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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 8, 1992)
OPINION Freedom for women means making choices pWMr^' General License I Stepfume Sisson I try to stay away from worn on's issues. Thero uro loo many fomalo journalists who can't scorn to forgot thoy'ro women long enough to tuke a stand on any thing else However, this year is sup posed to be the "Year of the Woman.” So, just out of curios ity, I asked some of my friends to define the role of women in Uxluy's society. In the 1990s, what does it mean to be a woman? It means that if a man makes unwanted sexual advances to ward you. you can accuse this man of sexual harassment and be believed, even if this man is a U S. senator. It also means a hypersensi tive woman in the 1990s often confuses respect with chauvin ism Women are encouraged to be outraged by "negative" treat ment by males, such as having doors held open for them or ixv ing called "ladies." If you are a woman in the 1990s, you can choose the ca reer you wish to pursue, and you have a good chance of get ting a job based on your ability rather than your gender. it also means you will proba bly he paid less than a male in your position. Although you've come a long way. baby, you still have a longer way to go on the pay scale. In the pursuit of your aimer, as a woman in the 1990s, you have the option of waiting to settle down and begin u family until it's convenient to do so. It also means that you, as a young woman in the 1990s, hear society tolling you to put your career before everything else, including marriage and children. Thirty year* ago. women were encouraged to put their families first and discard goals that did not include their hus bands Today the pendulum has swung the other way As men are beginning to take on domestic responsibilities, you. as a woman, are being pres sured to strive for promotion and put dreams of a family on the back burner As a woman in the 1970s and 1980*. you could run for public office. As a woman In the 1990s, you can win You can do this now because sometimes you are the best candidate for the position It also means that a woman in the 19<M)s can lie elected gov ernor She can do an average job of running the stale, but she will be criticized more than a man because there are still vot ers who believe that women are less intelligent than men fining a woman in 1990s means that you, unlike women 30 years ago. aren't looking for Mr Right, but if you think you've found him. you don't have to wait for him to call you You c an call him it also means you have more sexual freedom. Sex outside of marriage, society says, isn'l as wrong now as it was 30 years ago However, there is still a dou ble standard. Men who engage in sex with many partners part ners are culled studs Women who do She same are called sluts Doing a woman in the 1990s also means if you are a victim n! a violent act such as rape, you can refuse lo feel guilty about the assault, and you can demand justice This does not mean you'll gel justice. Hut it is true women re ceive more encouragement now As men are beginning to take on domestic responsibilities, you, as a woman, are being pressured to strive for promotion and put dreams of a family on the back burner. lo report rape* Tin* shame at lachod to rape Victims has <ie ( reused from what it was 10 years ago Hemg a woman In the 1900s means you have the legal rigtil to make choices about your own body You now have the option of terminating a preg nancy in a hospital by a quali fied doctor Dangerous, illegal abortions are becoming a horror of the past It also means that you. as a woman, now (tear the awesome responsibility of deciding whether to terminate your child's life As a woman in the lU’Hls. you have a voire You, as a woman today, can choose to take a stand against pomogra phv on the grounds that por nographv exploits women You cun fight against advertising that ustrs images of women to sell products You can use your growing strength and influence as a woman to oppose topless bars like hggles and Lollipops. You cun also defend your right to earn a living with your body in a topless liar Society used to look down on women who danced in bars oven if these women wore single and had no one to rtdy on for finun rial support Women were taught to "get a husband" in or tier to be sncurr Now you, as a woman in the 1‘i'MK. are dependent upon yourself for finances You don't believe in the knight on the while horse anv more You are ex per ted to earn vour own liv ing, and it that means dancing in a bar. you are willing to speak out lor the right to do so Being .1 woman in the t'lotis means you have opportunities now that women in the past have not had It also means if you are to ful fill society's definition of to day's woman, you -ire forced to try to make up for the last mil lion years of oppression by in coming tile opposite ol the gen eration of women before you Miirh of feminism today is a lie The feminisi movement has lost its original purpose of pro vidtng women with a choice, whereas women to years ago were told to play a domestical ed role in society, women to day are expected to play an ill dependent, aggressive rule As women striving lor erpuili tv. we've iiai ked ourselves into a corner II we < house not to pursue a career, and if we chouse to put our families lx fore ourselves, we are accused of hindering progress My point is that even though women today have more < hoices. we are still pressured bv society to follow one path As women in the lUUOs. vs e can lx- dix tors, politicians, law yers and construction workers if we want And as women in the l9U0s wtio aren't afraid to think lor ourselves, we can choose to fie wives and mothers first, if tliat is what we really want Stoph.mio .Sisson writes a monthly column lor the laner aid. :blue BIC Y MOUNTAIN BAR ENDS 877 1 13lh Noil to U ot O Bookstore CUSTOM PRINTED T-SHIRTS LOWEST RATES! 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Tuesday, December 8 6:30 p.m. 1670 Alder (Campbell Club Co-op) * Call JSU 6-4366 for info • Singing • Stories • Dancing • Dreidels • Schmoozing Toys for Tots UNIVERSITY OF OREGON r Food for Lane County are in the Lobby of Our Store *, I’i*l |u Jj Ihit the power of Oregon Daily Emerald P^f 0 advertising to work for you. Call 346-3712