Five Things

In response to 5 million dollars of cuts to Status of Women Canada (because, you know, we’ve apparently already made it), Progressive Bloggers is asking bloggers to post five things that feminism has done for them. I was tagged by the fabulous, femilicious Candace, and here are my five things – five things that I think show us what feminism has done and how it has improved lives, and demonstrate the potential for it to continue making a difference for women:

1. Education is one of the things that is nearest and dearest to my heart. Since I’m currently going through the grad school application process, I find myself becoming more and more aware that if I had been born at some earlier period than I was, I would not have been able to get the education that I’ve had and I would not be able to keep pursuing the education that I want. Feminism made it possible for women to be allowed to go to school, and feminism has changed people’s perceptions so that we now recognize that women have the right to be in school.

2. I run my own tiny, little small business, and I spent the summer getting basic business training. Because of feminism, those of us who have the drive and desire and initiative to become entrepreneurs can do so, and we can share the skills we learn with other women.

3. I’ve been in a rock band! Fuck, yeah! Women’s opportunities as musicians have traditionally been limited to the role of interpretive artist (which is not to say that this is not an important role – it’s just that all aspects of music production and performance should be open to women), but the work of pioneering women in the music biz has made it possible for women to become involved in all steps of the creative process, including areas like technical production that are normatively gendered as male.

4. Reproductive choice. I can decide if I want to use contraception, which method I want to use, and what will be right for my body. (Yay for pink doorknob covers!) My body is controlled by nobody but me.

5. I have a room of my own where I can write, draw, sing, create. I have a Women’s Centre at my school where I can feel safe and supported. I have fabulous, amazing, independent women in my life who are my friends, my teachers, members of my urban tribe, my partners in crime and my support network. I have professors who will let me write about music and culture and gender and not just ye olde canon. I have an awesome mom and awesome sisters. I can pick up a book or turn on the television or or go to the movies and see women as FBI Agents, spaceship captains, star reporters, students, writers, artists, mothers, activists, (the list goes on) and persons.

And thus I tag five of my fab, feminist friends:

Amy G.
Kristen
Erin
Emily
Sonal

. . . and anyone else who feels moved to respond.