I see problematic tweets and Facebook posts about feminism almost every day, and, as a feminist, it is exhausting. This is the one the other day that really pushed my buttons and fueled my energy into writing this article.
Yes, feminism, like any other group, has its extremists who taint the name of feminism and what we are actually trying to do. There are people claiming to be feminists who think all men are pigs and that women are superior and that men are worthless and that we should just eat them all and start a purely female race… OK, no. That’s not what feminism is, and that’s not what most feminists think feminism is. It's not about women seeking superiority.
The pure definition of feminism is “the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.” That’s all it is! So simple! Wow. So, guess what? If you believe in the equality of the sexes, then you’re a feminist. None of that “I’m not a feminist, but…” No, if you believe in the equality of the sexes, then you are a feminist. Feminism is purely us women wanting to be taken seriously and treated as equals. We don’t want to destroy men or eat them, or anything else ridiculous like that. We just want to be equals. We want to be taken seriously. We want violence against women to stop. We want equal pay. We want to not be objectified and taken advantage of.
So many men and women alike are ashamed to call themselves feminists because of the “feminist” extremists that give our movement a bad name, but every group has its problematic extremists and we need to look past that because actual, real feminism is so important whether people realize it or not. Girls: if it were not for feminism, you would not have the right to vote, you wouldn’t have greater access to education, you would not have the right to own property, you would not have the right to make personal decisions regarding your pregnancy, and there are so many other things to be thankful with feminism for.
Also, feminism is for men, too! Feminism is for the equality of both sexes. Feminism is here to tell men that you don’t have to prove your masculinity all the time, that it’s OK to cry, that you don’t have to be a “man’s man” all the time, that it’s okay to be sensitive. It’s here to help male victims of rape and domestic violence. Feminism is here to protect men too. All men and women suffer from the traditional gender system. Feminism challenges and tries to change that. Pure, non-extremist feminism is beneficial to everyone.
