Feminist tackles drinking

March was Women's History Month; we celebrated the accomplishments of women from the past and encouraged today's women to be the confident and strong leaders of tomorrow. \nBut April brings an abrupt end to the celebration, giving rise to concerns that we -- as feminists and a society in general -- are suffering a setback. The concern is over the reported behavior of campus coeds who choose to indulge in binge drinking. \nWhy are young women drinking so much? One reason they give is that they are seeking to impress young men. As one Syracuse student reports in Time magazine (April 1), "To be able to drink like a guy is kind of a badge of honor. For me, it's a feminism thing." \nThis is an aberrant use of the term "feminism" and a sad attempt to explain irrational and harmful behavior. Feminism is about gaining opportunities and using them to the fullest. It is about working to advance the position and welfare of women, minorities, and all others who have been denied opportunities in the past. It is not necessarily about using those opportunities in the same way as men. Feminism is about improving society -- for all -- men and women, not squandering the opportunity to do so. \nConsider one example. When women in the late 19th and early 20th centuries campaigned for the right to vote in the United States, they sought an opportunity equal to that of men: full citizenship and equal representation under law. What women did and continue to do with the opportunity, of course, is up to them. \nSome women voted in the 1920s; some did not. Some voted the way their husbands told them to vote because they felt inadequate to exert their newly won freedom. Was this the best use of their hard-won opportunity? Probably not. But these days, we consider ourselves far beyond such controlling restrictions. We presume that women will vote their own minds, make informed decisions and take full advantage of the opportunity given to them. \nBecause of the women's vote, more women have been elected to Congress and appointed to important government positions. Substantial strides have been made through legislation protecting women's bodies and reproductive rights, advocating improved health care for the poor and uninsured, promoting punishment of rapists and sexual abusers and working toward gender equity in the workforce (where women still earn only 73 cents to the dollar of what a man earns). \nLet us concede that women in 2002 do have the opportunity to drink as much as a man. How are women making use of this opportunity? We are told by the Task Force on College Drinking (IDS, April 10) that drinking by college students not only contributes to a number of deaths each year, but also contributes to an estimated 70,000 cases of sexual assault or date rape and 400,000 cases of unprotected sex. \nThese statistics clearly show that any woman who drinks to excess -- "like a guy"-- places herself at far greater risk. She faces a great risk of sexual assault and rape. She could very well become pregnant. In other words, when it comes to the consequences of binge drinking, men and women are not necessarily equal. Which brings us to the question: Is binge drinking the best way for a woman to take advantage of her hard-won opportunities? \nLet us continue to celebrate the unprecedented freedoms women have gained. But let's also include the freedom to do things differently. Set a new path. Be strong in your convictions. Make the most of your opportunities, for yourself and for the benefit of all.