Feminism has been an important topic in our society since the suffragettes in the UK to Marie Popelin in Belgium. Unsurprisingly, a great percentage of young people believe that there is no need for feminism in modern society. After all, in most countries women have the right to vote, can pursue any career they wish and can even become admired leaders of strong nations. However, it is important to note that gender inequality still prevails in our society. In order to have a closer look at this topic, feminist Anna Vleeshouwers was delighted to provide us with some more information on the topic.
How do you engage with feminism in your day-to-day life?
I work as what can be defined as a professional feminist. I work at RoSa, which is a center of expertise subsidized by the Flemish government which aims to inform, document, advise and sensitize society about gender and feminism related topics. Furthermore, I am also active in other feminist abd anti-racism groups which strive against homophobe, transphobe actions and helps migrants that are illegally in the country. Being actively involved in a feminist reading group club, I have discovered that having discussions is a great way not only to exchange ideas but also to keep on learning from each other about certain topics. Since feminism is basically what I do for a living, I also make use of my political power by participating in protests and manifestations as well as in speaking up for issues that I consider to be of crucial importance in our societies. Overall, feminism has allowed me through reading, sharing information, sensetizing others to unlearn my own patriotic values and to be more open-minded in order to support the struggle for equal opportunities. Feminism is like my entire life!
How would you define the term feminism? Would you say that it is still relevant and needed nowadays?
Firstly, let me provide you with the definition of RoSa, which defines it as a collection of social and political movements that critically analyze unequal gender relations and pursue gender equality. As you can see it focuses mainly on how feminism is diverse as there are different types of feminism from radical and marxist feminism to liberal and social feminism. Personally, I believe that even though there are a lot of ideological, political, religious topics about which these different currents of feminism feel different about, there is a lot that we can learn from each other, seeing as all of these currents are striving towards the same goal which is achieving gender equality. Moroever, I think that the various strategies, ideas and beliefs of the feminist movement made the movement more approachable and accessible, because by pursuing values such as equality, freedom and solidarity people feel more welcomed in the movement as they feel free to express their thoughts and opinions. This is a very important aspect of feminism, especially since the movement is about individual free choice, and collective emancipation. We should all be entitled to make our own choices be it to wear makeup, high heels, short skirts or even the hijab. Nowadays, I believe that feminism has a negative connotation to it as there is a tendency to see feminists as men-haters, but it is important to realise that it isn’t like that, even men can define as feminists too.
According to the UN Women, women are still underrepresented in politics, parliaments and public life. Women make up less than 23 percent of parliamentarians, while men make up more than 77 percent, leaving a more than 50 percent gender gap. It is important to note that women are putting themselves forward for elections more and more, yet their numbers are less than those of men. Why do you think that this is the case? Are family responsibilities a real obstacle to women's engagement in politics?
Well, there are a lot of factors that lead to the underrepresentation of women in politics. Indeed, it must be said that we define authority and the whole atmosphere of doing politics and institutionalized politics as mainly male-dominant. For example it is known that the Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher had vocal training to lower her voice in order to create a sense of authority and power. Similarly, female radio presenters are also trained to speak slower and lower like men do in order to be taken as more authoritative, decisive and believable. There is still that belief that women are less capable of performing certain tasks and that they are less credible simply due to their female nature.
Regarding the question about the family responsibilities, I think that when you are in parliament, the working hours are expected of you. You always have to be reachable, which can be a big barrier on work-life balance. Especially, since many womena re still performing the traditional and unpaid tasks of taking care of the household, the children etc. while working part-time.
Furthermore, attitudes towards women candidates are still characterized by stereotypes, and political opponents will often use stereotypes to question women’s capabilities. How can governing bodies further promote women’s political participation at different levels and ensure that they have equal opportunities as men? Do you believe that gender quotas are effective?
As we have discussed in the previous question it can be said that there is an unequal burden of labour. It is important to have enough free time in order to motivate women to go into the labour market or into a politics linked profession. There is indeed a need for quotas, we can debate about whether or not we like them but not about their effectiveness, as they have proven in the past years to be effective. For example here in Belgium, new laws regarding the amount of female candidates in the lists for political parties have been introduced, stating that there needs to be an equal number of women and men in the parties list.
As you mention in your question, there are still a lot of stereotypes that put the capabilities of women into question. I believe that it is important to criticise how female politicians are framed in the media, as for example I have never seen a journalist ask a male politician about how having children and a family has affected his career.
How can we as the youth contribute to achieving gender equality in our modern society?
I believe that the youth is already doing a lot. Therefore, what I would advise is to continue to make use of your voice by raising awareness about issues that women are facing whether you want to speak about the fact that globally 1 in 3 women experience violence in their lifetime, or about the fact that women are still being paid less in the labour market. Just go for it and inform your friends, family members or make use of social media in order to promote the idea of freedom and equality as well as to celebrate differences, especially as diversity and equality is the foundation of a good society. Also, attend marches and protests or join a feminist organization. Remember that it is the small actions that matter! Never believe that as an individual you cannot make a change!
Similarly, to what Ms. Anna Vleeshouwers informed us about in this little interview, American feminist journalist and social political activist Gloria Steinem once said that “A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men”. Personally, I must admit that I have learnt a lot from this interview with Ms. Anna Vleeshouwers, especially that being a feminist does not necessarily mean radicalism or extremism. To conclude, it is important to note that the feminist movement is still relevant in today’s society and that we as the youth can be actively involved in the movement in order to achieve gender equality. After all, if it's not the youth making a difference and contributing to a change in our society, who will it be?
Filipa Moreira
22.12.2021
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