Wear the ‘F’ label with pride

Published: Sunday, November 06, 2011

Today's young women still face a fight for equality with men, writes Judy King.

'Embrace the F-word.'' It's probably not the phrase students, parents and teachers expect to hear from a former principal and guest speaker at their year 12 graduation evening.

But the word ''feminism'' has been so misconstrued and misused, I feel compelled to urge my listeners not only to use it but to reclaim all it represents with passion and pride.

Earlier this year, I was a panellist at a Women in Educational Leadership conference at Homebush, attended by hundreds of women teachers and educational-support staff. Several of the younger teachers argued that feminism had little relevance for them in the 21st century. They did not identify as feminists and had no intention of doing so.
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Yet when I spoke to them away from the podium, in small groups or individually, they admitted there was much yet to achieve before women and girls gained genuine freedom and equality.

I asked if they were opposed to ending sexist oppression and discrimination and, of course, they were not but they feared that embracing the word ''feminist'' outed them as ''radical'' and, therefore, unappealing to blokes. A few even feared being regarded as ''radical lesbians''.

Click here to read the full article from the Sydney Morning Herald.....