Feminists are not angry lesbians who hate men. Feminists are not middle aged woman who hate men. Feminists do not believe that women are better than men, or that women deserve special privileges. They do not believe that women are victims.
The definition of feminism is "the advocacy of women's rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes." Yet, even today, there are still stereotypes and assumptions surrounding what it means to be a feminist. It's actually pretty simple. A feminist needs one thing and one thing only, and that's to believe that everyone, regardless of their gender, should have equal political, economic and social rights. Yes, it really is that simple.
There are so many negative stereotypes surrounding feminism that we often forget what it means to be a feminist. I'm a feminist and a proud one too. As I have grown up, I've developed countless opinions on equality and I'm never ashamed to voice them. The world isn't black and white and nothing is ever as straight forward as it seems, but, I can't get my head around why some people wouldn't want equality. It's beyond belief. I recently did an investigation into the history of women's rights and I worked out that girls of my age will be reaching retirement age by the time the pay gap has completely closed. So, for my whole working adult life, I should just expect that my male colleagues will be earning more than me despite doing exactly the same work. Bollocks.
"Stop complaining! It's not like you can't vote anymore" or "why do you even need feminism ?' It's a topic that is often so misunderstood. Equal pay for equal work and being able to walk down the street without feeling threatened are only a couple of the many goals that feminism strives to achieve. One of the many reasons why feminism is associated with a negative stigma is due to the media sensationalising the stereotypical feminist which in this case is someone who apparently hates men, is unhygienic and supports abortions on demand. It's this that causes anti feminism movements and comments such as "I already have equality, I don't need feminism" and "men have issues too so feminism is just sexist."
We still need feminism and it's just as important today as it ever has been. Yes, we can now vote. But despite making up more than half of the world's population, there are still less than 20 percent of women in Congress. We need feminism because we're still teaching women how 'not to get raped' when we should actually be teaching men how to not view women as objects for their pleasure. We need feminism because when getting married, it is still expected that the woman is given away like property and it is assumed that the woman will take the man's name. We need feminism because words such as "slag" and "whore" are still being used to shame girls yet if a man sleeps around it's deemed far more acceptable and often desirable. We need feminism because girls should be able to dress however they want to without being called a "slut" or "prude" and without comments such as "she was asking for it." We need feminism because women should be able to do whatever they choose to do with their bodies without being judged for it.
Feminism isn't a gender issue, it's a human issue. You don't have to be a woman to want equality. The misunderstanding of the term "feminism" has led to the assumption that it is solely about woman. That is simply not the case. While feminism approaches gender equality from the front of empowering and elevating women, it at the same time attempts to tear down the harmful gender roles, norms and expectations that hurt us all, of every gender. It isn't about controlling woman and telling them what they should and shouldn't be doing, It's about giving women that freedom to make their own choices, to look and behave the way they want to and all without society deeming it as inappropriate or not feminine enough. Being a feminist is about believing that women should have the same choices and opportunities as men, not because they're better or superior, but because they too, are human.
Why do we need feminism? We need feminism because people are still asking that very question.
I hope you enjoyed this post!
Lots of love,
Meg X
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