Feminism is a complex concept. You may (hopefully) already identify as a feminist, but you might want to know what you could do better. If you don’t identify as feminist, give the list below a look nevertheless and see whether deep down your own ideology actually might resonate with what we call feminism.
1. Feminism is an idea with many names.
First things first, feminism, as understood in this context, is a theory and ideology about gender equality. But somehow feminism is for many a “dirty word”, and it’s not unusual to hear things like “Yes, I support gender equality, but I wouldn’t call myself a feminist.” Feminism becomes associated with slurs like “feminazi” or worse. One solution would be to simply abandon ship and choose a new word to describe people who believe in the equality of genders. That, however, would not fix the problem – eventually that new word, too, would be stained by faulty associations. Thus it is the associations that must be dealt with. In 2014 Emma Watson gave an inspiring speech at the UN: “We are struggling for a uniting word,” she said, referring to the problematic associations of the word feminist. “But the good news is that we have a uniting movement.” If someone supporting gender equality prefers to use another term, let them do so. Stop fighting about the name and focus on what you want to achieve.
2. Feminism supports all femininity.
Yes, women are just as capable as everybody else! You can’t say a woman can’t fix a car because of her gender or that she should become a nurse instead of a doctor. Then again, you don’t have to burn a bra and stop shaving your armpits even if you’re a feminist. You can still dedicate yourself to your family instead of focusing on a professional career. You can keep watching cheesy boy-meets-girl romcoms. This does not mean you’re less feminist than others. Likewise, the idea of “strong female characters” in works of fiction doesn’t have to mean they all have to possess qualities usually associated with men and masculinity. Another thing that should not exist is a situation where the Western model of feminism has to be imposed over other cultures in a form of the “white man’s burden”. The French burkini ban in 2016 can be argued to be one such incident, even though authorities tried to justify it on the basis of burkinis being a symbol of Islamic extremism (which they are not).
Gender equality does not mean forcing people into a unisex mold. It means you have the right to be equal in terms of opportunities you are given and the behaviour that is expected from you. Whether you yourself want to take those opportunities is another matter. The important thing is that you keep fighting for the right of other women to pursue careers in male-dominated fields or ditch the high heels, even if you’re not into that yourself. Let men become homemakers and cry in public: while many wouldn’t do that even if given the right, it is a relief to many others to have the freedom of choice.
3. Feminism supports all genders.
It should be recognized that men also need feminism. Men, too, face prejudice and weird social norms because of their gender. If you’re male, you are less likely to get custody for your child. If said child is a boy, they are less likely to be successful in school than if they were a girl. Male rape and sexual abuse of men is still largely considered a myth and victims who are brave enough share their story are ridiculed for it. The fight for the rights of one gender should not diminish the needs of another.
However, even more forgotten than men, are people whose gender identity does not match their biological sex or does not fit in the male/female binary. Talk about feminism easily becomes a discussion about comparing men and women, women and men, all while forgetting to even mention transgender and non-binary individuals. On one hand, more people than before are aware of non-binary and transgender identities – on the other hand, the phrase “did you just assume my gender?” has become something of a joke, as if a non-binary identity is nothing more than a way of seeking attention. This is still something we need to work on. Even if we laugh at memes like “I sexually identify as an attack helicopter”, we must recognize that while for many the link between sex and gender is obvious and inevitable, some people really do find assumptions about their gender hurtful. Those of us who feel comfortable in our bodies cannot pretend to know what it feels like. The key, then, is understanding and trying to become aware of issues that do not concern us directly.
4. Feminism supports all ethnicities and cultures.
Related to the above, there exists something called white feminism. Since white people in general are treated differently from people of colour, it follows that the treatment differs even in terms of sexism. This must be recognized as a problem. White feminism closely connected to racism, whether conscious and active racism, or unintentional and unconscious biases that result in incidents such as #OscarsSoWhite in 2016 (which was fortunately somewhat remedied in 2017). And skin colour is not all it’s about. In fact, “people of colour” is a problematic umbrella term for all “non-whites”, and ethnicity goes beyond colour. What stereotypes do the Finnish have about, say, Russians or Romanians living in Finland?
Colour-blindness in terms of ethnicity can be good but it can also lead to ignorance of existing problems, since I don’t actually know what it would feel like to have another ethnicity. Again, understanding and educating yourself is key and, at the very least, won’t hurt anybody. If men can be asked to fight for women’s rights and vice versa, then surely it is reasonable enough to expect people of the ethnic majority to stand up for the minority.
5. Feminism is never “not needed anymore”.
This is perhaps the most important thing of all. We think things are okay and yes, compared to how they were they are. Women in Finland have had the right to vote since 1906. Sex-reassignment is a legal (albeit complicated) procedure. But we still have ways to go in terms of transgender rights. Outside of Finland there’s even more work to do. And even if the impossible happened and all genders became equal, there’s no time to take things for granted. There will always be people who want to change things back to how they were, leaders who rise to power in spite of their anti-feminist agendas, and feminists can’t sit by and watch it happen. It’s a fight we’re part of even if we’re not on the frontlines, even if we do not possess political power ourselves. Discuss the issues, stay updated, and support the people around you.