Sorry for the delay, but I was a bit occupied with burning my bras and admiring my long leg hair (because I don’t shave, of course). I would have gotten this written sooner, but I was stuck in traffic, during which my mind was completely consumed with hating men, because they are the source of all my problems (down with the patriarchy!).
I’m a feminist. If you actually believed any of what I said in the beginning to be true representations of my beliefs and actions, then you probably wouldn’t be alone. You would find solace among the misinformed masses of young women (and men) that have emerged from the internet calling themselves “Anti-Feminists” and bearing signs declaring why they DON’T need feminism.
I wasn’t aware of this development until I was casually scrolling through my Twitter feed and a new trend caught my attention. My first article for Her Campus was actually about the #YesAllWomen trend and on how I was disappointed that it faded into internet oblivion. My reaction to this new trend was the complete opposite; I couldn’t wait for it to dissipate, but from what I had gathered, it was starting a small movement.
#WomenAgainstFeminism
At first glance, the phrase seems counterintuitive. If feminism is equal rights for women, then wouldn’t women going against feminism be going against the idea of having equal rights in society? How could any modern woman actually believe in this? After doing some more digging, and looking at some examples of Anti-Feminists, I understood that modern women could easily be against the idea of feminism, particularly if they only knew the misconstrued definition of it (that I so illustrated in the beginning of this piece).
My response to this startling new trend will be addressed by presenting a few cases of “Anti-Feminism” and going through each case individually.
Before I start, however, I must clear up the definition of feminism. The actual definition of feminism has gotten muddled in recent times, with many a famous actress proudly declaring herself as “not a feminist” because she “loves men.” FEMINISM IS NOT MAN HATING. It is not wanting men to fail at the hand of a woman’s success, it is not wanting men to take a seat to female domination. I’m a vocal feminist and I still enjoy the company of men. In fact, many men are actually feminists themselves. This is because, as Merriam-Webster so wonderfully defines it,
Feminism (noun): the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.
Since feminism is the belief that everyone in society, regardless of gender, should have equal rights, then everyone who believes this is true is a feminist. Ooh, did I scare you there? Of course, you don’t want to be associated with the crazy bra-burning single ladies who want to take down men, there’s no way you could be a feminist. It’s not that you don’t want to be a feminist; you just don’t want to be the media’s portrayal of a feminist and an extreme feminist at that. I understand this, and hopefully after reading this article, you will see that this portrayal of feminism is unfair and completely false. You believe in equal rights? Good! Congratulations, you’re a feminist (go celebrate with a cupcake or two!).
These ladies would beg to differ.
People who throw around the mythical concept of “science” to defend their points, with no other supporting evidence or data whatsoever, are probably the worst. “Biology makes us different”? We get it, a man has a penis and a woman has a vagina. Using the logic of this argument, then people of different races shouldn’t be equal or “the same” because of a difference in skin pigmentation (which is a difference in biology). This is no argument against feminism, which fights for an equal status in society for all genders, not an equal status in body parts. This shouldn’t even be an argument against anything, because it essentially states that any difference in biology – disabilities, skin pigmentation, anatomy – whether major or minor, should result in differing treatment. The logic in this tweet is also disturbingly reminiscent of arguments used to defend slavery in the early years of America and racism in the 1960s.
What’s most interesting about this one is that while she points out that she “can’t think of one instance where the actions of the feminist movement haven’t resulted in more destruction and violence,” she fails to list any instance in which the actions of the feminist movement actually caused more destruction and violence. Along with that, is there any instance in which ignoring the fight for women’s rights around the world decreased violence and exploitation? I can answer that for you because the answer is no. The women that are posting pictures like this one most likely live in a first world country, such as the US, and aren’t aware of the horrors inflicted upon women and girls in many places other around the world. Her countray has granted her with privileges and rights (that were won by women before her) about which those other women and girls would be considered insane to even dream.
To all those who believe in the message she has presented, take this into consideration.
Just because you have the right to vote, the right to speak out, the right to an education, the right to walk outside on your own, does not mean this is the case for all women and girls in this world. In fact, the ones that need the help the feminist movement can provide are the ones who don’t have a voice. This is why the movement is necessary, because ignoring the problem only makes it worse. What problem, you may ask?
Here a few harrowing images drawn by Syrian girls when asked to represent what being forced into child marriages mean to them (in the second, the bubble translates to “Daddy, where is he taking me? To the park?”):
The idea of being forced into a child marriage may seem alien to you, nearly unimaginable. However, for these girls, it is a real fear that follows them each and every day. Not to mention these are also child refugees, who have already suffered greatly from the complications that come along with being a forced out of their homes.
