The modern Feminist, what does it mean

What do you think of when you hear the word feminist? Emily Davidson throwing herself under the King's horse? Germaine Greer and her 1970 book 'The Female Eunuch'? Serious-minded 1970s women fighting for equality in education and the workplace? What about you? Is matching your male friends drink for drink a strike for feminism?

When you demand a pay rise of enjoy a guilt-free one-night stand or don't bother to get your legs waxed before you go swimming, are you fighting for the sisterhood?

Now a Days, modern women might be seen to be enjoying greater equality than at any previous point in history. But with the pay gap between the genders still wide, a continuing scarcity of women in positions of real power and an ever-increasing pressure to conform to impossible ideals of beauty, is the role of the feminist really redundant?

Is feminism a historical irrelevance, a dirty word? Or is it still fundamental to our lives?

'Feminism is a slightly frightening term to modern women. For me, it's about taking control of work, money, sex, relationships, when you're going to have a baby. So by that definition, yes, I am a feminist - although I don't know what Germaine Greer would think of me! In a lot of people's eyes the term "feminist" became synonymous with man-hating, which, of course, i never was and never should be.

'I imagine a lot of "proper" feminists would look at the glamor industry and hate it. 'Women today simply want equality. We're certainly not second-class citizens any more but there's still work to be done. Men still want to be in control but it's hard for them now because what woman want is someone who will wear the trousers, but let us wear them, too. We expect total equality but still like a guy to open the door for us.'