Feminists work hard
to convey to the world that they are fully equal with men and the initial goal is
to receive respect and equal rights for them. With the first wave of feminism,
many feminists fought for civil rights and the right to vote. The idea of
birthmothers and the loss of their children did not fit with the goal of the feminists
at the time. Feminists were fighting to be equal as their counterpart; hence they
wanted to be seen as strong-headed and independent people. Rickie Solinger (2001)
note “feminists organizations in the early years of second wave feminism were
deeply concerned with articulating resistance to the idea –and to public
policies supporting the idea –that motherhood was the life-defining activity and status for women” (pg. 116). This created
a gap between feminist at that time and birthmothers because they were fighting
two estrange battle.
Birthmothers felt
they should be included as a feminist concern because they were females who
have also been treated unfairly. They were females who were coerced into giving
their babies away without a say. The birthmothers were already successful, having
a great number of members in their movement, Concerned United Birthparents (CUB).in
addition, by joining forces with the feminist wave, CUB would be more
recognized by people, specifically higher authorities. However, there desire to find their child was
the opposite of what feminists were fighting for. Feminists did not want to be coined
with terms such as caregivers, mothers, and homemaker because those have always
been terms women were referred too, and at this point in time it degraded them.
Therefore, many feminist could not relate to the birthmother.
I think that feminists
today are more welcoming to birthmothers’ concerns because we are aware that
being granted our rights does not include choosing either our job or family,
but it is the balance of both. A lot of our rights have been achieved/ granted during
the feminism wave; therefore we are more prepared today to fight for wider
issues. I like to think that earlier before the rights for birthmothers were
not taken seriously (event among feminist) because it stood next to greater
problems, such as achieving equality in the workplace. I am not indicating that
birthmothers were not an important issue, but that the bigger issues related and
affected all women at the time, whereas with the rights of birthmothers it affected
only a specific population: birthmothers. Although birthmothers contributed to
a big population at that time it still was not as highly recognized.
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MAI NHIA.
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ReplyDeleteGRADED REPLY
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point about how feminists did not want to be, “Coined with terms such as caregivers, mothers, and homemaker because those have always been terms women were referred to, and at this point in time it degraded them,” and therefore many feminists could not relate to these birthmothers. Along with just the birthmothers in which feminists could not relate to, I think it was also hard for them to relate to the battered women and children and also the rape victims, who the birthmothers joined up with in order to strengthen their cause. All of these groups were victims of degradation, shame, loss and long term isolation (104). Feminists could not relate to these feelings as the feminists felt a sense of power and achievement as they are fighting for more rights. The birthmothers, battered women and rape victims felt powerless and as if they have no place in this world. I also agree with you that the majority of the concerned people for the rights of birthmothers were birthmothers themselves. The feminists at the time were more concerned with other issues, like you said, women in the workplace, and I think this supports my argument that these birthmothers felt powerless as they did not have much support at first other than those directly affected by this issue.