5 Things Feminist Moms Teach Their Daughters About Consent
byM. Esther Sherman
There are, without a doubt, some absolutely bad things about being a woman in today’s America. Yes, we’ve made some progress toward equal rights – often, just enough to make it appear like we have equality when 62 million girls worldwide are still denied education – but there are many in ways in which we walk through the dark ages of gender. In my relatively young life, I’ve heard everything from, “It’s not rape if she likes it,” to, “She can’t say "no" if she’s unconscious,” and about a million other variations in between. We have a culture that continues to condone rape, blame victims, and offer excuses beneath a laugh rather than placing shame on the perpetrators. So, when it comes to teaching my daughter about consent, I have some thoughts on the matter.
Though this particular topic could span a novel’s length rant, there are some basic things that feminist moms teach our daughters. Well, beyond that of your basic bra burning and man-hating rallies that we have every Tuesday (Carol, don’t forget to bring the cupcakes and beer this time). I'm kidding, of course (cupcakes always go better with mimosas; everyone knows that). Whatever your views on feminism and how it relates to parenting, talking to your daughter about consent is important and will one day impact how she views herself and her rights in certain situations. Here are a few of the things we feminist moms teach our daughters about consent: