Recently, a friend came across an article titled “I’m an 18-Year-Old Female and I Will Never Be a Feminist.” A satirical piece, we all thought it would be; however, to our utter dismay, this ‘18-year-old female’ spoke from a complete stance of privilege. The only reason this ‘18-year-old female’ was able to post what she did was solely due to feminist leaders of history: women’s suffrage leaders who advocated until they were blue in the face to give women the right to vote in 1920; Eleanor Roosevelt showed Americans that a lady can do more than simply host and entertain guests in the home; Marlene Dietrich challenged fashion in the 1930’s by wearing trousers and suits on TV and in public, even almost being arrested! Women like this, a feminist this ‘18-year-old female’ never wants to be, is what gave women today the freedom to go to school, have a life outside the house, and have the same opportunities as men. And it is current day leaders like Malala Yousafzai and Emma Watson who continues to fight for girls and women to have the same rights as their male counterpart in developing countries.
There is a misconception that a feminist is a certain one thing, or feminists raise themselves above men, but in reality, we are just a group of people who want equality between genders. I am not okay with this “18-year-old female who will never be a feminist” making $0.70 for every man’s $1; I am not okay with her health care being dictated by committee of men; I am not okay girls in other nations being denied fundamental rights. And this ‘18-year-old female’ shouldn’t be either.
I am a feminist and I support different opinions, but I do not condone ignorance. Just to prove that feminists are not just one thing, here is a list of women, college students to moms, completing the sentence, “I am a feminist and…”
“I’m a feminist and I vote!”
“I’m a feminist and I support male feminists.”
“I am a feminist and I love to wear heels”“I’m a feminist and I don’t hate men”
“I am a feminist and I believe in equal rights for all people”
“I’m a feminist and I love being a woman.”
“I’m a feminist and I shave my armpits.”
“I’m a feminist and a nasty woman!”