What is feminism? Feminism is the belief that males and females should be equal in every way possible. No, feminists do not eat men for breakfast, I personally prefer a hardy omelet with hot tea. This article is not only going to be from the female perspective but the male perspective. As a feminist I believe I should not have to feel afraid walking a certain time around campus, every time I see someone walk around the corner I feel a sense of fear that someone will want to take advantage of me as a female. At the same time, I also feel that males should not be ashamed to admit weakness at times, I feel a male should not be condemned because he is not "masculine enough" for societal standards. This is feminism, I believe I as a woman should be treated as an equal person: gender does not define who I am it is only a part of me.
This weekend I went with my family to take my brother to zoo, and I realized that even at the zoo young people are fed lies and sexism; now I know this seems really extreme but just listen. As some of you may know, lions are an interesting example of how the animal kingdom works gender role wise. In pictures and in movies (Lion King is a great example), the male lions are considered the strongest and the most independent while the females are the more hopeless. For those who don't know in a Pride, there is generally only one male and a group of females (because the males battle it out) and the females are the ones who actually do all the hunting for the pride! As a little girl, I never knew this because I was always under the impression that males were always the strongest. It turns out the lioness can certainly handle herself in the animal kingdom, but the statues at the zoo portrayed the male lion as the one in control.
Another lie we are told as children, that to " do something like a girl" is wrong, it is somehow inferior to doing like a boy. I remember playing kickball in grade school I always overheard other boys calling the unathletic boy in the class a girl for not being able to kick the ball properly. Why is it this way? Why is that if I told you hit like a girl it is an insult? I am a girl and I hit like a girl: that means I hit the ball to the best of my ability and as much strength as possible. Using this as an insult hurts young girls and causes low self-esteem at grade school age, girls and boys should never feel like they are not strong enough or good enough to do something. Competition is healthy, great thing but to be let down because of your gender before you even start defeats the purpose.
Males are discriminated against just as equally in different ways. In domestic violence cases, males are the dominant sex to be considered the predator, not the victim. When in fact, 40 to 70 percent of domestic violence is committed against men however how often have you seen domestic violence shelters for men? Less than one percent of domestic violence shelters are for men. We tend to forget that young boys and men are victims of sexual and physical abuse, and the thing that breaks my heart is if a male was to admit the crimes committed against them they would be perceived as weak and not worthy. As a feminist, I stand for these men and women who suffer for equality and self-esteem in the twisted world we live in. I stand on both sides and want to make people more aware of the choices we make regarding the treatment of both sexes.
