I am a woman, and I am in no way proud to be one. It has taken me years to get to this point, I was not always like this. When I was younger, although I still am very young, I believed that I was able to achieve whatever I set my mind to; that I could be a CEO or a world-renowned surgeon. My mother instilled in me the belief that I could do anything, that I was meant for amazing things. She was not wrong, I am meant to do something great, but it will never be as a CEO or a world-class surgeon. As a woman, I’m not designed to reach that level of success; society has made it impossible for me. It goes without saying that I want to be that successful, but I now know that it’s unattainable in the political and cultural climate that I currently live in.
As a woman in the 21st century I still have to fight for rights concerning my body, pay more for products entitled ‘luxuries’ that are anything but a luxury, and get paid less than my male counterparts but still be expected to spend countless amounts of dollars on expensive products so we can fit into society’s image of what a woman should look like. As a woman, I have a moment every day where I think “it would be so much easier to be a man.” I realize that there are millions of women who live in a worse situation than I do; these women can not vote, express themselves creatively, have their own possessions, or have rights over their own bodies. I feel for these women and I fight the good fight so, not only are my rights protected, these women who have no rights are being fought for too.
However, there have been many women speaking out in response to the Women’s March phenomenon that happened, globally, on January 21st. These women want their peers to know that they already feel equal, that they don’t want to be swept up into a feminist culture, and that feminists need to calm down and realize that they already have a great life. They believe feminism means fighting against men so women can become the superior gender in society. They believe that their ignorance will keep them safe from the hardships other women are facing just down the block from them. I value everyone’s opinion; if you’re a woman and you don’t feel oppressed, that’s fine. I still respect you and I still respect your opinion, just like many other people would too.I have to draw a line, however, when these opinions are rooted in factually incorrect information.
You don’t want to be a feminist? That’s fine, but don’t be one because you believe feminism means that women are in a fight against men. Feminism is a fight for equality of all genders, sexualities, and religions; it is not about becoming superior, it’s only about everyone becoming equal in society. While there are some women who are feminists because they want to be better than men, they do not represent the movement accurately; just like how not all Trump supporters are racist, sexist, and homophobic but there are some that are, and those are the voices the public hears.
Do you feel equal? That’s great, but if you aren't taking into account the fact that men still exert some control over your body, women are taxed for tampons while men can purchase tax-free Viagra, and the U.S has one of the largest wage gaps between men and women on the labor force, then you don’t know all of the facts.I respect all women and their opinions, but it’s hard to listen to ladies who don’t know all of the facts and continue to make accusations based on incorrect information.
