Tackling the topic of feminism and how far we have come in 50 years is Dr Stephanie Coontz.
Stephanie Coontz teaches history and family studies at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. She also serves as Co-Chair and Director of Public Education at the Council on Contemporary Families, a non-profit, nonpartisan association of family researchers and practitioners based at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her work has been featured in many newspapers such as The New York Times, as well as scholarly journals such as Journal of Marriage and Family, and she is frequently interviewed on national television and radio.
After reeling off a littany of facts, figures, stats and insights about where the woman’s movement stood 50 years ago, Dr Coontz jumped into the heart of her speech.
The reality that if we are to build a women’s movement – and lead a women’s movement – for the 21st century we must realize we face a different context of gender inequality.
Even today – In order to earn the same wage, women have to work 52 years vs. men working 40 years.
Motherhood Penalties: When a woman leaves the workforce, even just for a year, she loses 20% of her earning power. When a working woman becomes a mother, she is immediately perceived as less competent and less deserving of promotions and raises. They are held to higher standards of punctuality and work performance.
“I don’t believe that male privilege is still our main enemy. But that doesn’t mean that we still don’t need a movement that puts women’s needs front and center.”
We can’t tackle the most urgent problems facing American women if we can’t face the the broader problems facing men and women. Dr Coontz emphasized, and the audience responded to, the point that by helping women rise we will bring men up in the process.
Enhancing women’s interests under predominately female leadership is the best answer for the problems men are facing today as well as the problems women are facing today.
She identified three core issues that need to be addressed in our current times relating to gender inequality
– Ending the gender pay gap. Takes more than catching women up with men, it is also about the United States establishing wage rates on par with other wealthy companies. Low skilled jobs are here to stay and if we can’t provide living wage to those in them we are condemning men women and children to a lifetime of poverty.
– Lack of family friendly work policies. The United States is one of only 8 countries in the world that does not mandate paid leave for new mothers
– Lack of a social safety net that reflects 21st century realities.
Dr Coontz closed with a call to action to pull from the front and center
We need a female movement, not just female leadership. An active, mobilized feminist movement. And we need women to be at least the majority of the movement and the leadership of it. Until women make up 60-80% of the room, they defer to male participants. Developing a movement that puts women’s issues and leadership first is paramount.
To construct policies for the 21st century citizen we must start with the woman – who has extensive responsibilities and understanding of the needs of family, children, community and work.
Dr Coontz’ passionate talk was tough to keep up with! Please share your insights, takeaways and thoughts.
Here is a comprehensive list of her articles, which she pulled from during her talk.
(The organizers tried to play a clip of Dr Coontz on the popular Colbert Report. Here it is:)
