Women Unbound: Start-up Challenge Meme

WOMEN UNBOUND Start of Challenge Meme:

1. What does feminism mean to you? Does it have to do with the work sphere? The social sphere? How you dress? How you act?

Being a feminist to means wanting the same opportunities for all women, whether it be same pay for the same work, or being able to be oneself and not compromise are standards and values in order to work our way to the top. It also means allowing women to be comfortable in whatever they choose, if they choose to be stay at home mom's yeah! If they choose to have a career, yeah! If they choose both, yeah! Allowing us as women to choose how, who, and what we want to be. I feel it also means letting up on the typical female attitudes...such as they're better with kids, or they're more spiritual...treat us as individuals not as a group to be stereotyped.

2. Do you consider yourself a feminist? Why or why not?

Yes, I definitely consider myself a feminist. I have a desire to see things get better for all of us women...where we can be judged according to our own personal merit and not whether or not we have breasts...Women's issues are very important to me and therefore that makes me a feminist and it's NOT a dirty word!

3. What do you consider the biggest obstacle women face in the world today? Has that obstacle changed over time, or does it basically remain the same?

I guess it depends on where you're at in the world. There are plenty of women being repressed in countries due to religion, plenty of women being raped and mutilated in wars. This never seems to change. In more stable countries where women have more power I would say the greatest obstacle is allowing us to feel comfortable about what we choose to do in life. It seems like we're damned if we do and damned if we don't. I'm a stay at home mom right now and in my community that's looked upon very highly; there are a few women who could stay home if they wanted to, but instead are choosing to have a career and be a mom...they seem to be the oddity in the neighborhood, people can't understand why they don't want to stay at home and raise all those babies. Then there's the "how many kids are you going to have?" My hubby and I only want one child and we have our beautiful boy now...but I not him as much, get the flack for it...how can I not want another one? Sometimes it feels like they think I'm just a baby incubator and that's all I'm good for....Then there's the flipside when a women decides to stay at home...there's flack for that too from others in society.

There's definitely more opportunities...more women in careers, politicians, etc...but I think the same obstacle has been around for years...we're still in a man's world and thus subject to those rules...