Has the feminist movement helped or hurt families?

Both, but right now, I think that radical feminism is hurting families. I came from a family where both parents worked and both parents contributed equally to my and my sisters' upbringing. I'm glad it was that way.

I think that it's wrong to deny children fatherly attention by putting the entire financial burden on him. It also is wrong to deny a woman the piece of mind of financial independence.

If she's abused in some way, or if the relationship doesn't work out, that can be unduly hard on her (or on him when she sues him.) and may prevent her from leaving a bad relationship.

I also think that two individuals can have a much healthier relationship if there is no power differential like who earns/controls the money (in some countries, ironically, the woman traditionally controls the money. It should be mutual.)

In those regards, feminism has been helpful to society and families. Unfortunately, in some ways, radical feminists have gotten out of hand and actually harmed families and relationships. The heavy gender bias in divorce courts and child custody cases is a real incentive for men to avoid marriage. Who can blame them?

What's worse, our domestic violence laws are such that a woman can accuse her significant other of something and have her word taken for granted. In addition, a man acting in self-defense against his woman is basically a crime, where women often face no consequences for domestic abuse.

The laws also make absolutely no distinction between battering and minor things like grabbing the wrist or yelling, leading to gross overkill in petty incidence, putting much financial and emotional anguish on couples and relationships.

I mentioned incentives not to get married, piece of mind from equality (such as being legally equal) and unjust power differentials. These are why radical feminists are poison to our society, and are sh*t smeared on the good names of past poineers of women's rights who called themselves feminists.

Feminism might be good for some women, meaning they might be more fulfilled and more real people being who and what they want to be instead of living in a social mold.

But, I can't say that I think it's helped families.

I think the fact that most of our kids are in day care these days, and the fact that in most families both mom and dad have to work is greatly because of feminism. Women entering the work force in great numbers meant more competition for the same jobs therefor reducing earning potential across the board, and eliminated the environment of work being a "mens club". I think older executive men used to mentor younger male workers, seeing younger versions of themselves when they started out. They saw a young male worker working hard to support his family and wanted to help him achieve. But now the executives and owners are all about money and whoever they can get cheapest, male or female. Of course other factors are effecting this as well, for example our society has less and less morality and religion as a whole, larger greedy corporations dominate our economy vs smaller businesses etc.

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Hurt. The men behind the feminist movement were tired to pay one check to support one whole family. So they invented feminism and divorce. As a result twice as many people fort he same money are beeing made avaiabel for the work force.

My opinion is: I think changing Miss or Mrs. to Ms hurt women, and the hyphenated surnames, along with insisting on non-gender words (changing words from male words to generic words, or to both male and female words), to having non-gender clothes and haircuts and it found it's way into church (God as a she) and into the law and politics (fighting between parties), and basically changed the English language, to the point of lesbian/gay acceptance and equal pay for equal work, and putting a price to motherhood and housework, and burning bras, loss of morals and social etiquette, and the changing of duties for men and women in the home as well as switching places (man stays home while the woman works), etc.

Although there were a few good things that came out of the feminist movement (which people say that movement began with women's right to vote.....but actually began with the burning of the bras in the 1960's and when the DA haircuts came out where women actually acted like men) in some circles people say the feminist movement is dead.

To me I feel that it hurt women and hurt families. You're always going to find people both for and against the movement itself, and both for and against some of the things the movement stood for.

Hurt families since the start of feminism more than half unborn babies never had a chance to take the first breath that was due them, men have never had a chance to see the children they fathered, the victim card is played more than ever, More often than not children have become latch key kids because both mom and dad work, there is mostly domeestic abuse laws that are geared to protect woman only, so much so that all she has to do is hit a man, he hits her back and he lands in jail for abuse. Because of feminism men have had to foot abortion bills they had no choice in. There is lots more so I will stop here.

It has indeed helped. Long-term financial dependence only works out about 25% to 33% of the time. Now that women are earning their own money, they won't have to worry about that as much. Also, studies show that the more egalitarian families are the happier ones. Furthermore, as they grow, kids respect their mothers more when they work.

I know all the women will be mad at me but I really believe it has hurt families. And it has nothing to do with working, women have always worked and usually much more than men. It is that women are taught not to let their Husband be in charge of, pretty much ,anything. (OF course I admit that most men are not fit to be in charge anymore.)

Definitely helped.

Stronger women, empowered to protect themselves and escape oppressive relationships is a GREAT thing.

Now that we have the "me first" attitudes more balanced out, what we need now is more empathy and sensitivity and patience on both sides of the marriages.

Hurt.

Right now it's not really helping. But once men start to realize how great it is to contribute in raising their children, then it will start helping.