Women and Counseling: A Vision for the Future

Abstract

It is difficult to continue working in the area of social justice and equal rights for any length of time without a vision for the future that inspires hope and continued activism. Without a vision of a just and equitable future for all, it is also difficult, if not impossible, to successfully accomplish goals for social justice and freedom. Those of us who worked to prepare this special issue propose a vision of a just and equitable future and suggest that creating this vision needs to be a continued, collaborative effort engaged in by women and men of all races, cultures, classes, and orientations for the good of all and the survival of the planet.This vision was inspired by Patricia Lynn Reilly's (1999) woman-affirming book and poem Imagine a Woman in Love With Herself, by bell hooks's (2000) thoughtful treatise Feminism is for Everybody, and by countless other works from the pioneering women and men who write and work in the area of women's human rights and social justice. We gratefully acknowledge their contributions and encourage all readers to actively imagine and create this vision of a just and equitable future. Imagine a FutureImagine a future in which all girls and boys are able and encouraged to form an identity free of sexist, racist, classist, ableist, and heterosexist prejudices and expectations; in which all girls and boys are equally supported to explore their emotional, relational, spiritual, cultural, intellectual, and vocational needs, talents, and capacities; and a future in which all girls and boys, women and men, feel safe and free from exploitation, violence, and victimization and are encouraged to thrive within environments of mutual respect and encouragement.Imagine a future in which all women and men are equally supported in their desires for meaningful, sustainable work and healthy relationships; in which all women and men are given equal opportunities to fulfill their vocational, relational, cultural, spiritual, intellectual, and emotional needs, talents, and capacities; and a future in which all women and men receive an equitable and livable wage for the work they do and in which paid or unpaid work with children and older adults is acknowledged and rewarded as vitally important to the sustainability of our future.Imagine a future in which parents consciously decide to have children and willingly share in the fulfillment of the responsibilities inherent in those choices and a future in which all children are parented with love, respect, and nonviolent discipline-where parent and child relationships are free from verbal, physical, sexual, and emotional exploitation and abuse and where children are encouraged to make healthy choices and learn from the consequences of their choices.Imagine a future in which all women and men acknowledge the privileges that are awarded to them on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, class, gender, age, sexual orientation, and ability and strive to ameliorate those privileges by continuing to increase their understanding and to work diligently for t...