Essential Estrogen

I've often wondered why, by and large, feminist women are happier women. I think at least part of the answer lies with a study highlighted by Live Science that shows that having a feminist partner is directly linked to healthier, more satisfying and more romantic relationships.

The original Rutgers University study, which surveyed 242 college undergraduates and 289 older adults, was published in the psychology journal Sex Roles which does not, unfortunately, offer an online version. Still, if you are in a place where you can lay hands on the journal, I highly recommend you do so.

Here are the findings as reported by Live Science:

• College-age women who reported having feminist male partners also reported higher quality relationships that were more stable than couples involving non-feminist male partners.
• College guys who were themselves feminists and had feminist partners reported more equality in their relationships.
• Older women who perceived their male partners as feminists reported greater relationship health and sexual satisfaction.
• Older men with feminist partners said they had more stable relationships and greater sexual satisfaction.

While the study doesn't attempt to go into the reasoning behind this, I have a few ideas. First, I think humans like equals and aren't really keen on viewing a subordinate in a romantic fashion. That is, people like to be appreciated for their talents and skills -- no matter what those might be. To constantly have to fill a single role, however, is tiring and can be, at times, over-whelming. It's an extremely rewarding thing in a relationship when a man and a woman come together on equal footing and with mutual respect.

As for the pure sex aspect, most feminist women I know are extremely in tune with their own bodies. Most know exactly what they like and want sexually and aren't afraid to communicate those desires with their male counterparts. On the flip side, most of the feminist men I know appreciate being able to talk about sex openly with their partners without fear of being shoved nose-first into the naughty-naughty corner. My belief is that there is less shame in feminist relationships.