Thank a feminist

now for something really random...i love to read this column called 'Musings' from a local paper from home..MARINA MAHATHIR is the columnist's name. she is also the past malaysian prime minister's daughter. she is extremely intelligent and blunt so her articles are very interesting reads. this was her latest one....

Feminist” may be seen as a derogatory term, even by women, but Malaysian women today can hold their heads high because of feminists.

TODAY I received an interesting email that contained, among other things, these statements:

*If you are a woman voter, thank a feminist.
*If your doctor is a woman, thank a feminist.
*If you open the help-wanted section of any US paper and see job listings classified by occupation rather than “help wanted – male” and “help wanted – female,” thank a feminist.
*If your depression is taken seriously rather than considered a by-product of having a uterus, thank a feminist.
*If you can have birth control prescribed to you without first obtaining your husband’s written permission, thank a feminist.
*If you’re allowed to teach school regardless of your marital status, and you’re a woman, thank a feminist.
*If you are told you can become something other than a nurse, a grade-school teacher, a housewife and mother, or a nun, thank a feminist.
*If you expect to be considered for admission to university programmes based on your qualifications rather than your gender, thank a feminist.
*If you expect your qualifications for admission to educational programmes to be considered equally, rather than after every male application has been admitted, thank a feminist.
*If you’ve heard of the crime of domestic violence, and know that it’s illegal, thank a feminist.
*If you can drive, thank a feminist.
*If you expect to be paid the same wage as a man doing the same job you are, with the same seniority and the same qualifications, thank a feminist.
*If you are considered a person in your own right rather than the chattel of a man, thank a feminist.
*If you’re legally permitted to own property in your own name, thank a feminist.
*If you don’t expect to be fired because a man “needs your job to feed his family,” thank a feminist.
*If the phrase “non-traditional occupation” seems a little old-fashioned or, better yet, you don’t understand it at all, thank a feminist.
*If the phrase “she’s a woman lawyer” seems odd, thank a feminist.
*If you hear terms like “firefighter,” “police officer,” or “postal worker” in everyday life, thank a feminist.
*If you aren’t expected to leave the room at a party when the conversation turns to current events and politics, thank a feminist.
*If you’re a grown woman and don’t expect to be called “girl” when you are 50, thank a feminist.

Feminists brought about all of these things. Before the feminists got involved, the reverse was true in each and every case. Although this list applies mostly to the United States, there are some things here in Malaysia that we can thank feminists for, too.

For instance, the amendment to the Federal Constitution in 2004 which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, the Domestic Violence Act 1994 and current proposals for laws against Sexual Harassment, longer maternity leave and workplace child care.

But whom do we have to thank when female flight attendants are grounded after three children while their male colleagues can keep flying even if they have 10? When our national airline refuses to recruit and train female pilots even though there are already women fighter pilots in our air force?

When ministers insult bloggers by calling them unemployed women, liars and cheats?

When male judges allow women to lose their children by refusing to make just decisions just because it involves religion?

When women are blamed for “allowing” themselves to be raped even if they are 73 and doing nothing more provocative than washing dishes in their own home?

When career women are constantly reminded not to neglect their families while men who neglect theirs are never chided?

When the fact that there are more female students in universities is considered a problem that has to be corrected by preferential admissions for males?

When laws that protect the rights of Muslim women are overturned because God allegedly prefers it that way? When women’s faith and morals are judged solely by the way they dress while men’s aren’t?

When unmarried women are deemed unqualified to speak for abused married women whereas it’s OK for men to speak on behalf of women?

When, despite the overwhelming number of cases of violence against women, men, and even some women, insist on focusing on the rare cases of women committing violence against men?

When women have absolutely no chance of becoming Prime Minister in this country?

When “feminist” is considered a derogatory term, even by women, while “male chauvinist” is worn as a badge of honour by some men?

Who indeed do we have to thank for these?

good eh?..sadly eventhough this is pointed out so blatantly, things will never change in malaysia, not anytime soon anyway. and we cant put the blame solely on men..majority of the women like where they are and dont feel like they should ask for more. so this is frustrating for women like marina ( and me ) because it all the effort put it in and great attempts made to get certain rights for women will look like "angry, sexually deprived, ugly women with nothing better to do are out to get men on purpose" without the support of the people we are getting them for. everyone wants the benefit without breaking a sweat...

it doesnt work that way and never will..when are women going to realise that?