feminism in 2009

I've just read an article about modern feminism and if young women would consider themselves feminists. I personally would consider myself a feminist, but not one of those "grr i hate men and I'll burn my bra" feminists (perhaps because i need my bra, perhaps because men are delightfully drama free).

This got me thinking about the behavior of young women, the way we dress, the way we act, our priorities and goals. I'm going to quote someone who's a well known lesbian icon, despite being married to a man. Singer P!nk, in her song 'Stupid Girls', says: "What happened to the dreams of a girl president/ She's dancing in the video next to 50 Cent". P!nk presents a loaded statement here (nothing out of the ordinary there). Politics is one of the many institutions in first world countries countries across the globe that is still mainly male dominated. Women are looked down upon as candidates because we are still seen as incapable of having a family and a successful career.

I want a career. I have plans to be a youth worker, and to hopefully one day manage my own youth project. I also want to be a mother and a wife, to have a home I can be proud of as well as a meaningful career. I am lucky really because the field I want to get into is very accepting of working mothers and of difference as a whole. But I also in my lifetime want to see more women in the Dail, a female Taioseach (Prime Minister), women as CEO's of powerful companies. It's not because I feel men are doing a bad job, not all of them are. But I want to see a world where women can shine. Where our health system allows us to manage working and children. Where more men experience the joys (and hard work!) of sustaining a household and raising children. Maybe if there is more role reversal the jobs that women do now will be appreciated to their full value.

Because I still believe that behind every successful man there are a team including brilliant women.