Am I? With one voice I say yes, absolutely. Yet with another voice, I say no because I really don't know what defines a feminist or for that matter, feminism. The line is drawn right down the middle for me on this one. Both voices are strong, vibrant, determined, and holding firm to their beliefs - a cold war by the most rudimentary of definitions. So, what is feminism? It depends on who you are and how you look at it.
A common held theory is that feminism developed in three distinct waves. The first wave rolled through in the latter part of the 19th century, lasted until just after WWI, and involved the struggle to secure basic political rights for women. Wave two emerged in the 1960's and lasted for about 20 years. It focused on greater equality across the board in education, the workplace, and the home. The third and current wave arrived on the heels of the second and puts more focus on the lack of parity among women due to race, ethnicity, class, nationality, and religion, and also places emphasis on identity as a source of gender struggle. But some feminist scholars decry the "wave" theory, saying that it overshadows their belief that resisting male domination is definitively feminist, has been present throughout history, and transcends cultural barriers.
Since there is dissension in the ranks of women in defining what feminism is, I'm left with no choice but to fashion my own definition. I think the best way to do that is to examine my quality of life and ask myself if I had to fight for any of the rights and freedoms I have.
I received a formal education. I vote. I chose my post secondary institute and was required only to meet academic standards to be accepted into the faculty. I got a degree. I have been able to work and earn a living every day of my adult life. I have a job I love that I'm well trained for. I have access to health care. I have been able to openly welcome into my life the friends I choose and the friends who choose me. I have a home and a car. I can dress the way I wish, exercise whenever I like, and join activities and organizations. I can travel freely. I can compete for personal betterment in every facet of my life. The list goes on and on. The overwhelming sense I have as I write this is not what it means to be a feminist, but rather that I have unequivocal freedom... And really, other than life itself is there any greater gift?
I can't say exactly what feminism is, and I still don't know if I'm a feminist. But I will say this. I bow down to anyone who called themselves a feminist and worked with unyielding determination to push through barriers that needed to be pushed through in order for women to rise toward equal status. And what of the literal wars fought? My freedom comes to me not only by virtue of battles waged by feminists, but by those who laid down their lives to ensure that freedom was protected for generations to come. Me? I get to be strong simply by choosing to work hard as I travel down whatever path I'm on. I recognize that there are exceptions, but perhaps generally for my generation of Canadian women, courage is a relative term.
For me, there's no point in continuing to grapple with the question because there's not much to be gleaned from the answer. However, merely asking the question proved introspective, and from that introspection came an unexpected conclusion: Rather than spending time trying to identify if I'm a feminist, I think I'll devote that time to seeing if I can make even the slightest difference in the lives of people who don't yet have the same freedom and opportunities that I have.
Until feminism can be definitively carved in stone, I'm with Rebecca West on this one.
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