College has opened my eyes to the necessity of feminism in today’s society. I see it in the way men touch me without asking at parties, or the fact that most math and engineering classes are predominately male, and especially in the recent, tragic cases of sexual assault here in Isla Vista. Unfortunately, despite the call for female equality, women and men around the world continue to twist the title of “feminist” into something dirty and shameful.
Last week, a Time magazine interview with Divergent actress Shailene Woodley revealed her thoughts on feminism. She claims that she does not consider herself a feminist, because she “loves men” and believes that women and men should be equal.
Interesting, Shailene. Perhaps you should crack open a dictionary every once in a while. According to the online dictionary, feminism literally means “the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.” Somehow, over the years society has managed to turn feminism into a stereotypical group of man-hating, bra-burning crazy ladies instead of women simply fighting for their equal place in the world. Feminists come in all shapes and sizes: hardcore ladies who don’t shave their pits (hey, props to you!), housewives raising a brood of kiddies, and even uber-masculine men. There are no rules for being a feminist–except that you believe women should be equal to men.
I cannot express how many times I have heard women of all ages firmly insist that they are not feminists; they want to be stay-at-home mothers when they grow up and have no interest in becoming the first female President. What these women don’t understand is that feminism is for everyone and helps everyone. Feminism does not claim that only independent, career-oriented women are important; feminism simply advocates for women’s ability to make choices. Whether that choice is to have five children or to become CEO of your own company is not important, only that you had the choice.
So, I ask women–and men–to join me in proving Shailene Woodley wrong and showing the world what feminism truly means. Shake off your bra-burning stereotypes and fight for women’s equality locally and internationally. Turn the word “feminist” into a label you are proud of. When someone asks you if you are a feminist, say “of course I am!” because otherwise you are telling the world that you believe women are worth less than men. And let me tell you, us feminists of the world won’t stand for that.