I am thrilled to be a new writer for Pace University’s HerCampus chapter where I can use this platform to voice my thoughts about what’s happening on campus and beyond. In my constant attempt to stay up to date and engaged in current events, feminism is something that I have been especially eager to write about, with the end goal of hopefully educating my audience. As an individual who has a passion for political and social justice issues, I have noticed on many occasions how quick people are to shoot down the idea of feminism, claiming they are not a feminist. A common theme I noticed, is that many people do not know the true definition of a feminist and the beliefs behind the theory. Seeing as it is difficult to find raw and unbiased news nowadays, this is understandable. Unless you are taught the facts through independent research or a class, it is easy to hear skewed ideas and ultimately agree although there is a lack of knowledge.
Last semester, I took Intro to Women and Gender Studies with Dr. Emily Bent and was taken back by the amount of fundamental information I was learning about our country’s history for the first time. We analyzed how the majority of us were never taught about women’s suffrage or the women’s rights movements, which stems back to the 1800’s, in our middle school and high school curriculum. Prior to the passing of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which grants women the right to vote, women were not considered citizens- we were property. I gained a deep; eye-opening understanding of the history behind dozens of inequalities that are prevalent in our country today.
So, what is feminism after all?
Feminism is defined as the belief in the political, economic and social equality of men and women. It is an interdisciplinary and intersectional approach to eliminating injustices in the areas of one’s ability, class, gender, race, sex and sexuality. Feminism is inclusive and global and prioritizes the important notion that the recognition and understanding of your own privileges vs. others is essential in order to successfully achieve these goals.
Does one have to be a woman in order to be a feminist?
I hear this too often- many men; women as well, do not think they can or should be feminists. Let’s make this simple: do you believe in the equality of men and women? If so, you are a feminist! Not all feminists want to run around the streets with their shirts above their heads screaming, “FREE THE NIPPLE!” nor do we despise men or find it offensive for a man to offer to pay for a meal or drink on a date. These are common misconceptions. There are dozens of types of feminist theories with different viewpoints but, to dig a little deeper into this topic, here are the two most common types of feminism: radical and liberal.
Radical feminists typically reject our current government system and argue that men and the male interest is to dominate it (which is not productive for women who are trying to rise up to the level of men in all aspects of life). They focus on the individual and the private lives of women such as, issues that stem from family, home life and domestic violence, sexuality; etc. Liberal feminists believe in the viability of our current system and work within it to create change. They focus more on politics, the legal system and education. Regardless of these two subcategories, a few of the main issues feminism as a whole works to accomplish are, reproductive rights and justice, economic justice, ending violence against women, racial justice, LGBTQ rights and workplace issues such as: sexual harassment, equal pay and paid family leave.
Many argue that the need for feminism is no longer necessary because women have seen huge accomplishments in the workforce, home, education, etc., and are now equal to men. I counter-argue this. Yes, women have made remarkable triumphs since the 1800’s and it is important that we continuously acknowledge and celebrate these accomplishments, as well as all the kick-ass women before us who fought for the equalities and freedoms we do have today. However, there is still so much left to be accomplished. Anytime stereotyping, objectification, infringements of human rights, or intersectional oppression occurs, it is a feminist issue.
I hope you learned a thing or two from my article and perhaps can now proudly call yourself a feminist. NEVER be afraid to voice your beliefs, nor be afraid to stand up for those whose voices cannot be heard. I sure as heck am not. Thanks for reading!
Xoxo,
Ali
*** All information was taken from my notes from WGS 115 with Dr. Bent. ☺