Before I even knew what being a feminist was, I think I was already a feminist. I say this because I wasn't born knowing that there was a world out there in which I was automatically going to be considered less important and less capable than my very own brother just because I was born female. When I was a little girl, I would play with my little brother all the time, and we wouldn't discriminate between our toys. We would play with my Barbie dolls just as much as we would play with his Hot Wheels. Whenever we dueled as though we were pirates, he wouldn't play fair just because I was a girl.
All my life I've loved sports, superhero movies and boxing. For a lot of people, those things are seen as quite unconventional, to the point where even my own grandmother has repeatedly questioned my love for soccer and for hitting sandbags. Some people, especially those born during the first half of the 20th century, can't even begin to fathom the fact that things and activities are supposed to be gender neutral, and that being into certain things doesn't take away any of my femininity. In fact, I'm also a hopeless romantic, I love every single Disney princess, I love fairytales, and I believe in the existence of happily ever after.
Girls shouldn't grow up thinking that there's a certain path they need to follow in order to be the perfect woman, and they most certainly shouldn't grow up in a world that only wants to teach them how to be the perfect housewife. Everything girls do should be a choice, just as much as it is for boys. If girls want to grow up to be housewives, so be it, but we as a society shouldn't be telling them that it's wrong for them to want to become President someday because they're going to have to take care of children of their own at some point.
Throughout history, women and girls of all ages, races, and nationalities have proven time and time again that we can shine just as bright, if not more, than our male counterparts. But it's also important to remember that being a feminist is not about stepping on men in order to rise above them. Being a feminist, in my opinion, is all about empowering each other as women but also about working alongside the men in order to grow together as human beings. There would be no point in rising up above them, knowing that we all need each other to survive in this world.
In order to do this, there must be a shift in the way we all think now. Companies should forget about hiring people with a certain number in mind, instead, focus on hiring whoever is more up to par with what they're looking for. If companies end up hiring 70% women and 30% men because those people were the most capable for the job, then so be it. If it happens the other way around, that's also great. Sports networks should focus on female teams as much as male teams in order to get more media coverage for them and eventually even better sponsorships. This will inevitably result in larger fandoms and more money for the networks, the athletes, and the sponsors.
So no, feminism isn't about empowering women to rise above men and eventually lead them to their demise. Feminism is about letting our girls be free to follow their dreams and aspirations just as much as we let our boys do the same. Feminism is about standing united as human beings, instead of creating a division between males and females. Feminism is about me. Because I want to get married and have kids just as much as I want to be a powerful leader who will leave a positive mark in the world.
