I've stopped supporting (financially) NOW and a couple of other women's rights groups.
I continue to support most of the goals of the organizations. I think a woman has an absolute right to decide what happens to her body including when and with whom to have sex, and whether or not to continue an unwanted pregnancy.
I've stopped supporting them because it is a waste of my money. They are ineffective. They have almost no political clout and almost as little public support even among women.
I have some theories about the "death of feminism" that include the concentrated effort by the anti-woman, fanatic, crowd of white-male power brokers. But that isn't the only reason nor do I think it is the most important reason.
I'm more interested in why NOW membership is low. Where are all the young women? Over the last 15 years, I've talked about this issue with a number of young women representing several cultural backgrounds and economic levels. None of them were even interested in NOW. None of them couldn't say the word "feminism" without some level of distaste. And none of them could see any relevance to them. Most referred to feminists as glassy-eyed fanatics. I do know a few feminist women who are members. I know a few women who for women's rights but aren't members of a political group.
NOW is struggling to influence law makers. The louder they shout, though, the fewer young women are willing to listen. The organizations have no idea how to talk to the majority of women in the country, and until they get a clue about that, they are just another noisy annoyance at the edge of political debate.
It isn't 1970 anymore and those tactics just don't work anymore.
Where does this leave me -- the one who just bought another "This is what a feminist looks like" tee shirt? It leaves me sad.
I continue to support most of the goals of the organizations. I think a woman has an absolute right to decide what happens to her body including when and with whom to have sex, and whether or not to continue an unwanted pregnancy.
I've stopped supporting them because it is a waste of my money. They are ineffective. They have almost no political clout and almost as little public support even among women.
I have some theories about the "death of feminism" that include the concentrated effort by the anti-woman, fanatic, crowd of white-male power brokers. But that isn't the only reason nor do I think it is the most important reason.
I'm more interested in why NOW membership is low. Where are all the young women? Over the last 15 years, I've talked about this issue with a number of young women representing several cultural backgrounds and economic levels. None of them were even interested in NOW. None of them couldn't say the word "feminism" without some level of distaste. And none of them could see any relevance to them. Most referred to feminists as glassy-eyed fanatics. I do know a few feminist women who are members. I know a few women who for women's rights but aren't members of a political group.
NOW is struggling to influence law makers. The louder they shout, though, the fewer young women are willing to listen. The organizations have no idea how to talk to the majority of women in the country, and until they get a clue about that, they are just another noisy annoyance at the edge of political debate.
It isn't 1970 anymore and those tactics just don't work anymore.
Where does this leave me -- the one who just bought another "This is what a feminist looks like" tee shirt? It leaves me sad.