higher education, where women are surpassing men.

I work in a male-dominated field and I've always out-earned my male counterparts.

I don't believe I accused you of whining, btw. But I do accuse the modern "womyn" version of neo-feminism of being a bunch of whiney posers.

I'm sure you're not one of those. I'm a huge fan of old school feminism....just being equal to the men. Of course, it's a choice. I always have been.

[trouble in shangri la]

And the car reference was just to offer a little perspective on how far women have come in the U.S. in the last hundred years...we're at least a thousand years ahead of some countries, where women aren't even allowed to drive.

[nina]

I didn't take the whining comment to mean me personally, actually, though I can whine with the best of 'em. I guess I have more sympathy towards those who use the term "womyn" than you do. I disagree that women are overtaking men in any arena, and the latest stats about more women going to college than men are largely skewed by race. Sure, we've made great strides, and yes, I live my life with far more independence and freedom than many, but that's the point, isn't it? That feminism is important precisely because there are so many others who live in horribly oppressed conditions. We've come a long way, but we're not there yet.

Oh, and I think it's awesome that you out-earn your colleagues, but I wonder how typical that is.

Finally, I do appreciate hearing a perspective different than mine. I don't often inspire much debate here, so I'm glad to have to chance to hear another point of view and to be made to think harder about things.

[Mquest]

I do not care how it is worded as a feminist statement-- I will never like Condoleezza Rice. I will never see her as powerful. She seems to me to be nothing more than a yes women taking orders with out looking.

[nina]

I don't like her either. At all. But I think a lot of the vitriol aimed at her is because she's a woman. Or perhaps more accurately, the kind of vitriol that gets aimed at her is different because she's a woman. Oh, and I do respect her, if not what she's doing.