WE’VE ONLY ACCOMPLISHED HALF THE REVOLUTION How far have we come towards gender equality? Not far enough, says Erica Jong
Iconic feminist Erica Jong questions how far the fight for gender equality has really come
When my first novel Fear Of Flying was published in 1973, it was called ‘provocative’ because it dealt openly with female sexuality. Since then, I’ve published over 30 books, including How To Save Your Own Life, Fear Of Fifty and Fear Of Dying, which have all tried to give women’s wants and needs more of a voice. I thought it was fiercely important to liberate women to be whatever they wanted to be, and reflect this in my writing. Unfortunately, while things have come a long way, I think we’ve only accomplished half the revolution. It’s why I can’t resist the temptation to laugh every time International Women’s Day rolls around. Why just one day? Isn’t every day a woman’s day? My mother was equally satirical about it because she knew how far we were from gender equality. She was a talented painter and mother to three girls, but was overlooked in her career so that she could raise us. I saw her frustration and it impelled me to become a feminist. I always understood how hard women had to fight to do what they wanted in the world – it was not an easy choice. We always talked about feminism at home and our dreams weren’t restricted. My grandmother was a feminist too and would only ever see female doctors, because she thought they were better. My father insisted that all three of his daughters get at least a Bachelor’s degree. It was non-negotiable. He believed that education was essential and that we should all have it. So unlike other women at the time, I was not expected to be a breeder but instead a writer. My older sister got married young and had six children, and my younger sister became a clinical social worker and had two, so by the time my daughter, Molly, was born, all grandparent expectations had been met. I never felt any pressure to get pregnant except my own, which is why I decided to try aged 34. We have all had fulfilling professional lives as well as personal ones and are proof it doesn’t have to be either/or. Most women have enough to do both. It’s society’s obstacles that make it harder. But I think we have the energy and the desire to overcome those obstacles. I am full of admiration for the way women multitask. Why should we have to choose between nurturing our children and excellence in our work? It’s complicated but not impossible. The thing I find most frustrating is when we have to keep going back over the same territory and winning the same rights over and over again. The battle for birth control. The battle for abortion. The parity of women’s health. My daughter, Molly, has also become a passionate feminist. She’s had three children, and her daughter Bette has already appointed herself the next writer in the family. I sent her a sweater recently with ‘Bette’ on one sleeve and ‘Writer’ on the other and she was delighted. I truly hope my granddaughter has fewer obstacles to face than I’ve had, and lives to see true equality. While we are far from extinguishing prejudice against women, I think the next generation understands this and will carry on fighting. Life and circumstance doesn’t make it easy for women to achieve everything they want, but we are slowly moving towards to the point where we are able to choose what we want to do instead of being thrust into societal expectations. That’s why we should celebrate women for their persistence, their talent and their love every single day – not just on 8th March.
‘The next generation will keep fighting’