It drives me absolutely crazy when women say they don’t need feminism. Sometimes this stems from a misunderstanding or a hatred of the word. I have written an article about why we need feminism before, which gives a definition of what feminism actually is. But also in reading this back, I see that my definition of feminism is quite limited to my own experience. I am a white, cisgender college student (with major thanks to my parents for providing that opportunity for me in full) who, for the most part, has lead a good life. I haven’t generally experienced much hatred in my life, save for the couple elementary/middle school bullies that were never really able to get to me. Others, in the way of treatment as a woman, have not been as fortunate as me in their experiences.
Many women in other countries don’t get the simple right of an education. The mere idea of women being anything other than a housemaker and child-bearer is so against the societal norms of many lesser-developed regions of the globe that school systems don’t allow women to be a part of them. Some others do not get to make decisions about their own bodies; instead, their husbands get to choose for them. And if I hear one more person say the wage gap does not exist, I might just smack them. The thing is, income level, race, religion, age—among any number of other factors—affect the treatment of a woman in different ways. This is called intersectionality. It is crucial to understanding how the privilege we may have grown up with greatly affects how we are perceived and able to carry out our lives. When any woman talks about how she doesn’t need feminism, that’s just it; she is only thinking of herself.
But if that’s the way feminism is going to be thought of, then at the most basic level, you don’t have to believe every principle of feminism in your own life. I remember reading an Odyssey article written by an author who thinks didn’t need feminism, and it was largely due to her religious beliefs. That’s completely fine because I get it! I’m also a Christian, and there are some things about feminism that might sometimes clash with my religion. But that doesn’t mean I can’t be a feminist because there are so many different versions of feminism, just as there can be so many different versions of religion.
Just because I am a feminist doesn’t mean I don’t want to be wooed and swept off my feet by the perfect guy. It doesn’t mean I don’t want to be a mother. And it certainly doesn’t mean I hate men. But it does mean that I think women should have basic rights and should be seen as equal to men and that these things should be recognized by our government system and our society.
So next time you say you aren’t in need of feminism, take a step back and think about how feminism still applies to your life and, even more importantly, how it is more than necessary for so many others.