'Instead of leaning in, I leaned out': why women still need feminism

Tess Vigeland grew up thinking that women didn’t need feminism. When she rose in her career, she learned differently

A feminist demonstration, led by Germaine Greer, in 1972. Photograph: The Sydney Morning Herald/Fairfax Media via Getty Images

I admit that I was one of those women who in college and early in my career tended to roll their eyes at the idea of bra-burning and other aspects of second-wave feminism. I thought it was all kind of silly. I mean come on: if you don’t get called on in class, just stand up until the professor can’t ignore you! If guys are treating you unequally at the office (or in my case, the newsroom) just call them out and make the case for yourself! It’s not rocket science! You don’t need to go making a big thing about it.

But looking back, I realize how naïve that sentiment was. Maybe that’s because I’ve now experienced the latter and found out that fixing it is not as easy as putting your foot down and speaking up. (Even when you speak up, people can refuse to listen.)

Maybe it’s because I’ve bumped my head against a glass ceiling with no real recourse available to me. Maybe it’s because of that time in a news meeting where a man of equal experience said to me when I offered to help him on a story: “You sure you’re up for it?”

Yes, I was up for it. What I wasn’t up for was the implication that women are too often seen as the “B” team that’s only deployed when the male stars have too much on their plates.

http://www.theguardian.com/money/us-money-blog/2014/aug/10/leaning-in-why-women-still-need-feminism

This story was something like looking in a mirror for me. I was sooooo naive. With the help of my daughters and you guys I've come a long way in overcoming that simpleminded thinking.
Thanks! (((Hugs)))