A male family member once told me that women are not capable of common sense or common knowledge due to the fact that we are female. I was told that women are not as smart as men or as capable of holding a good job. And then after I spewed off history facts, I was pushed aside and talked over because “my opinion didn’t matter.” He was right. I was wrong. I wanted so bad to prove them wrong. I wanted to show my worth and that I was a person, not to be defined by my anatomical differences. But if you’ve ever dealt with hardcore misogynists, you know that they will just not listen. So, thanks in part to that incident, I actively stand up for women. I am a “raging feminist,” as some friends endearingly call me. But basically, I’m just here to gather my fair share of rights.
I never let anyone hinder me just because I was a girl. I fought back boy classmates when they said that I couldn’t play “Superheroes” with them. I got funny looks when I wanted to be one of the three kings in my first grade nativity pageant instead of Mary or an angel. I flaunted my A+ science test in fourth grade after a girl classmate assumed I wasn’t as smart as my male friend. I played on a co-ed soccer team for three years and surprised a lot of people by knocking a lot of the boys down (sorry!). I didn’t understand why being a girl would warrant all this underestimation, but I was hell-bent on proving them wrong.
However, not every girl in the world can fight like this. Not because they aren’t capable or strong, but because doing so could risk their lives, the lives of others or because they don’t even know they can stand up and fight.
This is why we need feminism.
Some believe that feminism is this crazy, irrational movement where we all get in a powwow, damn men to the seventh circle of hell and braid each other’s armpit hair. Now, while this seems highly appealing, those who believe this are terribly mistaken. Feminism is not about misandry (man-hating) nor is it about rejecting all things female nor is it about having to be feminine. Feminism, wait for it… is the belief in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes. And no I did not get that from a Beyoncé song (although, it’s in there too). That is the definition. Done. That is what a feminist is and what she – or he – believes in.
Some people, including celebrities, don’t want to consider themselves feminists because it’s “too strong of a word” or “has a negative connotation behind it.” But without feminism, women wouldn’t be allowed to vote, own property or apply for credit cards. It would be unheard of to have females in top government positions, as CEOs or as top athletes. Women wouldn’t be allowed to be in the army or be able to make up such a large portion of the college population. Watching powerful women in movies and TV shows wouldn’t be a thing. Goodbye Katniss Everdeen, Tris Prior, Buffy Summers, Peggy Carter and Olivia Pope.
But even though women can now do all these amazing things, we still have a long way to go until we are equal to our male counterparts. There is a 5 to 1 ratio of men to women working on films, with women making up only 9% of directors and 15% of writers in Hollywood. Women only make up 4.6% of CEO positions in S&P 500 companies – that’s only 23 women CEOs out of 500 companies. In the United States military, women make up 14.5% of the 1.4 million members in active-duty force. And out of 976 generals and admirals, only 7.1% were female.
We also need feminism to fight all of the stereotypes that percolate our culture. There’s this idea that women should be dainty, pretty and girly, while boys have to be manly and tough. Feminism aims to abolish all of these gender rolesn – not just the female ones. Little boys as well as grown men everywhere should feel that they can cry and express their feelings. They should be able to be stay-at-home-dads without getting a side-eye. Feminism completely acknowledges men’s issues that exist and work toward the solution to them.
Feminism is important because women should be allowed to be as sexual – or non-sexual –they want without being judged. If a women has a lot of sex with multiple partners, she’s a slut, where as a guy would be considered a player or a stud. If a woman chooses to abstain from sex, she’s a prude. If a guy goes this route, he is seen as sensitive and sweet.
Women are subjected to objectification and are taught this from the time they hit puberty. Many schools are banning yoga pants, tank tops and anything else that can be seen as “unwholesome” so that they won’t “distract the boys.” As if boys are unable to control themselves. This teaches girls that they are there to be looked at, that they objects while the boys are the subjects. This also adds the rape culture, (that yes, DOES exist) when girls are taught not to go in certain clothes or to watch their drinks, but it’s never really brought up to teach boys not to rape.
For this reason as well, a lot of men are feminists as well. A lot of A-list celebs like Tom Hiddleston, Aziz Ansari, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are proud, verbal feminists. Because feminism revolves around equality, men gain just as much as women do when feminism succeeds. Director Joss Whedon, who grew up with a feminist mother, said “I didn’t know feminism was actually a thing until I left home and found out the country didn’t run the way my mom’s house did…. Every time I’m confronted with true misogyny, I’m stunned. I’m like, Really? It’s like, What century are you from?”
There are so many more issues that feminism addresses that would turn this lengthy article into a dissertation. But basically, feminism is very important (duh). Whether you are female or male, black or white, straight, gay, asexual or transgender, we all can benefit greatly from feminism. And until females are equal to males on all levels, we are all missing out.Â