I find it surprising that, even now, there are so many misconceptions about feminism.
Some people disagree with feminism or say that we don't need it. Some people say that the movement is about women's supremacy. Some people say that you can't be a feminist and also believe in traditional marriage.
It all seems a little bit odd to me.
Think about it. Feminism itself is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as "the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men." Merriam-Webster defines it as "organized activity on the behalf of women's rights or interests."
Nowhere in either of these definitions are we told that women's struggles ended with the right to vote. Nowhere in either of these definitions are we told that feminists believe that women are superior to men. Nowhere in either of these definitions are we told that women can't be both a feminist and a "traditional" wife and/or a stay-at-home mom.
Frankly, feminism is not "anti-men" or "anti-marriage." It is not about "blaming" all of the men in the world for society's inequalities and it is not an attempt to push women into a position of supremacy. It does not strive to force women to abandon "traditional" roles as mothers and wives. It simply asks that men and women respect each other equally.
Feminism is not a movement that calls for women to judge other women for their choices. If you want to work in the corporate world instead of becoming a mother, that's great. If you want to be a stay-at-home mom, that's awesome. If you want to take on both or none of these roles, that's fine too. Feminism is not about telling women what they should and should not do. It is about finally reaching a world in which the lives and voices of women are valued equally to those of men. In some areas, we are there. In others, we have a lot of work to do.
Most women still cannot walk down the street alone at night (and, sometimes, during the day) without the risk of sexual assault. Women are told that what they are wearing makes a difference, as though a tank top that shows a little bit of midriff skin is an invitation for attackers to take advantage of them and violate their basic human rights. Does someone's outfit justify rape? Surely it doesn't. Furthermore, women are often judged more on appearance than on intelligence. They are constantly told that they have to "look" a certain way in order to be taken seriously and that, no, that doesn't just mean dressing up in a suit. Objectification keeps happening and it isn't right.
In addition to all of this, countless women from different social and ethnic backgrounds are still not treated equally or respectfully. "White feminism" paints a narrow, glorified picture of various women's equality movements, marginalizing groups that have been subject to even more inequality throughout history than the straight, white, cisgendered woman has.
We cannot abandon women's issues just because a few groups of people have made some progress. We cannot stop advocating for ourselves and for one another until we are all distinguished by our brains instead of by our bodies and our backgrounds. We are all human. We are all capable of greatness.
We don't need to point fingers at entire, generalized groups. We gain nothing from arguing about "labels." To me, it just seems clear that we still need feminism.
Feminism is about the combination of respect, choices, and freedom. It is relevant to all humans. We all need to treat one another with respect, regardless of gender identity or background. We all need to allow each other to make our own choices and lead our own, independent lives. We all need to recognize that, as humans, we have a right to self-interest and liberty as long as it is not at the expense of others.
All individuals should have the right to take on whatever role they want. Feminism is not a means of choosing someone else's path for them. It is a means of ensuring that, in the future, we will all have the freedom to pursue our own path.
It is fine if you do not believe in feminism. It is up to you whether or not you want to call yourself as a feminist. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. However, I believe that it is in our best interest to be educated on the true causes of feminism before we declare our positions on the issue. Many of us are lucky enough to have access to the resources that we need to make educated choices, so let's take advantage of them. No one can force anyone to adopt a particular stance, but we can all be as educated and articulate as possible so that we can truly and gracefully move forward.
