Modern feminism addressed during presentation Wednesday
A renowned author and psychotherapist presented a combination of readings and commentary about the present state of feminism Wednesday night in the Bovee University Center Auditorium.
Phyllis Chesler, a founding voice of the women's movement, has chronicled feminism and the feminist movement in several books.
Chelser's presentation, "Letters to a Young Feminist", was part of CMU's Provost's Series on Diversity and Multiculturalism, and included readings from her 1998 book, "Letters to a Young Feminist."
"Here I sit, head bent, writing you an intimate letter," Chesler quoted from her book. Chesler said she wrote "Letters to a Young Feminist" for an audience of feminists, either men or women, between the ages of 18 and 25.
A main focus of the speech was the attitude toward feminism during Chesler's generation.
"We had it easy. We had an opening. We had each other. We were headlines. We were a sensation," Chesler said.
The media has grown bored with the oppression of women, Chesler said, and this has caused young feminists today to become bored and cynical.
"The best feminist ideas and deeds may not be known to you. You may not know your legacy," she said.
Chesler shared advice for young feminists to empower themselves and each other through acceptance and perseverance. She encouraged women to stand up as early as they can in life and also to take up as much room in the universe as they need, to sit with their legs apart, to join group sports and climb trees.
"We begin, of course, by fighting back," Chesler said.
She also enforced that men do not deserve all the blame for the oppression of women.
"Men alone are not responsible for patriarchy," Chesler said.
Becoming a militant feminist is also not the answer to making further gains for feminism.
"You have a responsibility to see that your wounded self does not get in the way of your warrior self," Chesler said.
In the state of society today, however, she said sexism still exists, but in modern forms. Even in the workplace, women are still expected to make the coffee, buy the presents, make cookies and babysit the boss's child.
"This is hardly gang rape, but it is sexism nonetheless. It's different (today), but not enough," Chesler said.
The demands for perfection of women in society today can also be seen in important women's issues like abortion and the gender integration of military schools like the Citadel and West Point.
"We are forced to walk a very narrow line of acceptable behavior," she said.
Things will not change though, she said, if women do not become heroes.
Too many people simply give up and accept things the way they are at present for women, when they should not remain bystanders, said Chesler.
Most people don't know about atrocities against women, she said.
"We make it a point not to know," Chesler said.
She discussed history's lack of noting the pioneers of the first wave of feminism that had much to do with gaining voting rights.
"We knew nothing. I discovered these feminist heroes when I was 29 and on my own," Chesler said.
Feminists need the opportunity and the support of the media and each other to make their message known, she said.
"Women do not need a room of their own. Feminists, both men and women, need a large continent of their own."
A talk on feminism could not be given, Chesler said, without commenting on the gains that women have made in past generations.
She spoke of female judges, doctors, rabbis, ministers and men who are pro-woman or pro-feminist.
"Every time you walk into a courtroom and there's a female judge you know feminists helped put her there," Chesler said.
She concluded by emphasizing that young feminists today can become strong by practicing sisterhood. This generation of college women, however, has a chance to practice loving each other as sisters.
"There are some problems that can only be solved together," she said.
Reactions to Chesler's presentation were positive.
"I agree with a lot of what she said," said Abby Tormanen, Mount Pleasant junior.
Heads nodded in agreement during many points in her speech as Chesler discussed the trivialization and stereotyping of feminism.
"People do tend to stereotype feminists as ball-busters and man-haters," said Bianca Bekke, Lansing junior. "There were some men here today and they were trying to understand and realize that not all women are like that."
Chesler's history as a feminist, author, professor and psychotherapist make her presence noteworthy in the university community, said Ulana Klymyshyn, director of the Multicultural Education Center, during her introduction of Chesler.
"Her books can be seen as a history of the women's movement."
Chesler is the author of nine books including "Women and Madness" (1972), "About Men" (1978), "Mothers on Trial: The Battle for Children and Custody" (1986) and "Patriarchy: Notes of an Expert Witness" (1994).
