Will American Women Finally Confront Their Equality Myth?

RedTracker| GREAT!!! Following up on last week’s Newsweek story on feminism then and now (what now?) the young women of Newsweek have a new blog called Equality Myth.

This post takes us to WNYC’s Brian Lehrer’s show ‘Not Your Mother’s Sexism’, with Jessica Bennett, senior Newsweek writer, and Lynn Povich, Newsweek’s first female senior editor reflecting on the suit and what has and hasn’t changed for women.

Post last weekend’s abortion showdown with Catholic bishops, NOW has announced that it will aggressively launch an initiative to repeal the Hyde Amendment. As the Washington Post writes A new push against Hyde amendment faces some high hurdles.

In our view, American women must decide what rights we wish to retain and the ones we want to give up. Officially and for the record, American women are sliding backwards globally in terms of our rights. From a global perspective, we embrace patriarchial values more enthusiastically than most women in the developed world.

A fight to repeal the Hyde Amendement will be extraordinarily difficult, given America’s current political mindset and women’s own ambivalence about standing up for themselves. If nothing else, many American women are ‘shook up’ over the Catholic bishops demanding more control over our bodies. This was no behind the scenes drama.

Catholic bishops are demanding more control over the bodies of ALL American women, regardless of religion, age or political persuasion.

If the younger women begin to muster enthusiasm for their rights, we just might ignite an ambitious new women’s agenda in America. I’m not holding by breath, but there is reason for cautious optimism. Anne