Feminism. Okay so how many negative connotations flashed through your mind when you saw the F word? Why is that? Maybe it’s because feminists over the years have been painted as man-hating child-killers who reject all things feminine in order to be more like men. But before I get into what feminism isn’t, let’s start off with what feminism is. Interestingly enough, there is no one correct definition of feminism. However, arguably two main principles underlie the concept of feminism: first that, “feminism concerns equality and justice for all women, and it seeks to eliminate systems of inequality and injustice in all aspects of women’s lives.” Second, “feminism is inclusive and affirming of women; it celebrates women’s achievements and struggles and works to provide positive and affirming stance towards women and womanhood” (Shaw and Lee 2012:10). Now those two core principles of feminism don’t seem to be radical at all. In fact, I’m sure most of you would agree on the basic ideals of human equality and justice for everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender.
Belief in those principles in regard to women would technically make you a…Feminist! Just think of how feminists have changed the world we lived in. For many years, feminists have been working to gain equality in all aspects of life. Without women coming together to fight against a system that oppressed them, women of today’s generation wouldn’t be able to enjoy the privilege of having the right to vote or have the access to contraceptives. Today, no one thinks twice about a woman casting her vote in the Presidential election. In fact 70.4 million women cast their ballots in the 2008 election, which would not have been possible without the passage of 19th Amendment (“By the Numbers: Women voters”).
Because of the feminist movement, women are able to have the right to hold political office and to be free from sexual harassment in the workplace. Feminists made that happen. The feminists who are negatively portrayed by the media did nothing more than advocate for equality and justice for all women. Try to imagine a world without feminism. If you are a woman, you wouldn’t be in college. You would be expected to get married and have children. If you did work, it would be as a maid or teacher; not as a doctor or CEO of a Fortune 500 Company. Prior to the 1970’s, marital rape was legal in all states because rape meant only stranger rape; a woman was considered to be simply performing your “wifely duty” (RAINN Rape, Abuse Incest National Network). Shaw and Lee write, “Today, young women who claim, ‘I’m not a feminist, but..’ benefit from the many gains by feminists through the twentieth century’” (Shaw and Lee 2012, 12).
Young women seem to chide away from calling themselves feminists because they think it means becoming hard-edged bra-burners. Feminism is about valuing women for being women (Shaw and Lee 2012, 17). So that means understanding and appreciating a woman’s role as not only a nurturing mother to her children, but as successful and independent woman as well.
As a young woman navigating her way through undergraduate studies at the University of Pittsburgh, I think the F word needs to be re-installed into everyone’s vocabulary. I see my female peers more concerned with outdoing the next girl’s outfit in order to get some guy’s attention rather than focusing on excelling in their studies. Now, there’s no problem with wanting a boyfriend. The problem occurs when girls compete with each other for the attention of men, or when they “dumb” themselves down in order to be accepted by men.
Feminism isn’t an outdated idea, but I believe it’s more relevant than ever in today’s society. So let’s take back the F word and say proudly that we are feminists who appreciate the work of those who came before us- yet understanding that there is still more work to be done.
Sources: Shaw, Susan M., and Janet Lee. Women’s Voices, Feminist Visions: Classic and Contemporary Readings. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 20012. Print.
“Marital Rape.” RAINN Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. RAINN, n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2014.
Stark, Caitlin. “By the Numbers: Women Voters.” CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 14 Jan. 2014.