‘Feminism’, the big word describing the fight for gender equality, or in the famous words of Cheris Kramarae, “the radical notion that women are human beings”. Many of us have opinions on what feminism is, what it should be or what it definitely shouldn’t be. Most of us probably also think that feminism hasn’t become obsolete, at least not entirely. To celebrate the International Women’s Day on the 8th of March, let us take a look at why feminism still matters in Finland in 2016. Personally, I could draw up a list of about a thousand reasons for why you should still, and especially now, care about feminism, but to save you from having to read through it all, here are a couple of the most important ones.
Not all people think that feminism still serves a purpose today. This might be because of the perceived lack of real problems confronting women in Finland. It is true, by many standards, that women in this country enjoy rights unattainable to many other women in the world. The emancipation of women, both as political actors and as individuals, came about earlier here than in most places. We have had a female president, two female prime ministers and a long tradition of women taking active part in society. We shouldn’t, however, become complacent. A lot of work still needs to be done and past successes do not necessarily guarantee future gains. Indeed, today’s feminists face some serious challenges. This is illustrated by the onslaught of negative feedback and outright threats women get when talking about feminist issues in public. Rape threats have become the norm in online ‘debates’ that quickly descend into a mindless swirl of insults and catcalling utterly unrelated to the topic under discussion. Female political activists speak of a poisonous climate and widespread misogyny, the aim of which is to silence women taking a firm stance on gender-related issues. Last year alone women were insulted and threatened online for speaking up against sexist commercials and for calling for less gender-specific toys for children.
It’s clear, then, that feminism, and the kinds of values it promotes, shouldn’t be taken for granted. The goal of perfect gender equality is still far away in the distance and progress towards it isn’t always linear. Our current government isn’t just the most masculine in recent years but also the most dismissive of feminist issues and themes relating specifically to women, a fact that has prompted many to fear that we might be taking a huge step back in women’s rights. The gigantic spending cuts imposed by the government hit women and female-dominated occupations the hardest, making women more vulnerable in the changing economic environment.
Moreover, some of the issues that really should have been resolved by now, continue to manifest themselves. In just the last couple of weeks we have learned that most major companies in this country are still run by middle-aged men and that the glass ceiling is still very much a thing. A recent study conducted in Sweden and Finland found differences in the salaries and career progressions between male and female workers that couldn’t be explained away by differences in their qualifications or work experience. The only explaining factor, the study concludes, is discrimination based on gender.
When considering the importance of feminism in the 21st century, I’d be remiss if I didn’t address one aspect of feminism that, I believe, sums up perfectly why we still need to shout out about it. The words ‘feminism’ or ‘feminist’ have a bad reputation in many people’s eyes. This is probably largely due to a misunderstanding of what the word stands for for most people who call themselves feminists. Unlike the very small minority of radical feminists who aim for female domination over men, most of us are not striving for that. (Really!) We simply want to make this world into a place where women and men are judged by their merits and talent rather than by their gender. A world free from suffocating gender roles and inequalities based on nothing more than your gender. The fact that this idea still shocks some people is all the more reason for promoting feminism and for highlighting what it really is about.
Luckily, defending feminism isn’t dead. New and innovative ways of supporting the cause are springing up all over the world. In our neighboring Sweden a feminist party was set up for the last parliamentary elections, and MPs at the Parliament here in Helsinki have established a group open to all people defining themselves as feminists.
Lastly, it is also important to remember that feminism isn’t just for women. It is for all people fighting for equality and human rights. In a feminist world it’s not just women that are more capable of reaching their full potential, it’s men, too. Liberated from the straightjacket of rigid and exclusive gender roles, men would also have more options, whether it’s being a stay-at-home dad for a while, or trying out a hobby seen as ‘feminine’. That’s why, even today, we still need feminism – not just in Finland, but throughout the world.
Sources:
http://www.hs.fi/talous/a1455689527865
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32202434
http://www.talouselama.fi/uutiset/eduskunnassa-aloitti-feministiryhma-ta…