Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

International Women's Day 2015: Germaine Greer brands feminism 'ageist' and demands right to 'grow up'

The 76-year-old academic is also unconvinced by equality as a major goal

Jess Denham
Sunday 08 March 2015 09:59 EDT
Comments
Germaine Greer is not at all convinced by the goals of modern feminism
Germaine Greer is not at all convinced by the goals of modern feminism (Getty Images)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Germaine Greer has argued that modern feminism is “ageist” in a panel discussion to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Regarded as a prominent feminist voice of the mid-20th century, the 76-year-old academic criticised what she sees as a focus on young women at the Sydney Opera House event on Sunday.

“Give me the right to grow up, let me age,” she said, according to the Guardian. “In our society, elder women have no respect.”

Greer went on to accuse Australia’s current Abbott Government of attacking pensioners and stripping people in residential aged care of their civil rights.

“They are incarcerated and they have committed no crime,” she said, adding that women working in the elderly care sector were drastically underpaid and only doing the job “out of mercy”.

Greer emphasised that there was “heaps” more pressure on women to conform to society’s physical and behavioural standards today than when she wrote The Female Eunuch in 1970, and shamed Kim Kardashian as being of “no help” in changing attitudes.

Greer also voiced her concern over gender equality being such a major goal in modern feminism. “Everyone thinks they understand [equality] but no one understands it…it’s an illusory goal,” she said, drawing on the pay gap that remains alive and kicking.

“I’m a liberation feminist, not an equality feminist. Equality is a profoundly conservative aim and it won’t achieve anything.”

No doubt actress Emma Watson, UN Goodwill Ambassador for Women, will have her own view on Greer’s comments when she hosts a live Q&A on her He For She campaign in London later this afternoon.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in