Feminism is a word that has become mangled and mottled in recent years, especially during the latest resurgence of women’s rights protests. It’s become almost a dirty, taboo word. Upon asking friends if they were a feminist, instead of replying with a simple yes, they hesitated. A decision that seemed so clear cut, so indubitable to me, was a subject of indifference for them.
“But, don’t you believe in equal rights?”
“Ya?”
“Then why aren’t you a feminist?”
“I don’t know, I‘m just not.”
What was most astonishing was that it wasn’t just my male friends that didn’t identify as a feminist; it was my female friends as well. Was it not attractive to be a feminist, to empower other women, to advocate for something worthwhile? Why were the people most directly affected by the movement not taking part?
People are afraid to label themselves as a feminist because the meaning has become distorted through time. Or perhaps, not distorted but clarified; via marches and social media platforms, people are causing a scene and instead of joining the ruckus many are choosing to steer clear. During the Trump era, this ruckus has intensified tenfold.
Women have been told to be complacent and quiet, that these are attractive qualities; they are dissuaded by the loudness of the movement. They need to be assured that it is okay to be loud and provocative.
Although there are branches of the political ideology, at its core feminism means equal rights for all sexes, particularly rights for women in the public legal and political sphere. It acknowledges the suppression of women but also men in that they too have been placed on a pedestal. They have been told to have a specific mindset of rationality and toughness; a mindset that despises the colour pink and all things tinted feminine. Feminism hones in on the idea that being masculine and being feminine are not necessarily associated with being a man and woman respectively. They are separate entities. They are characteristics to be used in the same context as nice or caring, universally utilized without shame.
Feminism is concerned with the issue of equal pay while simultaneously focusing on men having the right to be emotional; it is not an ultimatum. The two concepts coexist to promote an atmosphere of prosperity; one is not superior to the other.
Although Canada is certainly ahead of many countries in terms of women’s rights, we still have much work left. To say it is a country void of inequalities, sex oriented or otherwise, would be false. Spreading awareness of this is necessary for feminism to be truly understood, and for a better future obtained.
As a whole, Canada is far from perfect, but perhaps it would be better if more people identified as feminists if they realized what being a feminist entailed. Equality is something no one in their right mind would dispute, so why isn’t everyone a feminist?
Do men not use the word feminist because it is derived from “female”?
If that’s the case, women have made amends with History and Manpower and Mankind. Surely the world can come to terms with Feminism.
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