Monday I will have the honor to be speaking on one panel and moderating another at the first Feminism 2.0 conference in Washington, D.C. along with so many other amazing women.
Veronica from Viva la Feminista has asked me to hang out with her and some other great speakers one the panel on Feminists and the Media (even though my name hasn’t made it’s way onto the website yet!). And then I get to moderate a panel called Breaking the “Waves”: Moms Coming Together for Equality. Panelists are:
- Amie Adams, Blogger, MammaLoves; Editor, kirtsy
- Veronica I. Arreola, Board Member, Women In Media & News, Blogger, Viva la Feminista
- Katie Bethell, Blogger, MomsRising
- Karen Minatelli, Director, Work & Family Programs, National Partnership for Women
And the panel description is: “The start of our movement was defined by people’s experiences as women – yet there was not a lot of focus on motherhood then. Today, politics for many women have become defined by and informed by their motherhood experiences differently. Many more women have found political inspiration in their motherhood, yet there still seems to be a divide between those who want to be part of feminist efforts, i.e. is that a legitimate way to approach politics? How do women who define their politics by their motherhood keep from becoming pigeon-holed as “mommy” activists? And most importantly, how can we come together, forget about the “waves” and have the moms who are storming the internet with feminist activism work with those who blazed the path?”
What do you think of this topic and what would be good points for discussion? Some of my panelists are already weighing in about whether they even agree with the premise, so I know it will be an exciting and vigorous discussion!
February 1st, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Wow, that’s quite a topic and how great that you will be speaking about it.
I’m not sure how I’d answer the question but I do think that even though motherhood can spark political interest, that doesn’t mean that mothers’ interest is limited to “just mommy things.” It means only that becoming a mother can often have the effect of suddenly realizing that the world is an awful place in many respects and now having a very very poignant and passionate drive to change that.
February 1st, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Perhaps we need to remember that nothing defines as completely as simply being women in the first place. Everything is merely one aspect of a much larger picture.
Men don’t allow themselves to be divided and conquered. It’s not a battle for them that pits single against married or parent against childless. They find common ground in being men.
Is it the clique thing we grow up with? The competition for males and the few positions of power alloted to us? Is it the whole exterior looks thing that society uses to control us and we can’t seem to break free of?
We just seem unable to band together as a whole. And I don’t know why that is.
As I have written before, I am more than a womb and whether it issues fruit or not, whether I see issues in terms of my child or the world in general – shouldn’t matter or be the focus.
February 2nd, 2009 at 10:50 am
While I think that for some women motherhood is key, I’m not sure why we need to let it divide us. It’s really a choice. Rarely is there a debate about the “right” way to be a “good” father.
Another issue is that, as a society, we continue to look at motherhood from a male standpoint, and that is part of our problem. Indeed, many of the issues afflicting womanhood and feminism today stem from the fact that we still allow a male POV to define us and shape the debate over feminism.
February 2nd, 2009 at 4:08 pm
What you’ve raised is another form of an equally debated topic of the moms vs. working women and who is more important. These age-old issues, in my view, are really just smoke. It doesn’t matter if you’re a mom or not, if you’re a woman and care about creating a better place for women in society, then you’re political and you’re in the debate. Period!
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:52 pm
I think this panel discussion at the fem2.0 conference really pointed out the tension between feminism and motherhood. Several of the attendees said it was becoming a mother that awakened them to their feminist sensibilities. It’s true – motherhood can be a radicalizing experience. But there was also the view, at one time, that feminism and motherhood were antithetical. We continue to be tripped up by our assumptions, constrained by the limits of our language, and confused by the constant moving of the goal posts. But at least we have each other to talk to!!
February 2nd, 2009 at 10:45 pm
This sounds like it could have been a fascinating discussion. Would have loved to have been there!!! Feminism or any kind of cause ultimately comes together out of a shared sense of injustice. We have to recognize that the different waves of feminism (the pathblazers vs. daughters of the pathblazers) have experienced feminist injustice in different ways. Same with mothers and non-mothers. And not every woman feels the same on every issue (i.e., reproductive rights). So it may be unrealistic to have “one size fits all” feminism anymore. It may be necessary to have special interest groups within the feminist cause to cater to discreet interests. But yet we still should come together on issues that matter to all of us, like we did on Fair Pay.
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:51 pm
congrats! that sounds awesome- and I love Veronica. Enjoy!