Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Latest Issue
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Autumn Winter 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    1. Life

    Only one in seven women would call themselves a feminist

    Poll by Netmums also shows only one in 50 believe Germaine Greer is a good role model for women

    By Marie Claire
    Published 18 October 2012 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Germaine Greer
    Germaine Greer
    (Image credit: REX)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Poll by Netmums also shows only one in 50 believe Germaine Greer is a good role model for women

    Only one in seven modern women would call themselves 'feminists', according to a poll by Netmums, Britain's largest women's website.

    The survey also revealed that 28 per cent feel radical feminism is 'aggressive' towards men, and a quarter feel 'feminist' is not a good label for women.

    Only one in 50 felt feminist author Germaine Greer (pictured) is a positive role model for women.

    Interestingly, age plays a factor in how women view themselves. Only nine per cent of women aged 25-29 said they identified with the feminist movement, whereas a quarter of women aged 45-50 said they were feminists.

    You may like
    • Black-and-white photograph of two young women wearing white Reebok T-shirts, layered necklaces and hoop earrings, looking off-camera. I Grew Up With Nineties Lad Culture. I Thought Things Would Be Better for My Daughters
    • bright green sticky note reading “I Quit” on a computer keyboard Does Anyone Actually Want to Be the Boss Anymore?
    • Female athletes crossing the finish line at a track and field event Why We Should Care About Sexualisation in Women's Sport—and How It’s Bigger Than Sydney Sweeney

    The biggest concern for modern women is to reinstate the value and importance of motherhood. Two thirds of the women surveyed made this their number one priority.

    The study shows most young women want to be free to make decisions to suit their personal beliefs. Social commentators have called this 'feMEnisim'.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    The majority of women wanted feminism to ensure women have 'real choice over their family, career and lives'.

    Modern women also no longer believe looking glamorous stops them being taken seriously, with 93 per cent believing using fake tan and eyelashes were fine and 67 per cent backing botox.

    Netmums founder Siobhan Freegard says: 'As the UK's biggest women's website with over a million women logging on each week, we are best placed to work out what young women want now.

    What to read next
    • Woman organizing documents in cluttered office workspace Why Are Successful Women Staying in Jobs That Make Us Miserable?
    • Two women running on a track From Clubs to Marathon Sign-Ups, I’m Witnessing More and More Women Engaging in Sport—Here’s Why It’s Happening
    • Emotionally Unavailable Men: Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie in Wuthering Heights Why Are We Still Glamourising Emotionally Unavailable Men?

    'The study starkly shows modern women feel traditional Feminism is no longer working for them, as it's aggressive, divisive and doesn't take into account their personal circumstances.

    'Modern women simply don't view men as 'the enemy' - instead men are their partners, their fathers, their brothers and their sons to be loved and cherished. And it's clear there is no longer a 'battle of the sexes' but a coming together of the sexes to make society work for everyone in it.'

    What do you think of the findings? Do you agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments below.

    LATEST WORLD NEWS

    Marie Claire
    Social Links Navigation

    The leading destination for fashion, beauty, shopping and finger-on-the-pulse views on the latest issues. Marie Claire's travel content helps you delight in discovering new destinations around the globe, offering a unique – and sometimes unchartered – travel experience. From new hotel openings to the destinations tipped to take over our travel calendars, this iconic name has it covered.

    Read more
    Black-and-white photograph of two young women wearing white Reebok T-shirts, layered necklaces and hoop earrings, looking off-camera.
    Life I Grew Up With Nineties Lad Culture. I Thought Things Would Be Better for My Daughters
    bright green sticky note reading “I Quit” on a computer keyboard
    Money and Work Does Anyone Actually Want to Be the Boss Anymore?
     
     
    Female athletes crossing the finish line at a track and field event
    Fitness Why We Should Care About Sexualisation in Women's Sport—and How It’s Bigger Than Sydney Sweeney
    Woman organizing documents in cluttered office workspace
    Money and Work Why Are Successful Women Staying in Jobs That Make Us Miserable?
     
     
    Latest in Life
    Why We Hold Onto Things From Our Past: A Collection of Sentimental Keepsakes, Old Photographs and Letters
    Relationships Why Is It So Hard to Throw Away Things From Our Past?
    Side view of a woman sitting in her bedroom - negative emotion - stock photo
    Life Their Children Were Taken Into Care. Who Was Looking After the Mothers?
     
     
    bright green sticky note reading “I Quit” on a computer keyboard
    Money and Work Does Anyone Actually Want to Be the Boss Anymore?
    The best things to do this October
    Food and Drink The Agenda: Your October Just Got More Interesting
     
     
    Latest in Features
    Halloween nail art by Betina Goldstein
    Nails There is a Way to Make Halloween Nails Ultra Chic—And Fashion’s Favourite Nail Artist Betina Goldstein Can Prove It
    The end of signature scent
    Fragrance You Can Stop Searching For a Signature Scent—Why Fragrance Monogamy Is Falling Out of Fashion
     
     
    Why We Hold Onto Things From Our Past: A Collection of Sentimental Keepsakes, Old Photographs and Letters
    Relationships Why Is It So Hard to Throw Away Things From Our Past?
    Dakota Johnson brown cords listing
    Fashion Dakota Johnson’s Easy Brown Cord and Ballet Flats Look Is One I’m Bookmarking for Autumn
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.