Feminism – What does it mean to you?

by Kate Beddow | Jun 18, 2018 | Uncategorised

Feminism. It is a word which means different things to different people.

According to definition Feminism is:

noun
the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men.
(sometimes initial capital letter)an organized movement for the attainment of such rights for women.
Older Use. feminine character.

(Dictionary.com)

The word only came into use at the start of the 19th Century with suffrage and then the rise of the women liberation movement, lead by Simone de Beauvoire, but only became used frequently in the 1970’s with the rise of modern feminists like Germaine Greer.

Women were treated as second class citizens for centuries but at during the late 19th and early 20th Century they began to fight back.

The suffragettes risked everything for the right to vote and to be seen as more equal in the eyes of the law. Their children were taken away from them, they lost all their material security. They were tortured, beaten and ostracised for their actions and beliefs. But they never gave up.

Last week there was a wonderful programme on the BBC, “Suffragettes with Lucy Worsley”. It was part dramatic re-enactment and part documentary. It was beautifully made. I have read and watched quite a lot about the Suffragettes over the years but every time I discover something new or I’m reminded of something I had forgotten.

Every time I think about it, I wonder whether I would have been brave enough to risk losing my children and my home for the right to vote. I wonder whether I would have been brave enough to face the beatings, the arrests, the tube feeding… for the right to put a cross on a piece of paper.

It is so much more than that though, it is the start of equality. The small snowball that escalated and eventually gave us the right to financial independence, the right to have a say in our own future, the right to equal education, equal job opportunities…

Don’t worry, I’m not deluded enough to think that we have fully achieved equality, and of course there are parts of the world where women are far from equal, but suffrage started the change.

What is modern feminism?

During my lifetime feminism has managed to get itself a bad name in some circles. It has been used to describe men hating aggressive women who don’t want equality buy supremacy. It may not be what the word actually means but many people still have that image when the word is used. Because of that many women struggle to identify themselves as feminists.

I believe that women are equal to men. Not better, not worse, but equal. I don’t however, believe that they are the same. I firmly believe that women have strengths and abilities and so do men. As a generalisation they are not the same skills and abilities but they are equally important and equally valuable to society.

When women are given the same opportunities as men they achieve incredible things. When women work together they are a real force to be reckoned with, even with all the restrictions the Suffragettes had to overcome.

When we support and encourage each other, men and women, so much can be achieved. When we fight against each other, everyone loses out.

This quote from Kate Nash sums up how I feel about feminism. I don’t often refer to myself as a feminist, but when used in its true meaning I would definitely identify with the definition. I love that over the last decade it has become a word which is also being used by men to identify themselves as supporters of equality of the sexes. Equality shouldn’t just be something women are supporting and working towards.

Should we still be fighting for equality in the 21st Century? Shouldn’t it just be a given? Why is it even a subject that needs discussion?

What are your views on modern feminism? I would love to know.

“Feminism is not a dirty word. It does not mean you hate men, it does not mean you hate girls that have nice legs and a tan, and it does not mean you are a ‘bitch’ or ‘dyke’; it means you believe in equality.”

Kate Nash

Singer

Do you think we need a new word, one without the negative connotations that “feminism” has now?

Feminism isn’t about not wearing make up, it isn’t about cutting your hair and drinking pints. It isn’t about training to be an engineer or not breast feeding your baby. It is about having the choice to do all those things without judgement. It is about supporting women with whatever their choices are. Whether they want to return to work after having a baby or stay at home and care for them until they leave home.

It is about the freedom to choose. True equality.

MCM Comic Con London – a magical day!

by Kate Beddow | Oct 29, 2017 | Uncategorised

Never in a million years did I ever think I would be asked to speak on a panel at MCM Comic Con London. But yesterday I did just that along with some of the other members of the Become the Force team; Jo Angel, Daniel M Jones and Dan Jones.

I am not even going to pretend that I wasn’t a little nervous as I approached the imposing ExCel building and saw the swarms of people. Wow am I glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and agreed to do this event though!

As I walked along the dock surrounded by Power Rangers, Disney princesses, Dr Who Characters, every costume you can imagine I realised that unlike anywhere else I had ever been, everyone fit in. Everyone felt comfortable. Whatever your passion, whatever your gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age or religion you can turn up at Comic Con and experience a warmth and energy like I have never experienced anywhere else.

All day we talked to complete strangers and were met with friendly, happy responses. People felt completely comfortable paying each other complements and asking for photos with other visitors knowing they would be met with smiles and joy. A total stranger ask me for a photo. I was a little shocked but of course agreed (my costume was tame compared to most!), but I asked her curiously why she wanted a photo of me and her reply was simply; “I like your face”. Where in the world would that happen other than Comic Con.

Meeting the rest of the team

Trying to find anyone was almost impossible. I managed to get enough phone signal to meet up with Ian and the children after we had to enter through different ends of the building, but it’s a good job the panel had already arranged to meet outside the Platinum Suite before we arrived otherwise we would have been lost in sea of cosplay.

I had already met a few of the Become the Force team and it was great to get together with them again. Some of the trainers I had not yet, until yesterday, had the opportunity to meet; Dan Jones (an amazing hypnotist and author), Sonia Ducie (the UK’s leading Numerologist) and Daniel M Jones, Founder of the Church of Jediism and author of the book Become the Force: 9 Lessons on How to Live as a Jediist Master.

