What if I told you there was a lie being spread throughout our world that was both poisoning our very society and challenging our individual liberties? Would you believe me?
Well if it’s a “no”, you should—and here’s the lie: “Misogyny no longer exists.”
Misogyny is the idea of hatred, distrust or general prejudice against women. It’s very easy to believe that this no longer exists, simply because things have gotten better for women, and society no longer views women as inherently inferior. Or at least we don’t think we do. Many people think women have leveled themselves with men,that they have gained relative equality and are no longer in need of feminism or any similar ideologies. But the truth is far more complex than that.
Recently, with the scandal with Brock Turner — who received three months in jail after he was convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman — there has been uproar about the general crime of rape. There has been outrage about victim-blaming, protecting rapists and judicial views on rape. Brock Turner’s case is not the only example, which is proof that misogyny still exists. The judge in the Brock Turner case didn’t consider the female victim to be equal to the male rapist. He believed that protecting a male “Stanford swimmer” was more important than the well-being of a brutally victimized female. In a 2014 case (that has recently come to the spotlight), a Canadian judge asked a female rape victim, “Why couldn’t you just keep your knees together?” in response to her testimony of being raped over a bathroom sink. After the judge acquitted the rapist, he then told the rapist, “Tell your friends, your male friends, that they have to be far more gentle with women. They have to be far more patient. And they have to be very careful. To protect themselves, they have to be very careful.” Yet again, the protection of the male perpetrator is more important than the female victim. So yes, misogyny does still exist. And therefore, feminism is still needed.
While many female celebrities consider themselves feminists, there are quite a few who do not. While not being a feminist is a valid choice, what’s upsetting is that many of them say they consider themselves “humanists” or “equalists.” They claim that they believe in equal rights for both men and women. So what’s the issue with this statement? The issue is that what they are describing is feminism. It may seem like just a label, like it doesn’t matter what we call it as long as we believe in the same things. But the truth is that by refusing to use the word feminist, we are furthering the idea that women are inferior. We are perpetuating the belief that both men and women face the same issues. We are rejecting the very idea that misogyny still exists.
The truth of the matter is that while issues are improving, misogyny is still an issue and feminism is still needed. So to Kim Kardashian, Carrie Underwood, Katy Perry and the many other female celebrities to whom so many young girls and women look up :stop shying away from the term “feminist.” Stop perpetuating the idea that it is a dirty word or that it is too harsh of a label. Accept the fact that being a feminist simply means we need to do more work in order for women to be truly equal with men. Recognize that being a feminist does not mean you hate menor believe that men are the root of the problem. Misogyny is the problem. And misogyny definitely still exists.