Mention to people that you are a feminist, you will probably get a few dirty looks, some raised eyebrows and the automatic assumption that you are psychotic.. I know because I have experienced it first hand.
Yes. I am a feminist.
No. I do not hate men.
Yes, I support social, economical and political equality between men and women.
No, I am not a bra-burning, armpit-hair-growing radical. Calm down.
I'm not sure when people started thinking that feminism is a bad thing, because it absolutely is not. Feminism is simply the belief that men and women are equal. Feminism is not the belief that women are superior to men, nor is it the belief that men are bad. Despite the fact that men and women have the same freedoms and can both vote, supporting feminism and being a feminist is still absolutely necessary.
Recently America has made a lot of progress when it comes to racism and the acceptance of gay, lesbian and transgender individuals. The fight for equality is all around us, and honestly, I have never been so proud of our country. Unfortunately, there is still one group that is not receiving the attention it deserves. Women.
Today, in 2015, women are making 78 cents to every dollar males make for doing the same exact job. That number is even lower for black women and Latino women, who make 64 cents and 54 cents to a man's dollar, respectively.
When it comes to politics, women are extremely under-represented. Of 435 House representatives, only 84 are women. Of the 100 members of the senate only 20 are women. These numbers are low considering that 50.8 percent of Americans are female. This is unacceptable.
Lawmakers are trying to pass laws that tell women what we can and cannot do with our bodies through laws that put limitations on birth control and abortion. Not only are laws like this ridiculous in my opinion, but they are being deliberated by politicians who are mostly male.
Society, too, tells women what we should do with our bodies. Popular culture teaches females at a young age that women are objects, beauty is power and men are dominant. Society has also created a glass ceiling keeping women from advancing further in their careers due to social norms concerning motherly duties and family. Women are expected to be sexy, but also told to be pure. While men are encouraged to embrace their sexuality, women are not.
So yes. I am a feminist.
I believe women should be paid the same as male counterparts for doing the same job. I believe that women are just as qualified to hold positions in office as men. I believe women should be making choices about their own bodies, not lawmakers. I believe women should continue to aim to break the glass ceiling and have careers in politics, as CEOs, as lawyers and as doctors. I believe women do not need to conform to becoming stay-at-home mothers when building families. I also believe that women who do choose to stay home with their families are just as valuable to society as anyone in the workforce. I believe women should be able to embrace their sexuality however they choose.
If you agree with any of these statements, or if you support the social, political and economical equality between men and women, congratulations, you too are a feminist. Maybe, together, we can break the negative stereotypes of feminism and achieve equality of the sexes once and for all.
