Ooh tough one!

I think a lot of women are very frightened of using the term because its got a lot of stigma attached to it. Its a bit like socialism in a way, because the world has seen so much abuse of the concepts attached to it, it sees the concept itself as something inherently harmful.

Following the extreme seperatist feminism of the '70's (who in my opinion turned feminism into nothing more than an inversion of male chauvenism, and who were as oppressive to women as the patriachal society ever was/is- often calling a woman a traitor for sleeping with men, or wearing make up) "feminist" has become a popular insult used by some men to throw at opinionated women, no matter what their arguments might be. Its easier to throw someone who disagrees with you into a pile of simiarly "nutty" philosophies (Neo-Nazi, commie, feminist) than actually deal with the arguments themselves.

Incidently I was accused of being a militant feminist on Answerbag recently- the only evidence for which I could find was my suggestion that someone claiming that men were better drivers than women ought really to provide some basis for the claim. (Hardly Valerie Solanos territory) A prime example.

The result is that a lot of women have become scared that by labelling themselves as feminist that they risk being tarred with the same brush as the bra-burning radical lesbian seperatists of the seventies. Thus I think whilst there are still as many feminists as there ever were, a lot of them shy away from the use of the term.
Its a shame really- perhaps the most famous feminist, Germaine Greer, writes in "The Female Eunusch" that "feminism is about anyone's right to be who they want to be." - a million miles from the popular image of a feminist in many people's minds which is more along the lines of:
"If you don't behave in the way we think you should then you are either a traitor or a victim of the patriachal system."
Radical feminism has no real place for men, or for women who like men, or for women who choose to stay home and look after kids, or for girls ho like to wear high heels, or anyone who doesn't fit a very rigid criteria - and thus I think many modern girls who believe in political, legal and social equality between the sexes tend to prefer not to use the word.

I just call myself a woman.

Hardly any women bother. They realize that most of those who do have an axe to grind at the male sex, and want to take their frustrations out on men. Most balanced, reasonable women wouldn't be caught dead being known as a feminist.

Only if they have an axe to grind against men.

I rarely hear women referring to themselves as feminists. Personally, I passionately believe in choice, in having options. I believe that everyone has equal rights regardless of superficial trappings like race, sex, sexual orientation and nationality.

Some do, but the term has lost a bit of it's popularity now and we're experiencing a social and political backlash. For example, the anti-abortion movement and the whirlwind of pornography and human sex trafficking are a few ways that the things that women worked so hard for are being attacked. Even if feminists have many good points to make, and deserve equal treatment, there are groups who feel threatened by this, and even see some aspects of feminism as reverse sexism. They would like to see women back in the kitchen, having babies, and servicing their husbands sexually like the old days.

Women today should concentrate on reaching out to their children and try very hard to elicit concurence of their good nature by hearing it first from their own kids....and wala you have just advanced feminism in our society.

It all depends on how you define feminist. I would not consider myself extreme. I have no problem with the feminist movement, at any level.

Matters not what they CALL themselves.
The vast unthinking Majority still follows most of its trends anyway!
Women at work, "equal" representation in advanced courses and various other social situations.
Constant talk of "equal opportunity", and much other nonsense, the practices of which have totally ruined the world - especially economies & families.

Yes...at least I do