For the past week, I've seen countless Facebook friends sharing articles titled, "I'm not a feminist," or something of the sort. I can understand where some of my male friends would say this, unfortunately, but it utterly confuses me when I come across a woman who is a self-proclaimed "non-feminist."
As a non-feminist, do you know the correct definition of feminism? If you don't understand something, you really can't take an accurate stance on the matter. According to Oxford Dictionary, the definition of feminism is, "The advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men." In simple terms, feminism is the radical belief that women and men should have the same rights. It's not about women being better than men. It's not the belief that women should act one certain way or hold one certain set of values. Really, feminism is the opposite of that.
Feminism is the idea that you should be able to make your own decisions, be treated like a person, and be valued just as a man is. Feminism is belief in the freedom to choose whether you have a career or stay at home as a mom and wife. It means you have the right to be paid the same amount as the man you work with in your field. Feminism is about a woman's right to choose, and to not have those decisions made for her in one way or another.
I've got some good news for you; if you agree with any one of those things I just mentioned, you're a feminist. Being a feminist doesn't mean you have to agree with abortion or go out and dedicate your life to picketing for women's rights; these are some strong misconceptions many people have about feminism. You can be a feminist without being radical or agreeing with every other woman's decisions. You just have to believe that every woman has the right to make those decisions in regard to their life, just like you.
To me, it doesn't make sense when a woman says she isn't a feminist. Do you not believe your autonomy is important? Do you want to be forced into being a stay-at-home housewife, or, on the flipside, a demanding career you don't want? Do you want some man making every decision for you? Do you want to make 77 cents for every dollar your husband makes? I don't think so.
Any way you slice it, a woman benefits from feminism. Whether it's a choice in what job you have, whether you take birth control or not, or whether you get a college education, these are choices we all have a right to. We should not be limited in our personhood based on the fact that we aren't men. In fact, some of the most influential individuals in the United States today are, in fact, women. When you say you aren't a feminist, you're saying you don't believe in these women's right to choose their influential career paths as senators, actresses, or business-people. When there are so many great women making a difference in society, we need feminism more than ever, so we can continue to make that difference in the future.
I urge you to reconsider your "non-feminist" status. If you still don't understand feminism, learn more about it. There are great resources on the internet. Even the Wikipedia page for the feminist movement provides some great, non-biased information on what feminism really is. The bottom line is, without feminism, women still wouldn't have the right to vote, work, or even dress how they want. Feminism is important, and will continue to be so until society recognizes that, yes, women are people too.
