Women prepared to declare themselves as socially conservative are a rare breed. Young women prepared to do so are even rarer – and brave.

What feminists don’t seem to realise is that today what epitomises independence is to be a conservative.  It is by not deferring to mainstream feminist opinion that marks out the woman who can think for herself.

Daisy Cousens, Australia’s most vocal female social conservative, argues this in a lecture she gave earlier this month. There is nothing radical about feminism she says, rather is the official doctrine of acceptable thought, and there is nothing original or controversial about adopting its principles.

You can listen to this ‘proud to be feminine’ young woman explain why it is conservative women like her – and, I hope us – who are the ones now rocking the boat, and why we need to challenge feminism’s shibboleths, here.