One eight-letter word has become very polarizing in politics today and that word is “feminist.” I think feminists should be identified as followers of the theory of feminism. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines feminism as “the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes” so I have always defined a “feminist” as someone who is an activist for issues that are important to women. So if someone is trying to accomplish good things for women, why has the word feminist become so polarizing among women today?

In recent years I have been asked to participate in many forums, sometimes as a small business owner, sometimes as an author and lover of books and frequently as a female
activist. You know how the participants in these events are introduced. We are asked to describe our entire life experiences as to how we became perfect women in two minutes or less and then there is usually a lot of dialogue among the panelists with many questions from the audience.

I have noticed that some very accomplished women are explaining themselves by saying “now I am not a feminist” while I frequently use that “f” word to explain my passion for achieving equal rights for women. Why is it when women come together and share their experiences that out of a group of women some will embrace the word feminist while others vocally and vigorously deny any affiliation with the same word?

Is it because of political party affiliation? Is it because of the issues that organizations like The Feminist Majority or the Moral Majority (oxymoron?) hold near and dear? Is it because Rush Limbaugh uses the word “feminazi” to describe women who do not agree with him?

Have Democrats taken ownership of the word “feminist”? Has it become politically incorrect since Clarence Thomas was confirmed to the Supreme Court for any Republican woman to label herself as feminist and still be welcome in her party?

Back in the 1970’s when I was a college student I actively supported the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. Passage of the ERA made sense to me then (and does to me now) because I believe that all people should be treated fairly in the workplace and in life.

When people, men and women, are paid fairly then they have the chance to achieve economic independence and I think economic independence is key in living a productive life. If we are doing equal work then we deserve equal pay and that is first and foremost why I became a feminist. I remember how stunned I was when the college I attended had women come and talk to the young women and tell us we needed to actively work against the passage of the ERA and write our legislators and ask them to vote against it. Of course, being the idealist I was I asked when the proponents of the ERA were going to come and speak to us and advise us in ways to encourage these same legislators to pass the ERA. Proponents for the ERA did not come and advise us at the college I attended but I still wrote articles in the school newspaper and was one of a handful of women working in favor of the ERA. The Tennessee legislature first voted to ratify the ERA but later rescinded its support of the ERA so I learned 25 years ago women activists were going to disagree and go head to head on issues ranging from sexual harassment to equal pay. Statistics show we are not there yet and that women still earn about 70 cents on the dollar compared to men for the same job.

As the years pass, those of us that are still vocal about the mistreatment of women wear the label feminist while other women prefer not to embrace the word. Why is that? I think probably it boils down to a woman’s feeling about reproductive rights. Women, just like men, do not now nor will they ever agree on the issue of choice and the discussion about women and their ownership of their bodies. That means other issues that are extremely important to women activists get overlooked. These issues are pay equity, healthcare, domestic violence and rape.

I strongly believe that the foundation for women to achieve is economic independence and that the bottom line is we should earn fair wages. So becoming a feminist for me was driven and still is driven by issues in the workplace, which boils down to fair pay and equitable working conditions. When women are paid equally then they will have more economic power and can force changes that will help other women with healthcare. Economic equity will empower women to leave homes and relationships where they are abused. Economic empowerment will pay the way to justice for all.

Saralee Terry Woods is President of BookMan/BookWoman Used Books, an author and President of bookmanbookwoman.com. Her email is saraleewoods@bookmanbookwoman.com