"This [ban bossy] campaign is indicative of one of the main problems with feminism today- the idea that women are victims in need of more and more special protection." -Karin Agness

I am a woman. I have been disrespected due to my gender. I have seen other women treated with disrespect on account of their gender by men who viewed them as less valuable. It makes me angry. It makes me believe in the importance of female empowerment. I am strong-willed, independent, and I work hard to earn the respect of those around me, both male and female. I believe in equal pay regardless of gender for the same occupation, and I believe that women play important leadership roles in the workforce that extend far beyond the home. I believe women are just as capable as men to shape the future in the workforce, the social realm, and beyond. I believe that men and women are of equal value in the eyes of God, and I believe that we are freaking superheroes for gosh sake. But I am not a feminist. Actually, I hate the term. I hate having feminist ideals forced on me at every turn. I hate it when other women look at me with disdain because I do not claim to be a feminist. Don't get me wrong, there are certain things about the feminist platform that I support and agree with. I think our culture has devalued and degraded women even moreso now than in the past, but not in the way you might be thinking.

The problem with feminism is that it blurs the line of distinction between male and female. Don't get me wrong, I believe in the right of the woman to chase her dreams. I wasn't raised to expect financial, social, and emotional security from a man. I was taught that my success would come from my own hard work and effort. I was taught that as a woman I had the same right as a man to get an education, speak my mind, chase my dreams, and carve the life for myself that I chose. And while I'm proud of my independence, and I've met men that don't believe in this mindset I hold for myself, why are we as women trying to compete with men? If I say I'm a feminist, I'm saying I've been victimized by a mindset, when quite frankly I know my worth and I don't need to fight for it or prove it because it's already there. If you have that confidence, then feminism is already dead because you refuse to be victimized. If I decided that I didn't want to get married, I have that option. If I decided to go back to school and hold a job outside the home... I have that liberty. But why is it so degrading nowadays to be a stay at home mom and have children? Or be married to a man and have respect for him and his role as a man? Though roles of women have broadened and I support those freedoms, why are we as women cheapening our very worth by using feminism as a platform to become less of who we are and more of who men are? We already have so much freedom. We are viewed as equals moreso in this country than anywhere else in the world. We are given so many opportunities and freedoms. Yet we are still claiming to be victims of oppression, making us seem weak and in need of special consideration, which is the very thing from which I thought we were trying to get away. In the workforce we are treated as equals in the majority of situations. We are given the same opportunities. While I enjoy most of the same privileges and rights as a man, but I am not a man. People seem to confuse gender roles with gender inequality, and this is an inaccurate way to look at things. The problem with feminism is that it lessens the value of the traditional role of the woman should she choose to claim that role. What I'm saying is that homemakers are just as respectable and capable as female CEO's, and I think our society has forgotten and even rejected that idea. While women, I believe, should have the right to choose which role they want to play, I still believe that the most important and rewarding role a woman could ever have is that of a homemaker should she choose that path. I don't look down on that role. I know many men that value that role. I also know men that are oppressive and that do not value that role, but that is just my point. Men do not define who we are as women. We don't need feminism. We need more Christ-centered men and more women who value themselves and their roles. A man's view of the traditional role of a homemaker is not the defining factor in who we are or of our worth. Do not allow yourself to redefine who you are in response to a few who do not understand or appreciate your worth in the eyes of God or the eyes of everyone else around you. There are men out there who abuse their roles as head of household, and there are men who believe they are worth more than women. So I understand the feminist view, and I sympathize in many ways. I just want to make the point that we as women should not let the views of others allow us to cheapen our own God-given roles or make us question the value or worth of ourselves or our roles, whatever they may be. Do I believe in women's rights? Female independence? Empowerment? Of course. Do I believe that I deserve the same opportunities as a man for education and rights? Definitely! But I also believe that there is a distinction between certain roles of men and women. There are still differences in men and women, and we as women should respect ourselves enough to understand that there is no need to sacrifice who we are and what we were created to do. We are strong. We are capable. We are independent. We are strong. But we are caregivers. We are loving. We are nurturing. These things, while making us different, do not make us weak. They make us who we were intended to be. And that is beautiful. That is respectable. That is empowerment. That is totally and completely worthy of admiration and respect.