Girls who run the world

In an interview for the May issue of British Vogue, Beyoncé Knowles described herself as a "modern-day feminist". This got me thinking about what the term ‘feminism’ means today and whether it is a positive or a negative thing. (As a disclaimer, this is not a deep, philosophical debate, just a few personal thoughts.)

For some women it is about being able to do all of the things men can do… and more. Whether that means doing the DIY, playing football, entering the political sphere or preaching in a church, it is about proving that the ‘weaker sex’ is actually no such thing.

For some people, feminism is almost militant stance, a championing of the ‘Independent Women’ and ‘Single Ladies’ against the rest of the world. It is the overcoming of prejudice and criticism of women as meek, powerless housewives, and raises the question: do women need men to get on in life?

Others think of feminism as a more collective idea. It’s about encouraging all women to achieve their potential regardless of their age, ethnic background and social outlook. It’s about equal rights for women and deals with issues such as voting, maternity leave, workplace equality and domestic violence.

For others it is about sexual liberty; the pursuit of bedroom equality. An environment where women can sleep with who they want, when they want without being referred to as sluts; to be able to live a Sex and the City lifestyle and read 50 Shades of Grey on the bus without criticism.

Whatever it means to you, feminists are often criticised because the concept is perceived as an anti-male stance. Some women do appear to act as though men are an inconvenient ‘other’ as they take on the world. Other women are seen to present a double standard because they want to dress in a super sexy way like Beyoncé or Rihanna without being treated like sex objects.

Head of Family Law at Slater & Gordon, Amanda McAlister has even blamed the Sex and the City lifestyle for an increase in alcoholism and, as a direct result, higher divorce rates.

Some argue that the stress of ‘doing it all’ – having a successful career, raising a family and living it up at the weekends – may be taking its toll on women. I know that for me personally, being a woman can be exhausting!

Beyoncé says in the interview that “we have a way to go” before women and men are considered equal, and I would tend to agree. Until women are paid the same amount as men for doing the same job, allowed to be part of church leadership teams, respected in sporting circles and treated as valuable human beings rather than sex objects, there is still work to be done.

Proverbs 31:10-31 gives us an interesting biblical perspective on the ‘virtuous’ wife: of a woman who is successful in the home and in business; who is respected by those around her and cares for the poor. I think this is a good model for all women.

Some of Beyoncé’s song lyrics may be a little questionable, but I’ll finish with some simple words I liked from the upcoming interview: “Why do you have to choose what type of woman you are? Why do you have to label yourself anything? I’m just a woman and I love being a woman.”

Read more from Joy in the upcoming issue of Liberti magazine.

(Photo credits: Image 1 Parkwood; Image 2 Claudio Mariotto; Image 3 Hollywood Branded.)

How to fight domestic violence the peaceful way

According to The Independent, 19,000 women are forced from their homes by domestic violence each year (based on figures from 2008-09). Around 60% (11,300 victims) find shelter at a women's refuge.

Figures show more than 9,000 women took children with them as they fled their homes, with 190 mothers taking as many as five children with them.

However, around 40% of organisations working with victims of sexual and domestic abuse have had to make staff redundant over the last 12 months and 28% have cut essential services to keep refuge beds open.

The Independent claims funding from local authorities for domestic and sexual-abuse organisations dropped 31% from £7.8 million in 2010-11 to just £5.4 million in the last financial year. Sadly, 320 women turned away from refuges every day!

UK police receive a call about domestic violence every minute, and it is thought that less than 24% of domestic violence crime is actually reported.

The facts

1. Domestic violence accounts for between 16% and one quarter of all recorded violent crime
2. 45% women and 26% men experience at least one incident of inter-personal violence in their lifetimes; however, when there were more than four incidents, 89% of victims were women
3. 54% of UK rapes are committed by a woman’s current or former partner
4. Two women a week are killed by a male partner or former partner
5. At least 750,000 children a year witness domestic violence
6. Women are at greatest risk of homicide at the point of separation or after leaving a violent partner
7. 44% of abused women are victimised more than once, and 18% are victimised three or more times
8. Domestic violence and other abuse is the most prevalent cause of depression and other mental health difficulties in women
9. Domestic violence has been identified as a prime cause of miscarriage or still-birth
10. 20% of young men and 10% of young women think that abuse or violence against women is acceptable

If you’re among the 80% of young men or 90% of young women who don’t think domestic violence is ok, these statistics are pretty shocking. And if services are cut, fewer women will be able to leave homes where they and their children are in danger.

Many women stay in abusive relationships for years and only leave if they are in fear for their or their kids’ lives, so we should be doing all we can to encourage and support the victims of this horrible crime.

If you or someone you know has suffered at the hands of their partner, encourage them to contact Refuge or Women’s Aid, both of which can be reached 24/7 on 0808 2000 247. Alternatively, they or you can call the police on 999.

Ways you can help

You can donate money to Refuge online or on 020 7395 7713. The charity claims £10 can be used to secure a protection order against the perpetrator; £20 can provide women with an ‘emergency kit’ of basic toiletries and food; and £50 could pay for a psychologist to support two children who have come from an abusive home. If you don’t have the cash yourself, why not do some fundraising?

Alternatively, by buying goods via www.buy.at/refuge you can raise up to 12% commission on your purchases at online stores such as Amazon, Tesco, play.com, John Lewis and M&S. And using www.everyclick.com/refuge to search the internet will allow you to raise funds without you even knowing it! You can even make it your homepage.

Or you can sign up for payroll giving, where the donation comes out before tax is deducted from your earnings. This means that if you give £10 from your pay packet, it will only cost you £8.

Finally, if you have an hour or more a month to spare, you can volunteer. Visit the Working for Refuge page for paid job opportunities or email volunteering@refuge.org.uk.

Read more about issues affecting women in the next edition of Liberti magazine.