All feminists will tell you that in order for us to ever reach true gender equality, the burden can’t be only on women—men need to step up to the plate as well. Thankfully, Stephen Curry seems to recognize that, as he wrote a powerful essay on gender equality for The Players’ Tribune.
The Golden State Warriors player has clearly been thinking about gender equality for a long time: he opens his essay, titled “This Is Personal”, by talking about his two daughters, Riley and Ryan, who are six and three years old, respectively. It’s understandable that parenthood causes many adults to think about the future of their society, which their kids are growing up in. And when your kids will grow up to be women, the problems that women have to face come into much sharper focus—for mothers, but especially for fathers—than they would have otherwise.
However, Curry clarifies that “I think it’s important that we all come together to figure out how we can make [equal pay for men and women] possible, as soon as possible. Not just as ‘fathers of daughters,’ or for those sorts of reasons. And not just on Women’s Equality Day. Every day—that’s when we need to be working to close the pay gap in this country.”
This is personal. https://t.co/PbJlSk95R3
— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) August 26, 2018
This “fathers and daughters” note is important—many have criticized men for basing women’s self-worth on their relations to men (“I’m a feminist because I love my mother” or “I’m a feminist because I have daughters”).
Of course, Curry does go on to shout out his mother Sonya, and his wife Ayesha, but at least he’s self-aware enough to know that his feminism shouldn’t depend on his relationship to women.
And though it can be easy for men to claim they want gender equality and then do nothing about it, Curry seems to know that performative male feminism is not enough, as he then discusses the time he hosted a basketball camp for 200 girls, which included a Q&A with successful women in the sports and business fields (which are largely male-dominated). Curry even calls the camp the “first annual” one, as he plans to host it again in coming years and to keep combating the barriers that female athletes face.
“And while that moment was satisfying,” he writes, “I’m not even close to satisfied. In fact, I’m feeling more driven than ever—to help out women who are working toward progress, in any way that I can. Let’s work to close the opportunity gap. Let’s work to close the pay gap. And let’s work together on this.”
For his part, Curry plans to start with the raising of his son, Canon, to know that “to be a true supporter of women’s equality—it’s not enough anymore to be learning about it. You have to be doing it.”
I couldn’t agree more.