Today, the world often gets mixed messages about what Feminism really is. We'll share and retweet articles that are pro women's rights and talk about how women should receive equal pay. In history we learn about women's suffrage and support women's health reform.
We cheer on actresses like Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Watson as they fight for equal compensation for women who do the same work as men. We expect the same opportunities as men in college, and participate in the same sports and organizations as men in college. So why do so many college women avoid the F-word? Feminism is not a bad word, but it is greatly misunderstood.
Too often I'll hear, "I'm not a feminist or anything," before a friend launches into a discussion about the political campaign. Recently, I read another article, written by a college woman, which explained that she does not identify as a feminist because, "It's OK for women to be stay-at-home mothers." And my response to that is, yes! It is most certainly OK to be a stay-at-home mom! It's also OK to get married and live happily ever after, to wear dresses, to wear makeup and to be whatever you want to be. It's also acceptable to choose not to marry, to choose not to have children and to be the primary breadwinner. It's cool to be a ballet dancer and it's just as cool to play rugby or be a wrestler. It's all perfectly OK.
I think the woman who wrote that article had the wrong message. So, here's the definition of Feminism for those of you who are still wondering.
Feminism: the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.
Feminism is the belief that men and women should be afforded the same opportunities socially, politically and economically. That's it. To put it in simpler terms, you do not need to be female to be a feminist. A feminist is anyone, regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation, who believes that a male and female who have the same job title and work ethic, deserve the same compensation.
Does being a feminist mean we should burn all of our cute dresses and high heels? Absolutely not. Does it mean we should be able to trade in a dress for a pantsuit if we want to and not be judged for it? Yes. Does it mean women should break up with their boyfriends and divorce their husbands? Nope, not unless they want to. Should a man who identifies as a feminist be made fun of for being "feminine?" Nope.
(And in case any of you guys were wondering, Canada's Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, identifies as a feminist and is, at the same time, incredibly good looking).
According to HuffPost Women...
- "In just about every state in the country, Millennial women are more likely than Millennial men to have a college degree, yet Millennial women also have higher poverty rates and lower earnings than Millennial men."
- "Although more women are receiving high school diplomas and completing college than ever before, a considerable proportion of women either do not graduate high school or finish their education with only a high school diploma."
- "By the time a college-educated woman turns 59, she will have lost almost $800,000 throughout her life due to the gender wage gap."
Not so equal anymore, huh? However, despite the obvious reasons I support the notion of feminism and though I do identify myself as a "feminist," I cannot stand the word itself. The word "feminist," first of all, sounds negative, like "racist" or "sexist." Racists are against equality between the races. Sexists are against gender equality. Feminists are not against anything.
In fact, all feminists are for is equal opportunity for women in all areas of human life. Which, to me, sounds undeniably reasonable. Women who identify as feminists aren't against men, they're just for their own unalienable rights to be treated equally and to be respected as intelligent and capable citizens.
I know that encourages the argument that, "If women are equal to men, then why is it not OK to hit a girl?" And to that I say, my friend, your mother is a woman. Would you hit your mother? Your sister? Female friend? Hopefully not. I'm not, nor is any other feminist trying to say that we are anatomically equal to men. Hopefully that's obvious. However, though we lack the testosterone necessary to grow beards and in some cases, have huge muscles, we deserve the opportunities of any man. I sincerely hope that makes sense.
As a feminist, I hate the word feminist. I'm not against men. In fact, I do not deserve the "ist" because I am not against anything. Feminism isn't for the "feminine" only. Feminism is for everyone who believes in equality.
Feminism is for everyone who believes their daughters, sisters and friends should be paid as much as any man, that they deserve to feel safe from harassment in the work environment, safe to try out for any sport team, to not be harassed based on their appearance and to feel good about being a woman.
Feminism shouldn't have to be a word. This shouldn't have to be explained. This is not a radical notion. This is common sense.
