Feminism is defined as the advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of sexes. This is a movement that aims to bring in change in our society, and our patriarchal norms that don’t give women the chance that we deserve, which is why I think that it is important for everyone, especially women, to be feminists.
I am always surprised when women claim to not be feminists, or say that it is okay to not identify as one because they believe in equality anyway. Firstly, the argument that you can believe in equal rights and not be a feminist doesn’t make any sense. That’s like saying you’re a skin doctor but you don’t believe you’re a dermatologist. If you want women and men to have equal rights, you’re a feminist. There’s no two ways out of it, you can’t get out of it. Secondly, why are we so scared to identify as feminists? Is it because we need men to validate us and most of them think it’s pointless? Saying you believe in your rights doesn’t make you selfish or attention seeking. It makes you human. It makes you healthy. A lot of arguments I’ve heard in this context is that feminism lets women hate on men, which is why women don’t identify as feminists. I would like for these people to refer back to the definition that I began this article with. Feminism is the equality of sexes. What you’re thinking about is misandry.
If you don’t want to identify as a feminist because it is divisive, the point of feminism is to bridge the gap between women and men. To decrease the vastly different ways the world treats men and women. We’re not being divisive by pointing out the differences in our experiences, and our expectations. We’re fighting the right way to bring us to an equal platform where these differences don’t exist anymore for us to point them out. Brushing things under the rug and saying that we need to fight together as a society won’t get us anywhere if we’re not willing to address our own issues. Embracing our differences is solidarity, acting as if they don’t exist is oppression. We have these differences, and they create a need for feminism.
It is important for people, especially women to realize that we still need feminism. No, we’re not in a post-sexist society because women have the right to vote or because there’s more women working now. These were great and very important milestones, but that doesn’t mean we’re done fighting. Infant girls are still killed based solely on their gender. Girls aren’t sent to school, or are forced to drop out of school in many parts of the world, and if they’re lucky enough to make it through, women have to work harder to get the job they deserve. If they get the job they deserve, they’re never paid as well as a man for doing the same job, and they’re more likely to be emotionally, physically and sexually harassed at the workplace. If you’re convincing yourself that these are in third world countries, I want to remind you that the Russian government just voted to decriminalize domestic violence, and who can forget that America voted a guy who was caught on tape bragging about sexual assault, to become the president? These situations are more grave for women of color, women in the LGBTQIA community and disabled women. How then, can we say that we don’t need feminism? Maybe you’re a woman who was blessed with a great life where you didn’t have to face any of the issues I just mentioned, but I am positive sexism has still made you uncomfortable at some point in your life. You were probably catcalled, or have had subtle jabs taken at you in college or at work that you weren’t intelligent enough. Told you weren’t pretty enough because you didn’t fit the ridiculous beauty standards set by society? Been talked down to (or mansplained) because you’re a woman? If none of these ring a bell either, and you’re wondering why it is important for you as a woman to be a feminist, it is because every woman around you—from your mother to your barista at Starbucks, from your best friend to your physics professor, they’re all fighting patriarchy on the daily. This society is trying to rip them of their opportunity, tell them they’re not good enough solely based on the fact that they’re women, and constantly trying to shut down their voices. If you’re not supporting them through this and putting down the movement that is fighting for their rights tirelessly, you’re a part of their oppression.