In case you didn't get this from previous posts, I'm a twenty-something female. By the time I came to understand the concept of feminism, its newness had long since passed. All our civil rights have been won. The only places left to conquer are the boardrooms and high government office, but there are no laws holding us back.

In my life I've never been told I couldn't do something simply based on the fact that I am a female. I've never thought there was a job that I wanted and couldn't get because of my gender.

Sometimes in the news and on the talking-head-punit shows you see self-proclaimed feminists saying how unjust the country is to them because of their gender. I've sincerely tried to understand from where these impressions arrive but I can't. It eludes me. In fact, sometimes, being female is an asset and actually gets me farther than someplaces I'd of been if I were male.

So what do you think? Is the fight over or are there battles yet to be won?

I very much agree with you, Jaime. To see some of these so called "feminists" that have made it thier life's goal to make sure that us women don't get held back in the workplace or wherever because of our gender just makes me mind-boggled. I just don't see where they are coming from.

I see very sucessful women in high-up corporate jobs everywhere I look. If I look inside my own company, true, it's CEO is male - but then 7 out of the other 10 executive positions are held by women. Amazing some *males* haven't stepped in to say this is unjust.

I also agree that my being female has provided me some opportunities that being male I most likely wouldn't have had. And no, it wasn't my blond hair (I'm brunette) or my big ... uh, tight sweater either. A lot of the time, if theres 10 canidates for a job and only one of them is female, the female is going to get it. Is it because the hiring person is afraid they'll be labeled as sexist if the woman doesn't get hired? Maybe. Am I going to complain and/or not take the job? No way.

Maybe there are some women out there that can post and explain to me in what ways/areas they feel they are being held back because of thier gender??

I agree with you both, but I am also a mid 20's female.

I have trouble understanding the feminist groups screaming for affirmative action (which hinders the cause) and spelling woman, womyn or girl, grrl.

I think that a woman can do whatever she wants. She can be a brain surgeon, a CEO, a mechanic, a stripper or a stay at home mother. I think the decision should be up to her. I see so many women put down upon for CHOOSING to stay at home, rather than have a career. I think it's about choices.....choices we didnt have in the 50's.

As a woman I never have felt discriminated because of my sex by men, but I have by so called femi-nazis, who claim that there way is the only way to be a women. To be driven, to put career first, to be pro-choice. That is what I dont understand.

While I do feel odd being the first male poster in the feminism topic I thought I should reply. As someone in a very male dominated industry (software), I have seen sexism on a number of occasions. Sometimes it’s more overt than others, but its still there.

Maybe I see or hear things that you wouldn’t because men let more out around other men than they would around women.

I wouldn’t call the fight over just yet.

I definately agree with Ouroboros. I have had numerous jobs in which I was the [B]only[B] woman, and I can firmly state that the fight is not over. As a result of my past job choices I have been subjected to numerous sexist comments and innuendos. When I was an armed security officer I was subjected to everything from my boss kissing me without my permission to being asked to "show us yur boobs!!!" (on a regular basis) to just being reprimanded for being too intimidating (I am just 5'6" 130lbs) and my co-workers who could all be described as thugs evidently were not intimidating. I was told I had to smile more, so I didn't make the male employees, that I was hired to protect, feel less manly. Can I help it, that I was carrying .45 in my holster and a asp, pepper spray, handcuffs etc on my belt. My job was not based on customer service it was to protect and search for bombs. . . me smiling more doesn't really factor into that. They had me training my own male supervisors, but not promoting me because I didn't fit the profile. As you can tell I'm still a little bitter and I no longer work there. Also, before anybody tells me that I should have sued, remember these are just he said she said things. . .nothing I can prove.

A vast majority of my friends are men, and as a result I am not as bothered as much by the various sexist comments they say. But, as Ouroboros states, when men talk to each other the truth of their feelings comes out. Because of sexual harassment laws, men can't say these things. But don't for a minute think that just because men aren't exactly slapin' you on the butt at work, doesn't mean that they don't feel about women the same way they did when their was nothing we as women could do about it. If you don't believe me sit through an episode of "The Man Show" on Comedy Central. And if the statistics are correct, men are still getting paid more to do the same job.

One last thing, I want to compliment Ouroboros (the only man who had the courage to state his opinions on this sensitive topic) it took balls of steal!

-Kisov

Women have achieved a great deal in the US - but it seems to me that women are achieving within what is still a man's world.

I think that the final change will come when the dominating value system changes in a way that dignifies a woman's value system.

What do women value?

To me - men value economic power , - women have clearly shown that they are capable of "competing" and winning, but are women valuing economic power simply because they have to (having been repressed by it) and/or because men have always?

If women "owned" as much as men, wouldn't our world reflect the family more and in a more dignified fashion?

JJ