What has Feminism accomplished?

I recently read an article from the New York Times detailing the effects of the pandemic and how it has exacerbated the gender inequalities already pervasive in our society. The author, Kim Brooks, takes quite an interesting approach to this issue, boldly asserting that the feminist movement has not progressed since the 20th century. Overlooking the many advances that the feminist movement has made in the past century, Brooks points to the wage gap, lack of child care, lower rates of property ownership, and lessened access to education as 'proof' that the feminist movement has indeed failed women today. In regards to working mothers, Brooks states:

"Unless you’re affluent enough to pay for the labor of less privileged women, you’re stuck with a patchwork of poorly funded and regulated and prohibitively expensive schools, child care centers and after-school programs. And yet it’s taboo for working mothers to talk too much about the costs, contradictions and compromises they face, often for fear such conversations will be used as fodder against us."

Brooks is correct in pointing out that mothers and women undertake the largest burden of 'unpaid labor in the home,' and effectively pay the price in the realm of their professional pursuits. I also agree with her assertion of the negative repercussions that occur when women speak out about these difficulties in the workplace, as I myself have seen the working women in my family struggle with balancing their duties at home with the demands at work. However, while the pandemic has indeed highlighted the inequalities faced by women, it is wrong to blame feminism for these issues, and point to these gender inequalities as proof of a failed movement. What is with all of this hostility towards feminism lately? In response to the #MeToo movement. In response to inadequate maternal aid. Why are we blaming women for issues caused by institutions and policies in large part created by men? Brooks is effectively victim-blaming with her remarks, as none of the troubles she has mentioned is a result of feminism, but rather the institutions, policies, and norms that have been around for thousands of years.

In fact, I found it particularly interesting how Brooks unintentionally points to the successes of the feminist movement in her argument that it has failed. For instance, the first wave of feminism provoked institutional and policy changes that have allowed women to pursue a career, higher education, own property, and narrowed the wage gap. Not only does she fail to acknowledge these privileges gifted to women from the first wave of feminism, Brooks fails in her overall definition of feminism. What, then, is the modern definition of feminism? If you ask me, feminism is not an action of the past, but rather an ever-evolving movement that reflects the passions and interests of each generation of women. As such, we owe it to our daughters and granddaughters to continue fighting for the next wave of feminism and empowerment, rather than blaming women for the misfortunes.