Women vs. feminism : why we all need liberating from the gender wars

There’s never been a better time to be a woman. Thanks to those feminists who fought for liberation, young women today have freedom and opportunities their grandmothers could barely have imagined. Girls do better at school than boys and are more likely to go to university. As a result, women are taking more of the top jobs and the gender pay gap has all but disappeared. Yet rather than encouraging women to seize the new possibilities open to them, contemporary feminism tells them they are still oppressed. Women vs Feminism: Why We All Need Liberating from the Gender Wars challenges this stance, unpicking the statistics from the horror stories to explore the reality of women’s lives. It argues that today’s feminism is obsessed with trivial issues – skinny models, badly phrased jokes and misplaced compliments – and focuses on the regulation of male behaviour, rather than female empowerment, pitching men and women against each other in a never-ending gender war that benefits no-one. Feminism today does women no favours and it’s time we were all liberated from the gender wars. There's Never Been A Better Time To Be A Woman. Thanks To Those Feminists Who Fought For Liberation, Young Women Today Have Freedom And Opportunities Their Grandmothers Could Barely Have Imagined. Girls Do Better At School Than Boys And Are More Likely To Go To University. As A Result, Women Are Taking More Of The Top Jobs And The Gender Pay Gap Has All But Disappeared. Yet Rather Than Encouraging Women To Seize The New Possibilities Open To Them, Contemporary Feminism Tells Them They Are Still Oppressed. Women Vs. Feminism: Why We All Need Liberating From The Gender Wars Challenges This Stance, Unpicking The Statistics From The Horror Stories To Explore The Reality Of Women's Lives. It Argues That Today's Feminism Is Obsessed With Trivial Issues - Skinny Models, Badly-phrased Jokes And Misplaced Compliments - And Focuses On The Regulation Of Male Behaviour, Rather Than Female Empowerment, Pitching Men And Women Against Each Other In A Never-ending Gender War That Benefits No-one. Feminism Today Does Women No Favours And It's Time We Were All Liberated From The Gender Wars. -- From Back Cover. Part One: Women's Lives Today -- 1. Schooling For Success -- Girls Are Outperforming Boys -- A Dramatic Change -- Underachieving Boys -- The Most Intelligent Gender -- What Gets Measured, Counts -- Gendered Expectations -- Overstating Gender -- Is Girls' Success Worth Celebrating? -- Teaching Values -- Girls Under Pressure -- Back To School -- Conclusions -- 2. Women At Work -- More Women Are Working -- Women In The Professions -- Historical Changes -- Generational Differences -- Fewer Men Working -- Narrative Of Sexism -- Elite Concerns -- Quotas For Women -- Different Women, Different Expectations -- Sex Segregation -- A Feminist Etiquette -- Personal Choice -- Conclusions -- 3. The Gender Pay Gap -- Women Are Earning More -- Delaying Motherhood -- National Economic Changes -- Pay Gap Obsession -- A Movable Feast -- The Problem With Averages -- Like For Like Earnings -- Part-time Jobs And Part-time Wages -- Gender Does Not Determine Earnings -- Problematic Solutions Don't Do Women (or Men) Any Favours -- Conclusions -- 4. The Motherhood Penalty -- Paying Mothers Less -- The Illusion Of Choice -- Traditional Roles -- Changing Families -- New Pressures On Mothers -- Relinquishing Autonomy -- Doing Parenting -- Disappearing Women -- Flexible Working -- Choosing Motherhood -- Conclusions -- Part Two: Private Relationships, Public Concerns -- 5. Victors Or Victims? -- Desperately Seeking Disadvantage -- Overlooking Differences -- Inflated Claims -- Personal Stories -- Internalized Misogyny -- The Attraction Of Victimhood -- Women's Mental Health Problems -- Conclusions -- 6. Sex And Relationships -- Whatever Happened To The Sexual Revolution? -- Problematizing Sex -- Battered Wife Syndrome -- Sexual Harassment -- Teaching Victimhood -- Regulating Public Life -- Pornography -- Child Abuse -- Rape Culture -- Rape Myths -- Campus Sex Panics -- An Expanding Problem -- Expanding Definitions -- Conclusions --^ 7. The Trouble With Boys -- Title Ix -- Teaching Consent -- Teaching Mistrust -- Generation Virgin -- Heterophobia -- Toxic Masculinity -- Promoting Feminine Values -- Competing Claims For Victimhood -- Conclusions -- Part Three: Feminism Then And Now -- 8. Not Your Grandmother's Feminism -- Naturally Different -- Women As Slaves -- Votes For Some Women -- Morally Superior Women -- Freedom To Work -- The Public Sphere -- The Second World War -- Second-wave Feminism -- Sexual Equality -- The Limits Of Formal Equality -- Wages For Housework -- Blurring Public And Private -- The Patriarchy -- Conclusions -- 9. The Personal Is Political -- Women In The Academy -- A Male-dominated Curriculum -- Academic Feminism -- Feminism And Post-modernism -- Language Constructs Gender -- Feminism Divided -- Intersectionality -- The Problem With Intersectionality -- Third-wave Feminism -- Backlash Myths -- A Generational Consciousness -- Woman As Object And Subject -- Fourth-wave Feminism -- The End Of Class Politics -- Conclusions -- 10. Being A Woman -- The Female Body -- Discussing Vaginas -- Essential Differences -- The Invention Of Gender -- Feeling Like A Woman -- Performing Gender -- Transwomen -- New Gender Orthodoxies -- Reproductive Rights -- More To Life Than This... -- Conclusions -- 11. Conclusions -- Do We Still Need Feminism? -- Life Is Different Today -- Feminism Hsa Changed Too -- Enforcing A Feminist Etiquette. By Joanna Williams (university Of Kent, Canterbury, Uk). Includes Bibliographical References (pages 263-305) And Index. Statistics tell us there has never been a better time to be a woman but feminists are quick to point out that women are still victims of everyday sexism. This title explores what life is like for women today. It’s time to ditch a feminism that appears remote from the concerns of most women and, worse, pitches men and women against each other.