Considering all the legal victories women had during the last century, it could be concluded that gender equality has been achieved. But any woman alive (and many men, too) can recognize everyday gender double standards. Whether it’s the all-too-often accepted instances of workplace sexual harassment, poor media representation or the extra scrutiny of sexually active women, the arbitrary differences that society insists exist between men and women usually serve to benefit men.
For example:
-White women get paid on average 77% of what white men make. This drops to 68% for African-American women and only 59% for Hispanic or Latina women.
-A 2012 study of primetime TV shows revealed only 31% of writers were female.
-Out of 535 legislators in the US House and Senate, only 98 are female.
–One out of every six American women have experienced rape or attempted rape. Due to cultural factors, only 54% of those assaults are ever reported.
Feminism in the 21st Century recognizes that these stereotypes are harmful to both men and women and that the whole idea of gender should not be restricted to two rigid ideals. When we put people in boxes they didn’t ask for, we are limiting their power to determine their own destinies. By prejudging people based on their gender, race, class, sexual orientation or anything else, society predetermines their course in life.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. With feminism, individuals can recognize these societal inhibitions and face them head-on.
We know what you’re thinking–aren’t feminists just a bunch of crazy man-haters who don’t shave their legs? Not really.
We can admit that the feminist movement has taken a beating over the past few decades, with some serious misconceptions about who we are and what we believe have been engrained in society. It’s gotten so bad that many people (women included) refrain from embracing the f-word, even if they share our values. To set the record straight, a universally agreed-upon definition of feminism is the belief in and advocacy for social, economic and political equality for all people, regardless of gender. And those ugly stereotypes about feminists? We think those were invented by people who didn’t like our message and were reluctant to give up unearned power.
The Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance at USM is the only multiple-issue campus group that advocates for gender equality. We are students, faculty and community members who are concerned about how our campus and our community deals with gender issues. Last year we registered hundreds of new voters on campus, raised money for the local rape and trauma crisis center, partnered with the AA/EEO office to offer an open training on sexual harassment, and pushed USM to better support survivors of sexual assault.
We plan to do even more this year. Got any ideas for what we can do as a campus and a community to help end sexism and promote equality? Come to our kickoff meeting and join some fabulous people working for a fairer world.
Meetings are Mondays, 12:00-1:00 pm, Owings-McQuagge Hall 111
Check us out on Facebook at “USM Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance”