Where I grew up, men and women had defined roles. In the 70's, my church taught that women had divine nurturing abilities and needed to be in the home raising children. Many people in my town had that opinion in the 80's. I felt guilty working back then but I had to work because I had responsibilities and I didn't have a husband who could earn the money needed to cover them.
Now that I no longer work, I look back and wonder why my church said women needed to stay home. The feminist movement had a lot of influence back then. In the 70's, a lot of women left their homes and took jobs. Back then women talked of equality and equal pay for equal jobs. Women had the best of both worlds because they worked AND after they got pregnant and had their baby, some of them stayed home to raise their children.
I have an "I don't like it" opinion about feminism. I believe that the movement damaged my husband's chance to succeed in that his income got lowered because now more people work. I think that the workplace would be better off being a man's world. I believe that women have different attitudes than men and that women complicate environments where both men and women work. Men know how to do business with other men. Men know how men think. Women can be catty but men can be crushing. Men know how to deal with crushing blows, but when a woman gets crushed she retaliates. Men let things go whereas women hold on to things (and it takes longer for them to let go if they ever do.)
I believe that women should do what they do best. Some men want to take care of women. They want to be the breadwinner, but some women have an I can do it myself attitude, and want to have the best of both worlds. Some women want to work as well as be mothers and they want to do it right now! (Imagine a little girl with a straight armed fist stomping her foot.) That woman's attitude has caused her children to think that all women are like her; that all young women need to be like her; and that women are better than men. (Where's the equality in "better than"?)
Some of my friends are thinking right now I can't believe you're saying this because I have to work. Other friends are thinking right now I can't believe you're saying this because I want work. I'm not saying to women, don't work, I'm saying do what you do best (which is, if you're young, to raise children and be a woman, or, if you're older, to do what you love and be a woman.)
To women I say, be women; embrace your womanhood and don't try to be men.
Now that I no longer work, I look back and wonder why my church said women needed to stay home. The feminist movement had a lot of influence back then. In the 70's, a lot of women left their homes and took jobs. Back then women talked of equality and equal pay for equal jobs. Women had the best of both worlds because they worked AND after they got pregnant and had their baby, some of them stayed home to raise their children.
I have an "I don't like it" opinion about feminism. I believe that the movement damaged my husband's chance to succeed in that his income got lowered because now more people work. I think that the workplace would be better off being a man's world. I believe that women have different attitudes than men and that women complicate environments where both men and women work. Men know how to do business with other men. Men know how men think. Women can be catty but men can be crushing. Men know how to deal with crushing blows, but when a woman gets crushed she retaliates. Men let things go whereas women hold on to things (and it takes longer for them to let go if they ever do.)
I believe that women should do what they do best. Some men want to take care of women. They want to be the breadwinner, but some women have an I can do it myself attitude, and want to have the best of both worlds. Some women want to work as well as be mothers and they want to do it right now! (Imagine a little girl with a straight armed fist stomping her foot.) That woman's attitude has caused her children to think that all women are like her; that all young women need to be like her; and that women are better than men. (Where's the equality in "better than"?)
Some of my friends are thinking right now I can't believe you're saying this because I have to work. Other friends are thinking right now I can't believe you're saying this because I want work. I'm not saying to women, don't work, I'm saying do what you do best (which is, if you're young, to raise children and be a woman, or, if you're older, to do what you love and be a woman.)
To women I say, be women; embrace your womanhood and don't try to be men.
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