IT’S ALL ABOUT YOUNG AND OLD

IT’S ALL ABOUT YOUNG AND OLD

Privileged to attend AFF, AWID, and AWLI that happned back to back in the last quarter of last year, and being the die hard apostle of inclusion that I am, I could not help but note a somewhat disturbing trend in our programmes, discourses and presentations in these esteemed gatherings which to me shape and chart the directions taken by women’s movement both regionally and globally.

It is commendable that after feminists have shouted themselves hoarse on the matter, the movement is now accommodating young women. (We shall leave the debate on the cut off age for qualification as ‘young’ or ‘old’ for another day and another blog.) Anyway, the crux of the matter I am tabling (interneting ?) before you is that including young women seem to have happened at the opportunity cost of excluding the ‘not so young women. Yes, there are some of us who see ourselves as in between young and old by whatever yardstick of measurement young and old age are defined. For convenience and for the purpose of this protest I shall borrow the tail end of youngish and oldish and refer to us as the ‘Ish, Ish’, or the NTBC (Not There, But Close).

Anyway, the Ish Ish group are now complaining that Feminism has taken a new turn to include only the young and the old. Is this true? If yes, what are the implications, if no, why not. I look forward to your responses.

Roselynn