The image of feminism

Gloria Steinem is no supermodel. Though she is over sixty years old, complete with the wrinkles and hips of average women, Steinem appears on the cover of this month's Ms. Magazine, celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of the publication she helped to found. A woman who once declared that she needed a man, "as much as a fish needs a bicycle," and vowed never to pose for her own magazine, Steinem is now happily married and gracing newsstands across the country. No matter how much times have changed, however, Steinem remains a feminist. Though her appearance on the cover of Ms. is meant to be celebratory, it comes at a time when feminism has begun to be viewed as outdated, the word feminist associated with radicalism and homosexuality. Times have changed since the movement's magazine first came off the presses, but the history of feminism is hardly a closed book.

The original goal of liberal feminists was to create a world where women had choices. Today, that dream has largely come true. As a woman beginning her career at Princeton, I know I can choose to be a housewife, a lawyer, an executive or a politician. I see no door that is closed to me. Even the good-ol' boy atmosphere of the Ivy League has evolved. Thirty years ago, my mother graduated from Princeton with the first class of women. She tells stories of friends choosing majors based on which departments had women's bathrooms and faculty members who thought that advising female students meant propositioning them. Now, with the number of women undergraduates nearly equaling the number of men, Princeton life is representative of the equality women have achieved in all corners of society.

The tremendous success of feminism, however, does not mean there is no work left to be done. Here on campus, for example, movements to encourage women in the sciences and to reform the tenure system for professors are not only necessary but also valuable for our community. Outside of Princeton, feminists continue to work on issues of pay equality, family leave and advancement of women to senior positions in corporate America and the political arena. International women's issues, from female genital mutilation to increased access to education, also beg for activism and attention.

The major obstacle facing modern day feminists, however, is not about breaking down barriers or cracking glass ceilings. It is about changing people's perceptions about feminism, a much more elusive task. Many in this country, and on this campus, hear the word feminist and think "femi-nazi." I have friends, both male and female, who would never consider speaking out against equal pay or a woman's right to work outside the home but who see no problem with mocking feminists, deriding them by commenting on their lack of femininity or questioning their sexuality. Such attacks are not only absurd, they are dispiriting. Feminism cannot be fully successful until the strong women who work for it earn respect rather than ridicule.

Beyond the mere image of the movement, women must continue to work to respect one another and their own choices. I cannot tell you how many times it has been suggested to me that my mother did me a disservice by pursuing a successful business career. I have even had conversations with classmates who have expressed shock that I think of marriage as an equal partnership and do not want to find a husband "better and smarter" than me. As much as these women may disapprove of my mother's or my choices, I must admit that it is hard for me not to be defensive and assume that someone who opts for domestic life is choosing the lesser path. Feminism is about women making their own decisions. While we may have opened doors, we must now make it acceptable for women to walk through them, no matter where they may lead.

Gloria Steinem and Ms. magazine have seen feminism through thirty years of trials and tribulations. Though Steinem is not a supermodel, she has proved to be a superwoman. Her achievements, both personal and professional, are enough to earn her any magazine cover, but she is far from through with speaking her mind to the world. Like Steinem, the feminist movement has evolved and accomplished over the course of the past three decades, but its work is hardly over. Men and women must continue to try to eliminate discrimination, both explicit and implicit, and to change how people think about gender. Times have changed, but progress is no reason to rest on our laurels. This issue of Ms. is about celebrating the past. Let us hope that it serves as an impetus to look towards all that can be done as we move into the future. Katherine Reilly is from Short Hills, NJ. She can be reached at kcreilly@princeton.edu.