I would also like to do the honor of introducing Malala Yousafzai, a young woman who was shot by the Taliban in an assassination attempt. She was shot because she was vocally advocating for girls to have access to an education. An education. Just recently, Boko Haram kidnapped 250 Nigerian school girls and has still given no information as to their whereabouts. It’s easy to ignore these injustices when you live in a safe environment in a country that doesn’t terrorize you for attempting to get something as straightforward as an education, something you, and most people, take for granted.
The next time you consider the “havoc” the feminist movement seems to be wreaking, remember these girls. They are merely the tip of the iceberg with regards to violations of women’s rights internationally, but they are not like you, they have not been blessed with your privileges. That doesn’t make their fight and their struggles any less significant than your own “first world” ones.
Ignoring their struggle doesn’t make the problem go away. It only perpetuates the problem and brushes them under the carpet once again.
This is just offensive, plain and simple. The reason we need feminism is to eliminate slut shaming, such as this. It is unfair and misguided to label feminists as “slutty.” Pray tell me, what part of fighting for equal rights and opportunities in society is considered “slutty”? There is no part! This is yet another example of believing in a false idea of what feminism is, because feminism doesn’t root for reckless behavior. Women should not be blamed for sexual assault, or their sexuality in general, based on what they’re wearing or what they’re doing.
I’d like to end with this one because it encompasses many false ideas of feminism and its intentions/goals.
- “Fem doesn’t mean equality.” If you take a look at the beginning of my article, where the definition of feminism is given, you can see that yes, feminism does not mean equality. It’s the belief that there should be equality, regardless of gender (or status or race for that matter). If we already had equality, then we wouldn’t need feminism. In order for there to be equality, the fight for women’s rights must continue. If you still believe the fight for women’s rights isn’t necessary, refer to the girls I introduced you to earlier and remember that there is injustice outside the comforts of your first-world bubble.
- “The pay gap is women’s choice, not sexism.” WHO CHOOSES TO BE PAID LESS THAN SOMEONE ELSE?! The pay gap may also be attributed to other issues, such as maternity leave, a lack of women in upper level positions, and the necessary push for girls to be introduced to the male-dominated STEM fields, because girls still believe that many of those careers are “for boys.”
- “The patriarchy doesn’t exist.” The patriarchy is not as blatant in our American culture, in which women do have seats (although fewer) in our government and hold leadership positions, but in other cultures, the patriarchy is alive and well. Why were those girls in Nigeria kidnapped, and Malala shot? They live in a male-dominated culture in which they are regarded as lesser and are treated as such.
- “Most victims of street violence are men.” Although there is data indicating that there is a slightly greater percentage of men being the victims of violent crime, most data shows that the number of female victims is comparable to the number of male victims. There is no large significant difference between the two that would warrant this kind of extrapolation. Not only that, but using a term as general as “street violence” to defend a point does not take into consideration that many facets of violent crimes, such as domestic abuse or rape, which are dominated by female victims, or robbery and serious violence, which does consist of mostly male victims.
- “I’m responsible for my own actions.” Yes, everyone should feel responsible for his/her own actions However, this does not have anything to do with defending women’s rights. This essentially blames girls like the ones kidnapped in Nigeria for their own kidnapping, because they chose to go to school and gain an education, when they could have just lived an uneducated life in which they didn’t try to provoke any sort of violence against themselves. In a more relevant example, this goes back to slut shaming and assuming that because a woman behaved in a certain way or wore a certain outfit, she deserved to be raped or sexually assaulted.
- “There is no rape culture.” This is just ignorant. If there is no rape culture, then why are the cases of sexual assault against women on college campuses often brushed under the rug by administrators, and the victims slut shamed and harassed? Why is that, when a man is assaulted, the police don’t ask him what he was wearing? Rape culture and slut shaming perpetuate the idea that women “ask for it,” when it’s appalling to blame a rape victim for her own rape. No one asks to be raped. No one should be treated as if that were so. Until that ends, rape culture is still alive and well.
Next time someone asks you whether you are a feminist, do not think of the bra-burning, masculine, man-hating woman that is a false stereotype of feminism. Instead, remember the actual definition of feminism as the demand for equality in society regardless of gender. There is still injustice in the world, perhaps not where you live, while you are comfortably reading this from your computer. However, just because you choose to ignore that injustice and lack of equality does not give you the privilege to speak for all women as though they have had the same opportunities as yourself.
#WomenForFeminism
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Images: 1, 2 (provided by author), 3 (provided by author), 4, 5, 6, 7, 8