Yasmin Alibhai-Brown’s recent piece in The Independent calls for a revival of feminism. I welcomed it. Like her, I came of age in the 1970s, when feminism was a movement, not a brand. We didn’t just talk about equality, we fought for it. We challenged the system, questioned norms, and rejected the idea that our worth depended on looks or male approval.
Back then, feminism wasn’t about “empowerment” through make-up and high heels. We did the opposite. I wore denim dungarees, skipped shaving my legs, and refused a wedding ring. These choices weren’t about fashion; they were statements, a rejection of being ornamental, always performing for the male gaze.
I studied sociology, read radical feminist texts, and wore badges with slogans like “A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.” I browsed feminist bookshops, absorbing the words of Sheila Rowbotham, Germaine Greer, and Betty Friedan. We weren’t “leaning in” to corporate success, we were tearing down the structures that oppressed us.
The Shift to “Girl Power”
Today’s feminism looks different. Women have gained access to education, careers, and leadership roles once denied to us. I remember when women working at the Post Office had to resign upon marriage. That blatant discrimination is gone. But today’s feminism feels diluted, more about personal choice than systemic change.
This shift became clear in the late 1990s when “Girl Power” took over, thanks to the Spice Girls. They promoted confidence and friendship but also reinforced the idea that sex appeal was part of empowerment. They made feminism more palatable, less confrontational. Margaret Thatcher, who actively worked against women’s rights, was bizarrely hailed by them as the “first Spice Girl.”
This was a far cry from the feminism I knew. The Spice Girls introduced the word to a new generation, but they stripped it of its radical edge. It was feel-good, but non-threatening to the structures we had fought to dismantle.
The Bridget Jones Generation
By the early 2000s, feminism had softened further. Enter Bridget Jones, a smart, successful woman obsessed with weight, relationships, and male approval. I never saw Bridget as a role model. She reflected feminism’s decline from defiance to self-doubt. Instead of challenging expectations, she anxiously navigated them, always seeking male validation.
Even now, in her fifties in the latest film, Bridget remains stuck. After all these years, she still defines herself through men. It’s disheartening. She is far from the independent, defiant feminism I grew up with.
What This Means for Women in Later Life
Now, in my late 60s, I reflect on how feminism’s shifts affect women in later life. Younger women battle beauty standards, social media pressure, and the relentless demand to be desirable. Older women face invisibility.
My generation helped drive feminism forward. Now, we find ourselves sidelined in a culture obsessed with youth. The same system that once judged women by desirability now erases us when we no longer fit that mold. Leaving full-time work can make this worse. Suddenly, we are not just “older women” but irrelevant to conversations about power, influence, and identity.
But we are far from irrelevant.
Many of us still challenge stereotypes, fight for space, and demand visibility. The feminism of our youth rejected outdated narratives. Why stop now? Just as we refused to be defined by marriage and motherhood, we must refuse to let ageing diminish our value.
Feminism at Every Age
I don’t burn my bra these days, but I take it off, because, honestly, bras are still uncomfortable. And that’s the point. Many of the expectations we fought against in the 1970s still exist, just in new forms.
Feminism in later life means refusing to disappear. It means redefining ageing on our terms, mentoring younger women, and challenging assumptions about what we should or shouldn’t do.
Young women today fight different battles, but the struggle isn’t over. Feminism isn’t just about individual empowerment, it’s about collective liberation, at every stage of life. Maybe it’s time to bring back some of the fire of the 1970s. Not for nostalgia, but because the work isn’t done.
