Two events in the past few weeks have captured my attention –
the announcement that Sweet Briar College, a well-regarded southern liberal arts college for women, is closing its doors after the class
of 2015 graduates as well as the Broadway closing of “The Heidi Chronicles,” a
1988 Pulitzer Prize-winning dramedy starring “Mad Men’s” Elizabeth Moss, about
the trials and tribulations of feminism in the 70s and 80s.
For me these twin closings underscore that these are the
best of times for women in America – and the worst of times. Although too few women crack the glass
ceiling of their professions, more and more are doing do every day. Good news,
yes? And while it’s true we only make 75% of what our male peers make (ahem),
it’s also true that more women today earn as much or more than their spouses
and are fundamentally important contributors to their families’ wealth. Bravo, ladies!!
And yet, and yet…
We have a powerful conservative constituency in this country
that seems to want to slowly undo gains for women that have been hard won over
a period of decades. But women sometimes
don’t help their cause either: In our
workplaces, our social networks, or at the ballot box, we don’t always stand up
for our bodies or ourselves, or for what we contribute and the value of that contribution. Sadly, it seems like some of us secretly don’t think they’re
worth it and the risk of “complaining” is too great. Not good news, as TV personality and Know Your Worth author Mika
Brzezinski might say.
Finally, the hyper-sexualization of American society (and I
really do blame the media for this – and no, I’m not a prude) isn’t helping
many of our sons or daughters navigate puberty with self-awareness and
confidence. The Rolling Stone/UVA controversy shows how hard it is to handle the
difficult task of growing up without caving in to social pressures or old sexual
stereotypes. Surely, the epidemic of
rape on college campuses should startle every parent of college age kids – and their
student-children -- into action against this grim state of affairs.
Which leads me to Sweet Briar. There is still an important and relevant place in today’s America for women’s
academic institutions. They build
confidence in one’s capabilities without the distractions of testosterone. They build capacity for female
self-acceptance and understanding without a lot of the “mean girl” culture that
can exist at larger schools with sororities, etc. Women’s colleges are a safe place to become the
woman you dream of being – and some women need that kind of space and safety to grow
in. Sweet Briar faculty members and deep-pocketed
alumni are trying to find ways through the courts to keep the doors open at
their beloved institution. I hope they
succeed, but I'm not optimistic.
All of this has left me wondering about our post-feminist society. Have American women lost a little bit of the “fire in the
belly” for their continued progress? Are those of us who remember the
feminist movement indifferent or complacent in our later middle age because we fought and won the fight, sort of? And are we, in turn, passing along this indifference and complacency to our daughters?
I don't know -- but I feel uncomfortably close to answering "yes" to the above questions. All that said, the
LGTB movement gives me some hope for a future where men and women, regardless
of their biology or self-identification, can stand on equal footing in society and in the workplace with a genuine
mutuality of interest in success for their families, their communities, their
country and each other.
At least I hope so. A post-feminist girl can dream, can’t she?