Kate Woomer-Deters: Benefits to feminism

Sarah Nagem stated in her July 17 column “I thee wed, but with my own name” that she “can’t say (her) decision to keep (her) name (after marriage) is deeply rooted in feminism.” She stated, rather, that it is just her personal choice, and she wished to retain her own “sense of self.”

She is perhaps unaware that the whole purpose of the feminist movement was and is to allow her to make that very choice and to retain that sense of her independent self separate and apart from a husband, father or other male figure.

There was a time when a woman wouldn’t be able to decide to keep her own name, have her own credit card, buy property in her own name or make many other decisions or choices separate and apart from her husband or father.

“Feminism” doesn’t care whether a woman keeps her own last name, takes her husband’s or hyphenates.

The feminist movement and the advances it brought, however, are precisely what allow Nagem to make her own decision on that matter in the first place.

This story was originally published July 21, 2015 at 6:01 PM with the headline "Kate Woomer-Deters: Benefits to feminism."