If we are sincerely concerned with ending the subordination of all women, feminists cannot afford unquestioned assumptions, orthodoxies or dogmatic commitments to positions alleged to be ‘politically correct’” Alison Jaggar (1994, cited in Greer,1999)
All men are feminists now. It’s the only way to pull chicks. Rik Mayall (cited in Greer,1999)
From the quotes above, one obviously flippant, but perhaps with a grain of truth, it is evident that there are many perspectives on feminism to explore!
What attracts me the feminist lens is that it recognises that the subject of women and leadership is not black and white; it rejects the linear or popular viewpoint, it offers an array of viewpoints and answers, not all in agreement with each other, but what most appeals to the pragmatist in me is that it does urge for action.
So feminism means to me inclusion, but not in a gender blind way, in a gender conscious one. One in which it is recognised that you are a woman, but that your ethnicity, social class, sexual orientation, age etc are just some of the factors that make you a unique individual and therefore we cannot make assumptions on who you are, how you feel or what you are capable of?
In essence, inclusively appreciating difference!
What do you think, is this some Utopian dream?
Is this happening already?
What can we do to enable it?
How do we break the current frames that exist and hold some people back?
I have some ideas, like finding new ways of being honest with each other, communicating and understanding our long held assumptions and reframing those for the current time, but I look forward to receiving yours, so that we can engage in a virtual dialogue with the aim of leading change for women in leadership
Ever hopeful
Jenny Garrett
http://www.reflexion-uk.co.uk/
Monday 24 December 2007
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