Is feminism still relevant? Has feminism already achieved its goal of equality between the sexes and become obsolete? Or is there still work to be done?

• Author: Gandy, Kim
• Position: Opinion - Brief Article

YES Some people say feminism is outdated and unnecessary. They say women needed it a hundred years ago when they couldn't vote or own property. Or 30 years ago, before women were Supreme Court Justices and space-shuttle pilots. But nowadays, girls can be anything, and feminism sounds like a relic to some people. Sure the women's rights movement opened doors, their thinking goes, but is feminism still relevant?

The answer is yes--for a number of reasons. When I talk with young women, like the high school and college students who intern here at the National Organization for Women, I see women who are not afraid to go after their dreams, and their dreams are indeed big. I am proud that they and my daughters are growing up in a world where their opportunities appear limitless. But I also hear a lot of concerns about how the world isn't as fair as we'd like. In schools and on college campuses, some girls are being harassed, even assaulted, by boys. Many girls remain reluctant to raise their hands in class, and they still feel unsafe walking home by themselves late at night.

Pop culture and advertisers bombard girls with harmful messages about how they should look--telling them they have to be thin, pretty, and sexy, no matter what career they aspire to. Many young women see reproductive freedom as their birthright, yet that fight remains under constant attack. Women are still paid less than men for the same jobs, and few women are running major corporations. And the United States still hasn't elected a woman President or Vice President. You can have all the opportunity in the world, but it doesn't count if you don't feel safe, your body is not your own, and you're not respected and appreciated for who you are. The bottom line is that opportunity for women must translate into real social progress.

So feminists are still fighting to give women and girls the freedom to take full advantage of their abilities. Women need real opportunities to live up to their dreams, and they need equal fights protected in the U.S. Constitution. I trust that one day we will say, "We've done it all; we don't need a women's rights movement." But we're not there yet.

--KIM GANDY President National Organization for Women NO If you ask young women today if they call themselves feminists, the vast majority will say no, even though they believe wholeheartedly in equality. Are they...