Today Chatelaine released the results of their This is (40ish) poll of Canadian women. As a 40ish woman myself, this is something I can definitely relate to. But the stat that really jumped out at me was that 68% of women surveyed said they were not feminists.
Based on the other responses, it seems to me like most of these women work outside the home, even though many also have children. Some are making good money, which suggests they had access to a high level of education. It seems many are married or in a relationship, presumably of their choosing, while others have exercised the right to divorce. I know for sure they all have the right to vote. All things women here in Canada can do thanks to feminism.
Surely these women don’t want to go back to a time when these things were not possible. So I wondered, what gives? Why would so many reject the label “feminist”? Then it occurred to me: it must be because feminism is no longer needed!
So, that must mean that women–all women, white women as well as women of colour–must earn the same amount as men for the same work!
It must mean that movies and TV now feature 50% female lead characters—and they DO stuff to move the story along (as opposed to being just the wife, girlfriend, damsel in distress, or token female in an ensemble).
Our government is made up of 50% women too, and not just the cabinet.
It must mean that boys and girls can choose to play with and read what they like, without so much as raising an eyebrow.
If feminism is no longer necessary, it must mean “like a girl” is not the worst possible insult that can be hurled at a boy or a man.
Women are no longer judged almost exclusively by their appearance. There is no market for photos of female celebrities without make-up, or wearing bikinis on the beach (even if they have cellulite). Because women can wear whatever they want now.
I guess there are also no more mommy wars articles, because women can not only choose to stay home or to go out to work, no one suggests one is better than the other. Plus, since men now also have this choice, and can exercise it without being criticized or professionally penalized, the term “mommy wars” simply makes no sense.
Women are no longer targeted and threatened by online trolls for expressing opinions, or even for playing video games!
If feminism has done everything it can, I guess women who are harassed or assaulted aren’t automatically asked what they were doing there, what they were wearing, how much they’d had to drink. Even better, it’s great that women can now go out and about just like men, day or night, without fear of being sexually harassed or assaulted at all!
So thank you feminists, but it seems like everything is completely equal now, so we don’t need you anymore.
Oh, wait…
mum2beautifulboys 
Awesome post! Ask women what they think a feminist is? I’m not sure many of us know. For many, it conjures up images of men-hating, dungaree wearing, left-of-centre, angry singletons. Feminism needs a PR campaign!
This is SUCH a fantastic post. It’s troubling, isn’t it? What can we do to change the perception of the word?
Good question. I feel like women who say they aren’t feminist often follow it up with “Because I don’t hate men”. Well goodness, of course not, me either! I’m even raising my boys to BE feminists, I don’t want them to be confined by gender norms either. But how to change the stereotypical perception, if that’s what women are rejecting, I am not sure. Speaking up is a start I hope.