Feminism has changed through centuries, but the battle has always been the same: fighting for our rights, for respect, for equality, for freedom. Although the world has been quietly changing everyday more, we are not there yet. When women decide to stand up for their rights, men were not ready for their strongness.They took our freedom, and all we have been doing is trying to win it back.
Being a feminist is seen by many people (including some women) as a privilege that girls want over man. It might seem obvious for us, feminists, that in a world still full of sexism, where women are harassed everyday and suffer so many violences, that all we want is equality. Still, that isn’t clear for everybody. There is a pejorative eye on the feminist movement of it being too “radical”.
Mainly because we live in a very conservative society, many institutions, like the church for example, kept the old ideas of how women should act that have been on the world through centuries. The idea of a women going out with many guys seen as something inappropriate, while for guys that’s okay, is one of them. Then, the feminism came in a way to try to change those social patterns, but because they became normal, being a feminist started to be seen as something bad.
The first wave of feminism
The first wave of feminism occurred during the 19th and 20th century and the mainly fight was for the right to vote and better conditions at work places. At the time, women were seen like a “property” of their husbands and they had to do what they wanted. They were forced to play an only hole: being the housewife, taking care of the kids and cleaning the house was the only thing women should do. She would be judged by the society if she did anything beyond that. In addition to that, in the past, many women were accused of witchcraft and were killed, burned alive and have been to horrible things through the centuries.
Considering the context we, unfortunately, still live in, there is still a lot of sexism in the world. There are many parents that still teach their childrens many traditions that maintain the old judgments of girls. As a consequence, people still are really uninformed about the feminism moment and its importance. Some people don’t defend it or try to understand it, or even try to change the sexist way they act. Feminists keep having to explain what is it and why we are fighting for.
The feminism was a way girls found to make a change. They were not respected by the society and wanted to have their rights, like voting, for example. The feminist movement was much more than the definition of the word. Much more than the equality for social and political rights. Being a feminist became a battle. A fight to defend and a way of trying to change even when we felt so behind.
As the years have gone by, the movement got even more voice and (finally) we can be heard. Finally we feel more empowered in so many aspects. Finally feminism is seen with the importance needed, but unfortunately, there is still so much to change. Women still receive less than men to do the same job and still hear unpleasant comments by walking on the street with short clothes. Women are raped everyday all over the world. That’s why we need to keep fighting. That’s why we can’t forget what it is the movement and what it means to be feminist. It’s nothing like it shows on the TV of women burning bras and wishing men die. For all we go through, we are done explaining what is simple: we need equality and respect.
Girls are not asking for too much. That’s why we can’t forget what it means to be a feminist. We have a voice, we scream loud for our rights and we won’t be stopped. We won’t be hushed. We won’t be disrespected anymore. If anyone still wonder what feminism is, we are happy to repeat over and over again so it’s never forgotten.