The short answer: without feminism, my family would not be the way that it is. I grew up in a middle class suburb of a midwest city. I had a good childhood. I went to the best schools, did everything that a normal kid does, like dance classes, art classes, a little bit of theatre, and I hung out with friends, too. What sets me apart from other suburbanites is the household in which I was raised.
Growing up, I never thought anything of it, but my mom has always been the primary breadwinner. My dad worked before I was born until I was three, and he works again now. From the time I was three until I was sixteen, my dad was a stay-at-home dad. He took me and my sister to and from school and other activities. He did the laundry, made dinner, cleaned the house, and made sure everything that needed to get done did.
Meanwhile, my mom was working as a city attorney, and she has been able to give my family the best available. She has had to attend meetings in the evenings, but it is nothing compared to what she would face working in a private practice. Even with a full time job though, my mom has always been able to be there for my sister and me. She attended my sister's soccer and softball games; she has been to all of my school plays. She has supported both my sister and me in our musical endeavors, from helping us acquire instruments, to sitting in the audience of our school concerts. Both of my parents made the 90-minute drive to my university to watch (almost) all of the home marching shows (I think the football team is involved in that, too…). She has been a great mom; she was even a Girl Scout troop leader for both my sister and me at one time or another.
This family dynamic could not have existed when my mom was growing up. It just wasn't normal for a woman to work while the man stayed home. The man would feel emasculated, like they were somehow less manly, because they weren't bringing home the bacon. As far as I know, my dad has never felt like any less of a man because he makes less than his wife. In fact, this dynamic makes both of my parents, as well as the whole family, extremely happy. My dad has had the chance to get to know both of his daughters, because he has not become a workaholic. He has been able to be there for his entire family when they need him. And, thanks to her job working as a city attorney, so has my mom.
I am extremely thankful for my family and the family dynamic, because I have had the chance to become super close to both of my parents. It made moving to college that much more difficult. My family is a prime example of the true goals of the feminist movement. It is not about women overpowering men. It is not women thinking we are better or smarter than men. It is about creating a world where men and women are treated as equals.
