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Feminism: this is not as good as it gets Feminism: this is not as good as it gets
(4 months later)
"It was like the maddest kind of falling in love." This is how feminist activist and writer Beatrix Campbell began describing the women’s lib movement of the 1970s to a room of intergenerational feminists last Tuesday night.
"It Campbell was part of an impressive line up on a panel to discuss Fifty Years of Feminism, which also included Melissa Benn, Lesley Abdela, Nimko Ali, Laura Bates, and was chaired by Jude Kelly - the Paxman of feminist panel debates and artistic director of the Southbank Centre. The discussion was in tribute to the British Library’s brilliant feminist oral history and archive project, Sisterhood and After: An Oral History of the Women’s Liberation Movement and was hosted by the East London Fawcett Group.
was like the maddest kind of falling in love." This is how feminist More than most feminist panel debates I attend, there was a pervading sense of history. Perhaps it was the oppressively dark room mixed with the association of an institution such as the British Library, but it wouldn’t have felt out of place if Kelly was at a podium with a cap and gown. This was an occasion. (The gold lamé hoodie she was actually wearing did the job nicely though). It felt that, at last, feminism was entering the history books, as an official, real Thing. An air of ceremony hung about us as Kelly pointed out the importance of the British Library's project as a destination where future generations could learn about the struggle for gender equality. Then, referring to the panel, Kelly told the packed audience: "This is history itself; you can say you were here."
activist and writer Beatrix Campbell began describing the women’s lib It felt momentous and exciting, a website of our stories, second and fourth wavers shoulder to shoulder, the baton being passed. "I love how we talk as grandmothers, mothers, and daughters here tonight," Benn said. "I feel I can go home and lie on the grass now," laughed Abdela.
movement of the 1970s to a room of intergenerational feminists last Tuesday night. But soon the weight of the history began to be felt and the heavy sigh of "we’ve been here before" got louder. We were falling out of love. Abdela spoke about being a young woman shocked by the fact there were no women voting on the Abortion Act 30 years ago, and it painfully echoed a current government in which four of every five MPs are men. Laura Bates spoke of a "retro sexist bullying" she sees in schools where young boys are telling girls to "get back in the kitchen", and no louder sigh came then when the issue of childcare and the division of domestic labour was raised. "You two are changing how people are seeing the world," Benn told Ali and Bates. "But we've got a long way to go on this one."
Campbell As an enthusiastic, ernest and inevitably naive fourth waver in my 20s, it was a sobering - and necessary - reminder of the struggle long before my own. And I can’t lie; I found it a difficult evening, overwhelmed by the injustice rolling on, generation after generation after generation, the heavy cloak of history reminding us just how shit it’s been for a lot women, and still is. And yes, of course I knew this before, but there was no chink of light in that very dark room.
was part of an impressive line up on a panel to discuss Fifty Years of
Feminism, which also included Melissa Benn, Lesley Abdela, Nimko Ali, Laura
Bates, and was chaired by Jude
Kelly - the Paxman of feminist panel debates and artistic director of the Southbank Centre. The discussion was in
tribute to the British Library’s brilliant feminist oral history and
archive project, Sisterhood and After: An Oral History of the Women’s Liberation Movement and was hosted by the East London Fawcett Group.
More
than most feminist panel debates I attend, there was a pervading sense
of history. Perhaps it was the oppressively dark room mixed with the
association of an institution such as the British Library, but it
wouldn’t have felt out of place if Kelly was at a podium with a cap and
gown. This was an occasion. (The gold lamé hoodie she was actually
wearing did the job nicely though). It felt that, at last, feminism was
entering the history books, as an official, real Thing. An air of
ceremony hung about us as Kelly pointed out the importance of the
British Library's project as a destination where future generations
could learn about the struggle for gender equality. Then, referring to
the panel, Kelly told the packed audience: "This is history itself;
you can say you were here."
It
felt momentous and exciting, a website of our stories, second and
fourth wavers shoulder to shoulder, the baton being passed. "I love how
we talk as grandmothers, mothers, and daughters here tonight," Benn said. "I feel I can go home and lie on the grass now," laughed Abdela.
But
soon the weight of the history began to be felt and the heavy sigh of "we’ve been here before" got louder. We were falling out of love. Abdela spoke about being a young woman shocked by the fact there
were no women voting on the Abortion Act 30 years ago, and it painfully
echoed a current government in which four of every five MPs are men. Laura
Bates spoke of a "retro sexist bullying" she sees in schools where young
boys are telling girls to "get back in the kitchen", and no louder sigh
came then when the issue of childcare and the division of domestic
labour was raised. "You two are changing how people are seeing the
world," Benn told Ali and Bates. "But we've got a long way to go on this
one."
As
an enthusiastic, ernest and inevitably naive fourth waver in my 20s, it was a sobering - and necessary - reminder of the struggle
long before my own. And I can’t lie; I found it a difficult evening,
overwhelmed by the injustice rolling on, generation after generation
after generation, the heavy cloak of history reminding us just how shit
it’s been for a lot women, and still is. And yes, of course I knew this
before, but there was no chink of light in that very dark room.
That was, until, a single ray, just at the end, just as I was figuring out the quickest way to a strong G&T.That was, until, a single ray, just at the end, just as I was figuring out the quickest way to a strong G&T.
A A member of the East London Fawcett Group came on stage, a girl in her 20s buzzing with pride (and rightly so) for organising an event with so many incredible women. "Your words ring true with me, Beatrix," she beamed. "Nothing feels like the euphoria of coming together with a room full of feminists."
member of the East London Fawcett Group came on stage, a girl in her I certainly wasn’t feeling euphoric (or in back in love) but her enthusiasm and her blind belief was as stubborn as Campbell’s earlier assertion that "this is as good as it gets". She helped me remember the enthusiasm of my generation, the enthusiasm I had arrived at the door with (undoubtedly the enthusiasm that all feminists have at some point). Most all she made me realise that my generation can’t be, and shouldn’t be, held hostage by the dissatisfaction and battles lost by those earlier. We must learn from them, yes, but we must move forward. This isn't as good as it gets.
20s buzzing with pride (and rightly so) for organising an event with so
many incredible women. "Your words ring true with me, Beatrix," she
beamed. "Nothing feels like the euphoria of coming together with a room
full of feminists."
I
certainly wasn’t feeling euphoric (or in back in love) but her
enthusiasm and her blind belief was as stubborn as Campbell’s earlier
assertion that "this is as good as it gets". She helped me remember the
enthusiasm of my generation, the enthusiasm I had arrived at the door
with (undoubtedly the enthusiasm that all feminists have at some
point). Most all she made me realise that my generation can’t be, and
shouldn’t be, held hostage by the dissatisfaction and battles lost by those earlier. We must learn from them, yes, but we must move forward.
This isn't as good as it gets.
@marisajbate@marisajbate