This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at MBU chapter.
Women have been relentless in their fight for gender equality since the Seneca Falls
Convention led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton in 1848. Another thing that has been just as relentless
is the negative connotation associated with the word “feminism”. According to French feminist
writer Hélène Cixous, women must create their own language in order to redirect the patriarchal
power structure and become more confident with who they are. Whether she means a literal new
language or a metaphorical language is up for discussion, but there are certain feminists in
today’s society that are bringing using their language to educate people all over the world about
gender inequality.
Over the past few years the media has slowly started focusing its attention on the
importance of the recent feminist movement. In August 2014, Taylor Swift said that she has been
a feminist her entire life without exactly knowing what the term feminist actually meant. She
states, “As a teenager, I didn’t understand that saying you’re a feminist is just saying that you
hope women and men will have equal rights and equal opportunities. What it seemed to me, the
way it was phrased in culture, society, was that you hate men. And now, I think a lot of girls
have had a feminist awakening because they understand what the word means.”
It goes without saying that T Swift is one of the most appreciated pop singers of our time
and her voice is literally changing the opinions of millions of people around the globe.
Remember when Katy Perry tried to do the same thing? No? Exactly. She tried, but Taylor
somehow has so much more of an impact. Even Time Magazine has acknowledged her
importance as they put her on the cover of their November 2014 issue. What’s so intriguing
about this cover is that Taylor is portrayed in such a traditionally “masculine” viewpoint. Her
headshot is extremely close with her eyes peering at the audience. This is a power stance. The
cover basically says, “This is Taylor Swift and she is going to sing and dance this world right
into place.”
By this point, many of you might be thinking, “Really? She always sings about her
breakups and she’s always jumping from guy to guy, etc. blah blah,” but the answer is yes! If
you haven’t listened to her newest album 1989 then I highly suggest you stop reading this article
and immediately browse YouTube. Although she does sing about her relationships, her newest
album specifically is about embracing her sexuality and her femininity.
She truly is a role model and one of the few female celebrities that have been successful
in stating her feminist ideals. So let’s celebrate by giving her a round of applause!
So how does this relate to students at Baldwin? This campus is known for its devotion to
making women more confident in being who they are. They don’t call us Boldly Baldwin women
for nothing. Does that make us all feminists? I suppose not. But a common pattern that can be
observed in even the youngest Baldwin student is her passion for justice and equality. So stay
strong and listen to Taylor Swift!