In recent years, months, and, most significantly, weeks, the feminist movement has blown up like never before. For some wild reason, many people still don’t understand what is so wonderful about feminism. I am here, today, to offer you some insight into exactly what feminists stand for, in case you don’t already know.
For starters, what is feminism? Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines feminism as “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes”. Simply put, feminism is about ensuring equal, basic human rights for all people. A common misconception is that feminists seek special privileges for women and that they believe men do not deserve benefits of any kind. The anti-feminist group, who often call themselves “meninists”, see feminism as a threat to their fragile masculinity and their straight-white-male privileges. Though no arguments against feminism actually hold any water, there are several common reasons people tend not to support the movement toward justice.
The first anti-feminist concern is a general disapproval from others. Due to a widespread misunderstanding of what feminism really means, there can tend to be a negative disposition toward feminists in many communities. In essence, those who lack an understanding of the definition of feminism tend to contribute to the judgement that feminists are radical hooligans. Fun fact, there is no such thing as a radical feminist. What is radical about acknowledging that women are people too? Feminism is in no way a movement to prove women are superior. Instead, feminists believe every human deserves the same fair chance, no matter what groups he or she belongs to.
People who do not approve of feminism may also fail to think of issues that do not directly affect them, making the second meninist argument ignorance. For many straight white men, for example, the issues challenged by feminists do not have a direct impact and may not seem real. However, in order to form a cohesive and united society, which is a core value in the country we live in, it is vital to seriously consider the needs and concerns of others. It is simply illogical to claim that one group can make decisions for and about another without any collaboration whatsoever.
Far too many people believe that women do have the same opportunities as men, today, or at the very least that women's opportunities have improved so much in recent years that they have nothing to complain about. This misconception is dangerous. Yes, it is seriously important to recognize the improvements that have occurred in the past 100 years, but past progress is no reason to settle or give up now. The strides that have been made in the past must serve as inspiration for future growth and global impact.
It is also important to recognize that, while women do have many professional opportunities in today's world, they are proven to be significantly less available and harder to achieve than opportunities for men. Women have to work much harder for much less frequent promotions then men, and if they are lucky enough to secure elite positions, or any position for that matter, they can be pretty confident that they will earn less for their work than a man would.
The professional example, though significant, encompasses only one of many areas of concern for women. Another major issue exists in the very complex world of medicine. To be brief, women have very different medical needs than men and often find themselves at a disadvantage as far as health is concerned. The medical world is heavily dominated by men and women struggling to get their voices heard and to feel secure in the quality and mere existence of aid that matters to them. Men do not and will never be able to fully understand the concerns of women and should, therefore, neither disregard nor make decisions for them.
Meninists have one other justification for their beliefs: that they are simply sexist. I do not believe that all opponents to feminism are sexist, as many truly are victims of misunderstanding or judging communities. Many anti-feminists, however, truly do believe that women don’t deserve rights. Some are afraid of women becoming dominant to men. Though this would make for a negative situation and is not at all what feminists want, this mindset is actually sexist. The fear of feminine advantage shows both ignorance of the unfair advantages for men throughout history and an inability to accept power in women.
Another group of meninists are so anti-woman that they are not even willing to accept what feminists actually want: equality. Sadly, many Americans today are still stuck in a horrifyingly outdated mindset that women (or any minority, for that matter) are not smart enough, strong enough, or deserving of the same kinds of benefits enjoyed by straight white men. This is entirely absurd. Anyone who has ever met a woman should be able to confidently confirm that women, as a group, are no more competent than men, as a group. Every person, regardless of sex, has virtually the same likelihood of being smart, strong, or creative; having ideas; or making an impact.
It is nearly impossible to give a logical argument against feminism, so why on earth not be feminist?
You are probably familiar with the dictionary definition of feminism, which is damn-similar to the description of feminism given by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in her TEDxEuston talk which was featured in Beyoncé’s “***Flawless”. This is just one of very many feminism trends in popular culture, today. In light of recent events, feminism has blown up more than ever before.
The recent Women’s Marches across the globe are some of the most impactful statements in the spotlight right now. With these powerful events came the explosion of trends like the pink hats worn at many of the rallies. The creative signs made by participants of the marches have become wildly popular online and have been a medium by which a vast number of beliefs have been spread rapidly. Now, more than ever, it is clear that feminists are passionate, serious about their concerns, and proving to the world that what they believe is correct. With the vast popularity of the feminist movement today, how could one genuinely argue that feminists are objectively wrong.
I simply have nothing bad to say about feminism. It is becoming a wildly popular belief because what feminists stand for just makes sense. If you are uncomfortable with the label, just ditch it and opt be considerate of others. If you care about yourself, your country, your fellow citizens, and any women in your life, then you should have no problem actively supporting the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.
