According to Merriam-Webster, feminism “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes” and “organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests.”
Some younger women feel that they don’t relate to the term ‘feminism’ – they associate the feminist label with ‘burn the bra hippies’, ‘man-haters’ who talk about the ‘patriarchy’. These are stereotypes and like all stereotypes, they are either incorrect or outdated notions of what it means to be a feminist.
The younger generation talks more about ‘intersectionality’ ‘migration and racism’ rather than ‘patriarchy’ and tends to align more closely with being a 21st-century version of consciousness-raising. We as a people need to look more closely at the reality of race and gender bias. Modern day feminists have mostly dropped the term ‘patriarchy’
despite its omnipresence, the perpetual gender inequity and the 134 years it will take from now to achieve equality. Women are speaking up for everyone dealing with prejudice.
The feminist cause has become a vehicle for social justice and change, and the greater good. Just where it’s roots always have been.
As we are acknowledging the UN’s call for 16 days of activism, let’s not forget how hard it has been to get to this point, to vote, to have access to education and let’s keep the pressure on to advance women in all spheres across the globe.
Some inspirational links
Associate Professor Magdalena Simonis AM is a Past President of the AFMW (2020-2023), former President of VMWS (2013 & 2017-2020) and current AFMW National Coordinator (2024-2026). She is a full time clinician who also holds positions on several not for profit organisations, driven by her passion for bridging gaps across the health sector. She is a leading women’s health expert, keynote speaker, climate change and gender equity advocate and government advisor. Magda is member of The Australian Health Team contributing monthly articles.
Magdalena was awarded a lifetime membership of the RACGP for her contributions which include past chair of Women in General Practice, longstanding contribution to the RACGP Expert Committee Quality Care, the RACGP eHealth Expert Committee. She is regularly invited to comment on primary care research though mainstream and medical media and contributes articles on various health issues through newsGP and other publications.
Magdalena has represented the RACGP at senate enquiries and has worked on several National Health Framework reviews. She is author of the RACGP Guide on Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery and co-reviewer of the RACGP Red Book Women’s Health Chapter, and reviewer of the RACGP White book
Both an RACGP examiner and University examiner, she undertakes general practice research and is a GP Educator with the Safer Families Centre of Research Excellence, which develops education tools to assist the primary care sector identify, respond to and manage family violence . Roles outside of RACGP include the Strategy and Policy Committee for Breast Cancer Network Australia, Board Director of the Melbourne University Teaching Health Clinics and the elected GP representative to the AMA Federal Council. In 2022. she was award the AMA (Vic) Patrick Pritzwald-Steggman Award 2022, which celebrates a doctor who has made an exceptional contribution to the wellbeing of their colleagues and the community and was listed as Women’s Agenda 2022 finalist for Emerging Leader in Health.
Magdalena has presented at the United Nations as part of the Australian Assembly and was appointed the Australian representative to the World Health Organisation, World Assembly on COVID 19, by the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA) in 2021. In 2023, A/Professor Simonis was included on the King’s COVID-19 Champion’s list and was also awarded a Member (AM) in the General Division for significant service to medicine through a range of roles and to women’s health.
