When I was younger I was afraid of being considered a feminist.
It was an odd mixture of wanting to please society and make myself appealing to the opposite sex that caused this fear. What was also strange was I was raised by a single mother who was never afraid to voice her opinions on women's rights. I was raised and surrounded by strong women who proved that a man was not needed to have success, a family, or a stable career. But those women were still making less then the men they worked with.
In a previous post I talked about the gender wage gap and how it's hindering economic growth so I won't focus so much on the economics of feminism in this one. This post is about feminism from a social stage and from my stage.
As I said before I was too afraid to be considered a feminist. I thought I would be labeled as a 'man hater' and shunned by the male world- I was fourteen so my perception of the world was slightly skewed at the time. As time progressed and I moved out of my angsty teenage stage I saw that no matter what, man or woman, the world was going to scowl at your ideas.
My first experience with feminism was reading Roxanne Gay's Bad Feminist which is an incredibly well written essay about what it means to be a feminism today. This exposed me to the the basic ideas of feminism and the discrimination women face still today. This book gave me the foundation that I used to build my feminist views.
After reading Bad Feminist I looked at things differently. I saw economic and social issues from form the women's point of view and listened more. Pictures such as the one above became like nails on a chalk board to me because it has nothing to do with the movement. Feminism is the movement that aims for total gender equality. Many would argue that feminism is not needed- women have the right to vote and own property what more do they need? In that situation, I turn them towards my gender wage gap post and developing countries where women have little to no rights.
Another thing that has always bothered me about many people's perception of feminism- we are not man haters. As stated above, feminism is the movement that aims for gender equality. Feminism is not about ruling over man or being better than men; it's about having the same rights as men.
Something that should be essential about feminism is supporting your fellow girl. Enough slut shamming; it doesn't empower you and it tears down the other girl. Make sure you include your trans sisters; she is just as much of a woman as you are. Support the little girl who wants to be a scientist. Empower the woman who doesn't want children and do not hinder the house wife. Stop trying to compare yourself to other women and see the beauty that every woman has. Embrace your femininity and be a badass. Do whatever makes you feel like an empowered woman.
And most importantly, do not shame your fellow woman.
