I am a feminist. Those are probably four words that most girls are scared to say. I only came to this conclusion a couple days ago although it had been playing on my mind for quite a while. Now if you are a proud feminist then I congratulate you but if you're not a feminist, why? Now don't get me wrong I'm not trying to force feminism on to you; but seriously, why? Why aren't you a feminist?
The word feminism, the movement of feminism generally brings to mind the 60s, burning bras and man-hating. But feminism has evolved since then. Feminism is now about not being slut shamed (degrading or mocking women for being sexual), the fact that for every dollar a man makes in the US, a women makes 75 cents or that in certain places in the world we are not allowed to drive.
Perhaps the reason why so many are scared to admit they are a feminist is because of the stereotypes surrounding it. The Oxford Dictionary defines feminism as 'the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes'. Wikipedia says 'Feminism is a collection of movements and ideologies aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights for women'. For any who are slightly mind boggled at the moment here are 5 words that sum it up for you.
DEFENDING EQUAL RIGHTS FOR WOMEN
That is all feminism is about. Many assume that feminism is about women wanting to be better than men, that they want to switch roles so to speak. It's not about being better, it's about being equal. It's not that for every dollar a man makes we want to make 2, we just want to make 1 ... like them thus being EQUAL.
Many feel that feminism is too strong for them ,it's too harsh, that it doesn't apply to them; but it does. In a 2008 poll 37% of women admitted to having experienced harassment in the workplace compared to the 7% of men who admitted to it as well. A lot of people think that harassment is being felt up or being made to feel uncomfortable due to words of sexual nature. Yes it's that but there's also a lot more. Once I had done some research on this it showed me how many of things I personally dismiss as 'banter' or a joke can class as harassment. Now I'm 14 and I go to school with mixed gender students aged 12-16. Yet even at such a young age I'm being faced with this.
I got on the bus yesterday, ready to go home and as I sat down a Year 11 told me to put my leg up " 'cause it's sexy", the day before that the comment was made " do you want to come sit on my lap? My sausage wants to see you". Now I don't feel scared or worried by these comments or particularly offended because this type of thing generally washes over my head but I shouldn't have to deal with this because I am woman. Yesterday in my R.E lesson, after spending an hour talking about racial equality and gender equality, two guys started making comments such as 'all women start wars, women belong in the kitchen, back in the old days husband would beat their wives, we still should.' These are HIGHLY offensive comments and they riled all of the four girls, including me, sitting at our table. In fact we weren't just angry, we were disgusted. Yet other girls found it funny. They were actually laughing at the 'debate' we were having. And this disgusted me even more; because we weren't trying to defend us personally, we were defending all women.
This is why feminism exists because there are too many men and women who find equal rights for women a joke.
A lot of people today argue that feminism does not apply in today's generation. That women are allowed to wear trousers, drive and work. Yes, they are and this is all a result of women standing up for themselves, this is a result of feminism. People say that the genders are equal yet British women on average make 15% less than their male colleagues and that the pay gap, that so many say is so small, is actually on average £10,060. That doesn't seem small, that seems extreme. But when I defend my rights as a woman and say that out loud I'm the extreme one. Women deserve to be treated better. If a guy makes a rude comment to me he is just joking or 'being a boy' yet just think what would be said if , as a woman, I went round stroking guy's thighs and telling them how much I know they want it. I would not only be viewed as disgusting there would be serious consequences but if I was man then it's totally fine.
Well I'm saying it's NOT! I'm saying NO! I'm sick of living in a society where one of the biggest insults in school is being called a girl. I've had enough of hearing about how women were raped and then either told they were lying or that it was their fault. Just because I'm a woman it doesn't mean I can be trampled on. It doesn't mean I should earn less than a guy doing the same job. And it definitely does not mean that I should be called extreme for defending myself.
We live in a society where being a woman is a downfall. And it shouldn't be. All feminists want is to be EQUAL.
