Feminism is the advocacy of equal rights among the people; specifically fighting against gender inequality and gender stereotypes created by society. To some people, the feminist movement is a lost cause. Lost is defined as having perished; it's expired, it is no more. Right now, our society is arguing that feminism is lost, perished, or an expired social movement because we simply don't need it; America has reached the pinnacle of gender equality. Sadly, this idea snuck its way into our country's media and minds. I am here to tell you that the fight for gender equality has not expired and it never disappeared. It's true, women have the right to vote, women have obtained the right to have a legal abortion; we can create careers for ourselves without feeling poorly judged by society. But just because women CAN do countless things that we were incapable of achieving over a century ago, doesn't mean the fight is over. Let me show you a few things third-wave feminists are advocating for today.
We are fighting for the rights to our bodies
What do I mean by that? Abortion laws, for instance. Regardless of if you are pro-choice or pro-life, you should have the right to make choices for your own self and well being. 38 states require women to receive counseling before an abortion and 28 of these states require a female to wait at least 24 hours after visiting an abortion clinic before receiving the abortion. People say these laws grant a lady time to think about her decision and make sure she is doing the right thing. However, what this really means is the government doesn't believe a woman knows her body or situation (financial, social, ex.) better than they do. Implying, that women aren't smart enough to make such a big decision without more time to contemplate the situation. This is neither fair, nor just. If a woman wants to abort something evolving within her body, she should be able to do it when and how she desires. If a woman does not believe in abortion, she shouldn't have to get one. It is as simple as that.
Female sexuality is another point. If a girl has too much sex, she is labeled as whore, slut, or thot. If she is not having enough sex, she is labeled as a snob. If you see a girl wearing a low cut top, people say she's asking for the cat calls she receives. If she is wearing an ankle length skirt, people call her a prude. You don't believe things like this take place in our society? You believe men receive the same treatment? Take a look at the two photos below:
What kind of words do you think the media used to describe these two photos? Well, Hollywood life describes Nick Jonas' picture as "Nick Jonas Grabs Himself & Flaunts Butt In Sexy New Shoot." Now, I will not deny it, the third JoBro looks fantastic as always. He wasn't ridiculed by the media or his fans. Quite the opposite, he was glorified. There is nothing wrong with that, but there is something wrong about how people treated Zendaya after the picture above was published on the cover of Wonderland magazine. The public and media jumped down the young star's throat, saying it was perverted and labeled it as "controversial." Tell me how that is fair? Women, when it comes to sexuality or self-expression through one's body, are not equal to our male counterparts. Where does the name calling and shaming end? The answer, is when education on equal rights begins.
Equality within the work force
I have wonderful news to report! Women are now welcomed with open arms into the workforce; we are historians, engineers, scientists, social workers, among other things. However, the exciting news news is balanced out with an unacceptable reality. The wage gap is not a myth, it still exists, and it has a negative impact within the female work force. Women earn 84% of what men earn, according to factcheck. They claim this gap is created when researchers unfairly calculate a female's college degree or vacation without pay in comparison to a full time male with higher qualifications. In other words, the wage gap is generated with false information, therefore the gap is nonexistent. Factcheck blames the female for taking these days without pay or not choosing a higher paying career path. Factcheck might be telling the truth, but they are withholding so much more information than they give to their readers. According to Huffington Post, once women have children, a time consuming choice, she becomes less desired by employers because a stereotypical woman is going to need time off to care for her children. On the contrary, to an employer, a male with children is a more attractive hire than a bachelor. So, is the wage gap because a woman is forced to take a lower paying job because nobody will hire a mother, or because statistically she isn't as qualified as the male she competes against?
Additionally, it has been proven that unmarried women make 95 cents for each dollar. So, this gives females in our society two options; either don't get married and start a family in order to have a successful career (but still make less than a man), or get married and sacrifice the success of your career. Whatever choice a woman makes, feminists will applaud her. But why should women have to make such a tough decision when men can have both?
Females in developing countries
The United States, in comparison to many other countries, is a safe haven for females. Isn't that frightening? Women want to come to a country where they won't be seen as equals because it is better than being denied basic human rights, like education and reproduction. There are many organizations throughout the world designed to help women find a voice in a country that has silenced them since the beginning of time. Some of these organizations include the Center for Reproductive rights, and the Campaign for Female Education (Camfed). We need feminism because the United States is not the only country that still struggles with the idea of gender equality.
Rape-culture is a real threat to women
One in five women will be raped, and a female who attends college, age 18-24, is three times more likely to be raped. If that sentence does not send chills up your spine, you must be cold-blooded. If you know more than five women, statistically speaking, one of them was a victim of sexual assault. Somehow, the women who fall victim to sexual assault are to blame for the actions of a criminal. Victims hold the burden of responsibility for the crime in one hand and all of the physical and emotional damage that accompanies the assault in another.
"She was asking for it, did you see what she was wearing," or "she shouldn't have drank that much" are two examples of excuses that the public makes to defend the guilty party. This leads women to believe they can't dress in a way that makes THEM feel comfortable, because it might give a man the wrong idea. Additionally, if a female drinks, she will automatically be held responsible because she wasn't sober enough to fight off her attacker(s). However, if her attacker is wasted, then it was an accident, not a crime. The blame game doesn't end there. Since a female is afraid of what society might label her as, sometimes she won't come forward and report the crime that was committed. Instead, she keeps all of the emotional and physical trauma to herself in order to prevent public ridicule.
Feminism is an essential element to the growth and betterment of our society. I need it, American culture needs it, the world needs it. The feminist movement began with a meager amount of soapbox speeches geared towards voting rights, and now women are fighting for the right to be recognized equally across all boards. Women who consider themselves a third-wave feminist are battling for their daughters, sons, spouses, and all future generations to come. They are attempting to make life better for their neighbors, allies, and enemies; for cultures dissimilar to ours. Feminists are warriors fighting for social, political, and economic justice for women of all races, ethnicities, and cultures. Ultimately, the words feminism and lost cause can't be placed in the same sentence. We are still fighting and will continue to face conflict head on until every last female receives her equal rights and until every gender experiences equality.
