It's undeniable being a "feminist" is trendy nowadays. The word "feminism" surrounds a lot of hot-button issues like workplace sexual harassment. More and more celebrities make a show out of labeling themselves as a feminist. It's that, or fall behind.
Even in the microcosm of the Odyssey, every other article on Odyssey starts "Dear Feminists...", or some other equally self-righteous decry of the feminist movement. The writers of these articles feel by swimming against the flow of this river, they are somehow more enlightened. Yet aren't above it all, they are below.
Always, these articles are blatantly misinformed, incohesive, full of holes. They just make you scratch your head as you try to figure out how of it makes sense.
Yet the question begs to be answered. Why would women reject a moment that seeks to empower women?
Yes, they are misinformed and misunderstand. However, these women, who are conservative more often than not, feel it is feminism that misunderstands them.
The feminist movement is not beyond problems or reproach. It is hard for a woman who considers herself to "traditional" to feel included in these spaces, especially with so unapologetic displays of female sexuality. A big part of modern-day western feminism is about reclaiming sexuality, and doing away with "Scarlet A" mentality society has towards women and sex.
All the while, men gain status from having sex with women, get bully those who give it up too easily. However, women who reject sex are prudish. Women, especially young women, are forced to exist in this harmful dichotomy. While the feminist movement focuses tries to own the word "slut," women who fall on the other end of that spectrum feel they're being told they have to be the way to represent their gender.
The same logic applies to women who enjoy housework and aspire to be mothers. They feel feminism is making feel like they're doing their gender a disservice.
However, while women who are "traditional" in either sense are definitely underrepresented in the movement, at its core, feminism is empowering women to be as unapologetic and live with as little expectations as men. It's about annihilating gender roles entirely and living a life that's truly free. No constant second-guessing, no dichotomies like slut-prude, male-female. No more: "I hear she's a slut", "You're never gonna get a man dressed like that.", "Why don't you want to wear a little makeup?", and "Oh, she's just a housewife." These are things never have to worry about, or hear.
Another common argument against feminism is "Women aren't discriminated against today in the west. They can drive, own property, and vote." This is not true. Those quotes are examples of microaggressions. A microaggression is,"a statement, action, or incident regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group." Women may have trouble identifying these because they're so used to hearing them. They're resigned to think that's the way it is.
Now, one might say, "Oh, that's not that bad. It just hurts your feelings. It's not a right's issue." Not only do they cause lasting psychological damage, but they're a slippery slope. For example, teachers often take male students answers more seriously than female students. That teacher probably isn't a raging woman hater, but society has coded him in a way he can't help. The same is true of the workplace: females are not taken as seriously as males in the workplace.
For example, when someone sees a male nurse in a female-dominated field, they're shocked, awed, and condemn him. He might receive preferential treatment from patients and co-workers. When a female is a computer programmer, she is seen as a "token" and has to prove herself, unlike males. Females contributions not taken seriously also perpetuates the wage gap (a.k.a. The Big Problem.)
Finally, they're jarred by what they perceive to be hysterical man-hating radicals. In the age of the internet, they fail what is a satire from what is authentic. They don't see the parallels between the anti-feminist hyperbole in conservative homes and on the internet, from the hyperbole used against the Suffragettes (And yes, they were women back then who said they didn't want the right to vote, too), and use that to inform their conceptions of feminism.
In fact, the word parallels the word liberal. They're the same arguments. Feminists/Suffragettes are man-haters, ugly, single, gonna destroy the home, etc. Because of the competitive culture society fosters for women, they don't want to be one of those girls. They want to be above it.
It's undeniable, women face struggles men don't. Women are constantly put down by society and forced to second-guess each of their decisions. Feminism is about not only about the greater fight for equality but also about finding empowerment within oneself. Female empowerment is all about own who you are, whoever you may be, and feminism is not a dirty word. It's something we should all embrace.
