Most people who hear the word “feminism” instantly roll their eyes. “I don’t believe in all of that not-wearing-bras, not-shaving-your-legs stuff.” Or they say, “Feminism is women wanting to be better than men without working for it.” There are far too many people on this earth who truly believe in feminism, but don’t consider themselves “feminist” because the word itself favors women over men. However, there is a push to rename the fight for equal rights among the genders. Instead of calling it “feminism,” why not call it “humanism?”
Feminism, at its core, is the fight for men and women to have equal rights. Feminism is not the extremists who burn bras, walk around shirtless with “Free the Nipple” posters, or who believe that a woman with a Bachelor’s degree working at the bottom of the totem pole should get a CEO job over a man with a Doctorate. Feminism is NOT favoring men over women. Feminism’s purpose in the very beginning was simply to give women the right to vote. Now, we are far removed from that original intent.
Many feminists at the end of the spectrum actually don’t want the same rights as men. For example, men, at the age of 18, are required by law to sign up for the draft. Women are not. There are women who want the same pay as men, the same opportunities, the same treatment, but they don’t want to sign up for the draft. When it’s time to put their beliefs into action, they choose not to. These are the women giving feminism a bad name.
But thankfully, there is a way to save the fate of feminism. It’s called “humanism.” There are three main reasons saying “humanism” is more likely to be successful than saying “feminism.” One of those reasons is that “humanism” doesn’t take men out of the equation. Our fight for equal rights shouldn’t exclude men, instead it should welcome them. We are not fighting for women to climb to the top, instead we want to share the spotlight. We want to be paid the same amount as men if we have the same credentials. We want to be treated equally and fairly. Men, this does some good for you!
Equal and fair treatment means that all genders sign up for the draft at 18. Equal and fair treatment means that fathers have six-week paternity leave when their baby is born. Equal and fair treatment means that rather than asking for more for women, we simply ask for the same. Let’s use food as an example: we’re not asking for an extra helping of mashed potatoes, we just want one that’s the same size as the guy next to us.
The second reason that saying “humanism” is more likely to be successful is because it changes the image. If you ask any man on the street what a feminist looks like you will hear the image of an “unattractive” woman who is whining about nothing. Rather than putting an already tarnished label on ourselves, why not get the word out with a whole new name. Ask anyone on the street what a humanist looks like and the descriptions are endless: black, white, male, female, old, young, etc. Just by changing the word, instantly, you have opened yourself up to a whole new audience.
Finally, when we say “humanism” as opposed to “feminism,” the focus shifts from the bra-burners to the people who are actually trying to make a difference. As a humanist myself, my main focus is not fighting for equal pay or anything of that nature. My main focus is opening people’s eyes to rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, and rape culture. I’d rather earn my 70 cents to the man’s dollar if I could guarantee that more rapists, child molesters, and abusers end up behind bars. But, if I call myself a feminist before expressing these views, half of my listeners won’t hear me.
I understand that not everyone views feminism in a harsh light and that not every feminist is an extremist. But let me tell you a story. I once introduced myself to a guy I was trying to get to know. Through this process, I made the statement, “I’m a feminist.” My statement was met with eye rolls, sighs, and disgruntled responses. Once he allowed me the time to share my views, he realized that he believed everything I believed in. But he still had a problem calling himself a feminist.
I couldn’t understand that until I realized that my views, my beliefs, and my passions included men too. Our fight may have started for women’s right to vote, but it shouldn’t end there. Instead, I hope that humanists take up their torch and fight for equal rights. I hope that humanists fight for equal pay among all genders and races. I hope we encourage all victims of rape and sexual assault to speak out, male or female. I hope we continue to strive for a world where everyone can be considered equal – truly equal to one another.
