GWSS 1001 - Gender, Power, and Everday Life

I originally enrolled in this course because it sounded very interesting and I wanted to know more about the history of feminism and where it is today. I wanted to be part of a class that explored the power of women. I have always been an outspoken individual and I defined feminism as a way to empower women in a male dominated society.

After reading “Feminism is for Everybody� by Bell Hooks, I now define feminism as “anti-sexist�. By all means I am not implying women are better than men when I describe feminism but no one should experience discrimination and refused certain rights just because of their gender. I have always believed and even more so now after completing the readings that there should be “gender equality – equal pay for equal work, and sometimes women and men sharing household chores and parenting� (Hooks, pg. 1-2).

Even though I am a woman, I should be entitled to the same things as men. I did not realize how lucky I am to be a woman in 2007 until I read “The Way We Were; The Way We Are� by Sara M Evans. According to Evans, “in the early 1960s married women could not borrow money in their own names, professional and graduate schools regularly imposed quotas of 5-10 percent … of women they would admit,… and sexual harassment did not exist as a legal concept� (Evans, pg. 1). I am extremely grateful to the women who have come before me. Because of their courage, I am allowed to explore an education in any field that I chose, I am allowed to chose birth control, keep my own name, apply for any job, and be an independent individual. They paved the way for future generations of women and I hope my generation will keep the tradition alive because we still have a long way to go!