Some interesting statistics

I was fooling around with old Gallup polls today, and I came across some interesting statistics from survey data.

How much of an impact you think the Women's Rights Movement has had on our nation's policies -- a great deal, a moderate amount, a slight amount or none at all? (2000)

• A great deal (41.68%)
• A moderate amount (39.72%)
• A slight amount (13.46%)
• None at all (4.27%)
• Don't know/refused (0.87%)

There are many social movements that try to have an impact on policy-making in our nation. Regardless of how much impact, if any, the Women's Rights Movement has had, please tell me if you personally agree or disagree with its goals. (2000)

• Strongly agree (45.38%)
• Somewhat agree (40.07%)
• Somewhat disagree (8.73%)
• Strongly disagree (4.24%)

Do you consider yourself a feminist, or not? (2001 - asked to a national sample of adults)

• Yes, a feminist (24.97%)
• No (69.65%)
• Don't know (5.07%)
• Refused (0.30%)

Do you consider yourself a feminist, or not? (1999/1992 asked to women)

• Yes (26.09% / 32.53%)
• No (66.60% / 60.66%)
• Sometimes/depends (4.54% / not an answer option)
• Don't know/refused (2.77% / 6.81%)

Do you consider yourself to be a STRONG feminist, a feminist, not a feminist, or an ANTI-feminist? (1986, asked to women)

• Strong feminist (10.25%)
• Feminist (45.58)
• Not a feminist (27.65)
• Anti-feminist (3.96)
• CAN'T SAY (12.55)

The percentage of people who self-identify as feminist seems to be falling. Why is this? Are there fewer feminists around or do people not see the need to quanitify themselves as 'feminist'? Is the definition of the word unclear? It's interesting that 95% of people believe that the women's movement has impacted our nation's policies. Further, 85% of people agree with the goals of the women's movement...yet just below 25% consider themselves feminists. Are 'feminists' seen as separate from the women's movement? To me they are one and the same.

B