Many young women today consider "feminism" a dirty word, an antiquated term that hasn't expanded to accommodate the diverse needs of a new generation. In addition, decades of negative campaigns, excessively "messaged" issues, and hanging chads have all combined to make political apathy appear not only smart, but also sexy. The result is that while they still bemoan the state of gender politics, gender equity, and the agendas of their local, state, and national politicians, nearly 19 million young women chose not to vote in the last election. Yes, the face of feminism is changing, but to what end? Is a new generation taking for granted the rights hard-won only a generation before? And by focusing on cultural—not electoral—politics, are women today giving their power away? In this pivotal book, Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, environmental and political consultant, asks these critical questions, tracing feminism's distinguished past and exploring new developments in American political history, asking what can be done to protect and further women's rights and freedoms. The F-Word is truly an astonishing look at the tenuous state of women’s rights and issues in America, and a call to action for the young women who have the power to change their situation.
Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner is Executive Director and Co-Founder of MomsRising.org. Started in May 2006, MomsRising is an on-the-ground and online organization that has over 1 million members, and more than a hundred aligned national organizations, working together to increase family economic security and to help ensure all children can thrive. In addition to being a grassroots force, in 2010, Forbes.com named MomsRising's web site one of the "Top 100 Websites For Women."
The author of the award-winning book The F-Word: Feminism In Jeopardy, Rowe-Finkbeiner also co-authored the book, The Motherhood Manifesto, which won the Ernesta Drinker Ballard Book Prize. Rowe-Finkbeiner's writing also appears in several other books, including the anthologies, The Essential Hip Mama: Writing from the Cutting Edge of Motherhood; The Maternal Is Political: Women Writers at the Intersection of Motherhood and Social Change; Courageous Parents, Confident Kids: Letting Go So You Both Can Grow; and, Current Controversies: The Wage Gap, as well as additional academic anthologies.
A regular contributor to the Huffington Post, Rowe-Finkbeiner writes frequently about public policy, motherhood, economic security, equality, health, and new feminism. A former freelance journalist who won an award for excellence in journalism from the Society of Professional Journalists in 2006, many of her magazine articles are currently being used in women's studies classes across the nation.
Rowe-Finkbeiner has been deeply involved in cutting edge politics and policy analysis for nearly two decades. Prior to her tenure at MomsRising, she worked as a consultant in the field of political strategy and policy analysis, as well as for several non-profit organizations.
She currently serves on the board of the Economic Opportunity Institute, and as a Parenting Magazine Mom Congress Advisory Board Member. She lives in Washington State with her husband and two children.
