Before I came to college I always knew I was passionate about women's rights, but I didn't necessarily think I could ever strongly identify with the feminist movement. This was mainly because it always seemed incredibly intense, and to be honest its message was very misunderstood and lost to me. However, coming to college, gaining the right to vote, being on my own, and learning to really notice how women are treated in the world has changed the way I view the feminist movement.
I used to think, and many people still do, that feminism is all about women wanting more and not being satisfied. What it's really about is equality. It's ironic and hard to recognize since ‘feminine’ is in the name, however writing it off because of how it sounds is the opposite of what we've been taught to do our whole lives (don’t judge a book by its cover). Feminism is about removing the stigma of gender in any profession, thought, social situation, or process. It is more focused on equality in our society as a whole rather than just a certain subpart. By equalizing everyone, we give everyone the same opportunity to sit at the table for discussion on ways to better our world.
Why feminism really matters is what a lot of people struggle with. Many people want to say that being feminist is playing the victim in a world where we are given so much. However, I would like to remind those people of how incredibly lucky we all are to be born into an era where we don't have to fight for the rights we have. A newly popular opinion has surfaced on social media from many women and girls alike, and it consists of the thought that those women feel they ‘don’t need feminism’ because they won’t allow themselves to be the victim in any situation, and that claiming women are not granted all their rights is an easy way to beg for more in a society where we already have so much.
To those who hold this opinion I would like to ask, did you know the powerful women that came before you? The ones who stood on the front lines and argued, pleaded and begged for the opinion of women to be heard? The women who made your opinion possible? There was a time in the world where a woman was considered less of a person than a man. The only reason we have the ability, power, and voice to speak up about feminism (or the fact that some of us don't need it) is because of the incredibly strong, intense and determined women before us. It’s disrespectful and ignorant to pretend that they didn't help us get to where we are. We were born into these rights, so we don't know the struggle. We should, however, look back and begin to appreciate those women who gave us all we have to be thankful for.
Like the women who were fighting and celebrating the day Roe v. Wade was settled-ask them how liberating it felt to be able to make choices for their own body.
Or ask women who were affected when the Pregnancy Discrimination Act was passed how incredible it felt to be able to be more secure and protected in their job during their pregnancy.
Better yet, go back and ask people who were around when title VII of the Civil Rights act was passed, eliminating discrimination in employment based on sex and race, how wonderful it felt to finally be on a level playing field with people you are just as good as, but were never allowed to compete with.
Go back a little further and ask how amazing it was for women with diseases like endometriosis when they were finally allowed birth control information to be distributed and when birth control was finally approved by the FDA and legalized and they were able to get the treatment they needed.
Honestly while you're at it, go back a little further and find those women who stood in the streets begging to allow their voices to be heard in the government making choices for them and their bodies, ask those women how incredible it felt in 1920 when they finally were allowed to vote alongside their husbands after all the fighting.
So, before you say that you don't need feminism or the women’s movement, please think about all the invincible women that stood before you putting you in the position to even have your voice heard. Also, it's important to remember that we do not guarantee equal pay as a country. We may have come this far, but those who claim we don't need feminism clearly aren't paying attention to the wage gap.
However, a huge thing to recognize is that this movement stands for a lot more than just women’s equality. The feminist movement helps men too. It helps everyone. The Civil Rights Act protected people not only based on gender but race as well. Feminism isn't only about women wanting our birth control or our equal wages (even though we DO want that stuff). It's about removing the bias of gender overall. It's about being a society that's able to recognize we should be setting equal standards for women AND men.
Men are stigmatized for being stay-at-home dads, they're found less ‘tough’ if they show their feelings and they're judged by their peers if they differ from the stereotype of masculinity that we've provided as a society. We put forth images of men in the media with a specific body type and shape that's ‘ideal’ the same way we do with women we photoshop on magazine covers. We critique women for being ferocious and ambitious in the workplace by calling them bossy, we shame women for wanting to show off their beautiful bodies if it doesn't fit our ideal body type. Our society is so obsessed with these constructs and images and beliefs of what men and women should be, and if we can all notice this, the real question we should be asking is:
Why can’t we just all be ourselves?
The real problem here isn't that we don't see the problem, its that were standing by and actively choosing not to get involved. Women say mean things about other women, which makes it okay for everyone to say mean things about women. Same goes for men. We perpetuate these stereotypes simply by not getting involved, or even making a joke of them.
Being a woman right now in society is so important. There are people all around you deciding things for you that you haven't decided for yourself. Whether or not you believe it, your voice is important.
Don't let society make you feel like you need to fit in anyone's niche. You are who you are, you are going to be whoever you want to be and that's just fine. Open your mind to the idea that just because some of us have boobs and some don’t, does not make one set of us more valuable, more sensitive, stronger, more capable, or more or less of anything than the other.
In our world today we find it easy to ban together behind things that share a common interest for us despite race, ethnicity, gender, social class, etc. One of those things should be opportunity. Opportunity to express who we are, to work hard, to lead our own lives and to truly be ourselves. It’s time we all stop trying to define each other and just invite each other to the table, because the only real way we can initiate change in society is by recognizing that we all stand on common ground, so we should really work together to make it the best it can be.
So, just like Emma Watson recently said,
"If you support equality, then you're a feminist. Sorry to tell you".
