Feminism – much more than a trend

The word "Feminism" should by now have reached everyone and even the broad mass of the population. Not least through statement t-shirts from Swedish fashion chains, which adopted the trend from luxury labels and made it socially acceptable in society. Whether this is to be assessed positively or negatively is a matter of debate. But above all, people are finally talking about it – even if some are just following the trend – there is a message behind it!

Through my dissertation as part of my teacher training degree with the title "Feminisation of a Profession", I wanted to investigate why proportionally so many more women work in primary school teaching than men. In doing so, I developed increasing interest in women's movements and especially gender equality, which in 2017 still did not exist!

But first, the definition: What does feminism actually mean?

In any case, it does not mean that all eco-feminists now hate men, as it resonates in so many prejudices. It seems to me that many people are even genuinely afraid of "strong" women. (But in my opinion, one does not have to be particularly strong to have one's own opinion and stand up for it…😊)

On Google, the noun "Fem·i·nism" [the] is described as "an ideology and social movement that strives for the equality of women in all areas of life and a change in the social roles of women".

Equality sounds good. The gentlemen of creation should finally understand that. But why is this movement not called "Equalism" or "Gender Equality"?

In my favourite podcast (http://lila-podcast.de/) this question was answered very cleverly. I would like to adopt a similar approach. If one were to name a new movement with different terms – perhaps ones burdened with fewer prejudices and fears – one would no longer take into account the centuries-long work of many women. We build on the past and "fight" on. We establish a connection to the history of the term women's movement , which refers to the "movement to solve the women's question", which denotes the equality of the sexes in social life, carried by the so-called women's rights activists. It began in various countries with the general political freedom movement around 1848 and proceeded in three directions: firstly, there was the women's education movement, which sought access to all male educational institutions and professions and thus achieved access to universities in 1908. Secondly, there is the social women's movement, which advocated for the assistance of oppressed and suffering industrial and home workers and the legal regulation of women's work. The political women's movement – often also called emancipation of women – aims at the legal and political equality of men and women, especially women's suffrage (cf. Herder Lexikon Soziologie. 1976). Furthermore, with these other terms, one might lose focus. There are still many other injustices, but we are first concentrating on women's equality – that is, feminism.

Okay. What happened in the past is all well and good, but why is feminism still so topical today?

I think it is super important to mobilise our society to rethink. It cannot be that women still earn much less money for the same work because they may represent a risk factor. Under the technical term Gender Pay Gap , you can learn, for example, from the website of the German Federal Statistical Office that the average gross hourly earnings of women in 2015 were 21 % lower than the earnings of men. Likewise, author Ilse Brehmer referred to this inequality in her book "Lehrerinnen. Zur Geschichte eines Frauenberufes" [Teachers. On the History of a Female Profession], which she described with full indignation as early as 1980 as follows: "Because the professional career of the man is considered 'normal', the woman becomes an 'uncertainty factor' and a 'bad investment'. Why is it not normal to change the form of one's social work in one's life? Why is it not normal to have children and care for them? Just because men are incapable of becoming pregnant, giving birth and breastfeeding, one should not portray these things as socially deviant." (p. 199.)

Men receive better promotion prospects and better pay because they do not drop out due to the birth of a child. If men more often took parental leave, which is available to both mother and father for a biological child for a maximum of three years, to which they are also entitled (and this also in very well-paid jobs), then in my opinion a rethink in the executive suites could finally take place gradually. Parental leave, which is available to both mother and father for a biological child for a maximum of three years, to which they are also entitled (and this also in very well-paid jobs), then in my opinion a rethink in the executive suites could finally take place gradually.

But I see acute need for action in this area alone. In the minds of men – whether educated or less so – it apparently still seems to be understood as a compliment when they whistle after a lady – also called catcall . The fact that this is rather equivalent to the degradation of the female sex does not occur to them, unfortunately. In the video "What if we talked about male bodies the way we talk about female bodies" which was published by attn: for example on Facebook and Twitter, the tables are turned by women reducing men to their bodies, commenting on their bodies and throwing all these remarks and uncomfortable flirtations at the men.

Every person should be a feminist, regardless of which gender, regardless of which social prestige, regardless of which ethnicity or religion they belong to, regardless of whether they are active in the public sphere or as a housewife in the family. It is not a competition about who is the better, the right or the true feminist. Everyone can do something to change society just a little bit. For example, Suzie Grime posts an entire video series on the topic of feminism on YouTube, Jennifer Rostock addresses the topic in her song "Hengstin" and the parody "Verdammte Schei*e" by Giulia Becker, which has almost become a slogan, went viral across the entire internet.

It is about us standing up for one another.

We can educate, explain and inform to clear away the prejudices. I am not a bad-tempered cinnamon stick who gets upset senselessly. My anger has a reason. Yes, I am a woman; No, I will not be silenced!

I want more people in our society to recognise the small and large injustices in everyday life and fight for more justice. Of course, I cannot save the world this way, but if everyone contributes a little bit, it can become a better place for us and our children. I just want to feel more comfortable. I do not want to be looked at askance when I talk about menstrual cups in a bar. I do not want to be asked if everything is okay just because I am not wearing make-up and therefore look sickly. I do not want to be afraid anymore on my way home through the park just because I am a woman.

Thank youfor allowing me to write these lines, thank you for reading and triple thanks to you if you think along, think further and finally act!! (If anyone has comments / suggestions from other great projects etc., feel free to come to me 😊)

Peace out, your Josefine Praline xxx

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:

• "Wir Alphamädchen. Warum Feminismus das Leben schöner macht" by Meredith Haaf, Susanne Klingner and Barbara Streidl (2008)

• "We should all be feminists" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2014)
• "Little book of feminism" by Harriet Dyer (2016)

Josefine Lietz