Why I am a Feminist

Do you know in what year the Queensland Government was not longer able to discriminate against married female teachers? Think about a little while, have an educated guess and I will tell you at the end of this post.

The other dreaded F word.

Feminism.

I am a feminist because the man who did the same job as me was a whole pay scale above me. I did not even know. I assumed we were the same until it came up in conversation one day. Somehow developing sport and recreation for a community is more valuable than developing a community able to support vulnerable people. That is how the gender pay gap works. Women’s work is undervalued.

I am a feminist because when a rape was recently being discussed at a party (like not even appropriate) most people in the circle of conversation wanted to know what she was doing and felt a bit sorry for him.

I am a feminist because a man one day said to me he was a victim of financial abuse because his ex-wife wanted one of their houses in the divorce settlement.

I am a feminist because when I look around the female-dominated industry I work in, men are over-represented in management.

I am a feminist because I want to choose whether I stay at home or go to work after my children are born and not have my decision the subject of an economic debate and how much I do or don’t contribute to the economy.

I am a feminist because there are times when I feel my intelligence, ability, and opinion is irrelevant or questioned because I am a woman. Men may argue this does not happen. I guess you have to be the on the receiving end to notice.

I am a feminist because a scold’s bridle was a real thing.  I am a feminist because I have been conditioned to feel like society expects me to be seen and not heard and I should be careful about when I speak up. That even writing this post feels a little frightening.

I am a feminist because when I fill in a form there is a box that says Miss, Ms or Mrs when my marital status is utterly irrelevant. A man is only ever a Mr.

I am a feminist because the personal is political. Because the things that happen to me in my life are a product of a society’s structures and attitudes and those structures and attitudes are the product of patriarchy.

I am a feminist because it was not until 1981 that female teachers were no longer allowed to be discriminated against in job application because they were married. That means every teacher I ever had taught in this regime of discrimination. How close was your guess?

2 thoughts on “Why I am a Feminist

  1. I am a feminist because I believe my body belongs to me and no one else. I am a feminist because I believe women are human beings and deserve to be treated as such. I am a feminist because…your reasons and so many more! Loved this post.

    I guessed 1985 so I was pretty close. It’s shameful that discrimination was allowed for that long.

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