So guys I have a horrible confession to make! I, Adwoa Achiaa Adjare, I’m a feminist. Yes; I believe in gender equality and try to perpetuate this in my everyday life. Some of you are probably thinking, bro, why is that even a bad thing? It’s not! Genuinely I think it’s actually amazing and something which all of us should advocate. However some people unfortunately do not view feminism in such a positive light, and recently have been voicing this on social media through the #WhyIdontneedfeminism trend. The most contradictory thing about these posts is that the individuals claim to not be feminists but believe in gender equality! So why don’t they just call themselves feminists? I mean that’s what the word is there for!
Unfortunately the word feminist today has a lot of negative connotations. In her book We Should All be Feminist, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie revealed that the first time she was called a feminist her friend said it in a tone which one would use when calling someone a terrorist; a threat to society. Of course this is all tongue in cheek, but in a sense there is also some truth in this. Feminism like other notions, theories and world-views is very broad and there are many differing, even conflicting aspects. However the fundamental idea, to quote Gloria Steinem: “A feminist is anyone who recognises the equality and full humanity of women and men”. Such a simple but truly evocative statement that captures all that feminism is. Feminism is not women shouting and raging to be better than their male counterparts, but it is both men and women standing together to eradicate the inequalities patriarchy has forced on them over many centuries; because sometimes we forget that men too suffer as a result of these inequalities.
In writing this article I was intrigued to know what feminism meant to the people around me, so I took to social media, to ask my fellow colleiegettes what feminism meant to them. To quote a few, Eira highlighted that for her feminism means respecting people’s freedom to choose. Freya also stated that for her feminism is very much about looking past gender constraints and achieving equality for both males and females. Lauren added simply, but sassily, that feminism is women not putting other women down.
Personally, I believe feminism is about ending the invisibility of women. On the 24th of October 1975, 90% of all the women in Iceland went on a strike for equal rights. They walked out of their jobs and homes, shutting down the entire country. Of course this got the attention of the men because they could barely cope. The next year parliament passed a law guaranteeing equal pay and five years later Iceland elected Vigdís Finnbogadóttir; the worlds first democratically elected female president. The women of Iceland were sick of being ignored by their nation, they stood up and today Iceland has the narrowest gender gap in the world. Feminism is the radical notion that women are people, whom deserve the same opportunities, dignity and respect offered to men alike.