There has been an instant bond between all the team members every time we have got together. The lovely Dan Jones, (who I have talked to online but met in person for the first time yesterday), arrived and presented me with a pile of his books! He thought might be useful in my work with children and schools. Such a thoughtful and generous gift, it took my breath away. They are wonderful books too I can’t wait to use them.

I can’t explain it, but every person I have met in association with this amazing movement, I have felt instantly at ease with and a genuine warmth and love for. It makes working together such a joy.

I managed to find Jo first so we decided to go down to the autograph area and talk to Warwick Davis to see whether he would be free to come and join the panel. Warwick is a well known supporter of the Church of Jediism and we thought it was worth a try. Unfortunately, he was unable to come along as he was scheduled to be signing autographs, but it was such a pleasure to talk to him and meet him in the flesh. (My children are very jealous now as they love him and only glimpsed him from a distance.)

It is never easy introducing a new concept or idea to the world, but one thing which became clear very quickly was how passionate the panel all are about this project. We all have different backgrounds and expertise, but, we are all involved because we want to help people and to make the world a better, more accessible and accepting place.

The panel went brilliantly (even if I do say so myself!). We all took a deep breath and just talked from the heart about why we got involved and what the movement means to us. Whether you buy into the philosophy we are promoting or not, there is no question that the people involved in this movement are dedicated, passionate individuals who care deeply.

I’m delighted to say that we have already been asked back next year, which is amazing.

What next?

Well, today I am exhausted. We went down to London as a family on Friday to go to the History of Magic, Harry Potter Exhibition at the British Library so I have had two days of walking round London and being on my feet a lot. So, today I am resting, writing and doing many interesting things that I can access from my seated position.

As for the Become the Force team, we will all be getting together again very soon, at the YouTube headquarters in London, for the book launch on the 23rd November, so that will be very exciting. The website is also launching that day, and the course I have created will then be available, along with everyone else’s amazing teachings.

After that? Who knows.

It is a very exciting movement which does not seek to indoctrinate or convert (you can be a Christian Jediist or a Buddhist Jediist) so it is completely inclusive. What it seeks to do is empower, educate, enlighten and explain.

If you would like to read more about Kate’s involvement with Become the Force you can read her blog Why I decided to Become the Force or visit Become the Force.

If you would like to pre-order the book you can do so here: Become the Force: 9 Lessons on How to Live as a Jediist Master.

Kate the “Princess Fiona” years – a tale of Acromegaly

by Kate Beddow | Sep 2, 2017 | Uncategorised

There are some experiences we have which change us forever.

I was fatigued, in constant pain and couldn’t understand why I wasn’t having a period even though I had come off my pill 5 months earlier. That was almost 10 years ago and it feels like it happened to another person now.

My doctor told me he would refer me to the hospital and they would “switch me back”, not quite what a girl wants to hear when she is desperate for another baby.

My daughter was almost three when I finally heard the words “Mrs Beddow you have a pituitary tumour”. I didn’t even know where my pituitary gland was and I didn’t hear a word of the rest of the speech the consultant gave me, I just walked home in a daze.

I had acromegaly.

It is an incredibly rare disease which affects around six in every million people. A tumour on your pituitary gland causes you to produce too much growth hormone. That would explain the 6 ring sizes, 4 shoe sizes and 3 dress sizes I had gone up since my daughter was born then. They recommended I went back through photos to see if my face had changed. Of course it had, but I had had a baby, turned thirty, I just assumed I had let myself go and put some weight on.

Looking back, the changes were a bit more dramatic than that. The photos here are me aged: 19, 31, 34 years. This is where the phrase “Kate the Princess Fiona Years” was born. As my husband decided it was like the scene in Shrek where Fiona changes when the sun goes down. Fortunately for me, the sun did come back up. It doesn’t for everyone.

In November 2007 I had a transsphenoidal hypophysectomy (surgery up my nose to remove the tumour, but I memorised the long word so I could sound clever!). Within hours my body started to return to normal. Having been told by several medical professionals that the growth I had experienced was bone growth and was irreversible I wasn’t expecting quite such a dramatic result. I was also told that I wouldn’t be able to have any more children. Less than six months after my surgery I fell pregnant with my son (now 8 years old) and I even managed to breast feed him successfully until he was 13months old.

“Everything was an effort but the worst thing was catching myself in the mirror and not recognising myself”

I count my lucky stars every day

The difficulty with this condition is that it is incredibly rare. In addition to that, it is most common in men over the age of 50, so as a 30 year old woman I wasn’t even on the radar. The symptoms are unexplained growth (particularly in the hands, feet, jaw, cheek bones and brow), headaches, painful joints and crippling tiredness. It felt like a very painful return to teenage years, I wanted to eat junk food and sleep all day.

I don’t know what the long term effects will be for me. It is often characterised by weak bones, weak joints and a weak heart (as your organs grow too), however, I hope I caught it early enough not to be too badly affected. This is a life threatening illness though and the more people that know the symptoms the better. Many people continue to live with this condition. It is manageable with injections and surgery can reduce the symptoms dramatically but the pain is very very real.

I am under no illusion. I am incredibly lucky to be living the life I am. I have very few symptoms. My features are back to normal. My feet are not back to their previous size, but are at least back into women’s shoes. My joints are weaker than they were and my energy levels are still not as they should be for a woman my age. But, I get up every morning with a smile and a spring in my step, grateful for the life I have.

Life could have been so different from me. If I can help one other person spot this disease early enough to have a similarly successful result, I will really feel I have achieved something.