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I AM!!!
I’m writing this post to share with everyone what feminism means to me. I have been hearing the phrase "I am not a feminist, but…" a lot lately from girls and guys (yes, there are male feminists, http://www.engagingmen2009.org/42?locale=en_US) alike. What do people mean by this? Are people clarifying the fact that they believe in feminist ideals but not in labels? Are people saying that they agree with some feminist theories but not with others? Maybe some of you are probably thinking about bra burning and other popular images of feminism (and yes that is Tyra Banks…wait is she more of a feminist than you are?)…
Bottom Line - according to Merriam Webster, "feminism" is:
1)"The theory of political, economic and social equality of the sexes"
2) "Organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests"
I call myself a feminist because I believe in that definition, for these reasons:
1. I believe in gender equality. That means equal rights and equal work for equal pay. In case you have not seen the news (the Boston Globe) lately women are systematically paid less than men.
2. Violence against women AND GIRLS is still a big problem in the United States and around the world. I am very passionate about this huge but often not talked about problem. (Think Rihanna and Chris Brown), and as a victim of violence I can tell you that I really appreciate being able to take back my power and fight for women’s rights!
3. Reproductive Health - as the receiving partner, women are at a higher risk for contracting AIDS and other STI's then men. Women are also the ones who have to deal most directly with the consequences of an unwanted pregnancy. Regardless of how you feel about the debate over abortion, as women we should all be active in making the legislation that governs what we can do with our bodies—from birth control access to abortion policy.
Below is a picture of me in Liberia where I worked on women's health issues this past summer. It was great! That is what feminism means to me.
4. Images of Women- Think about how there is no male equivalent for the word "slut" and how women can be portrayed as objects in everything from hip-hop videos to daily news shows to the SPIKE channel (hey I love the SPIKE channel bc it shows CSI, but come on guys what’s with the depiction of the ladies?). Because of course women cannot be evaluated for their character or intellect but instead based only on how they look.
5. Women's health - There are some particular health issues that disproportionately affect women - for example the feminization of HIV/AIDS. I think we need to continue to bring these issues to light in order to get the funding and policy that we need.
6. Gender inequity - This is basically when people are restricted from what they can and can not do because of gender. Thanks to the feminists who came before us this is not as big of a problem in the United States but think about in some other countries where women still do not have the right to vote.
7. I also believe in the rights of all oppressed people from all of the LGBTQ community, racial/ethnic minorities and the disability rights community. I believe that although feminism is about improving the lives of women and girls, that goes hand in hand with other social justice movements. Lets all fight this fight goether!
So those are some of the reasons why I call myself a feminist. Do you find yourself also feeling the same way about those issues? Is it possible that you too could be —gasp—a feminist? I mean I do not care what we call ourselves boys and girls but I think that it’s important to not throw out a certain label because of what we THINK it entails. I am VERY appreciative and thankful for all the feminists who came before me because without them I would not have many of the rights that I have now—like voting, attending Cornell, becoming a doctor, etc.
Great article from the Daily Princetonian about this!
TAKE ACTION!
1. Explore your views on feminism and gender equality: take a class at your school, and if there is not one offered demand that there be one! Here’s a nice little site with information on feminist theory:
2. Check out some of the various organizations working on women’s rights, nationally and internationally
3. Get involved with your on-campus women’s rights organization
4. Fight for gender equity whenever you can, see whats actions are going on here and GET ACTIVE
I am a male, 40 years of age, and I remember in college in the early 90's I knew and dated women who called themselves feminists. Now, it seems as if no one wants to say it . . . or perhaps I should say "admit it". I suppose too, a few radical sounding ideas or statements by a handful of radical feminists that have been paraded around, have been used to taint "feminism" in general.
I do have comments on your first and second points.
On the first point, about unequal wages, while I can no longer access that Boston Globe story, I have seen analyses in the past that suggest that the statistic of women earning 75 cents on the dollar to what men earn, hides the degree of strides that have been made. Allegedly comparison of men & women in equivalent roles within fields reveals greater wage equivalency.
Secondly, and while I wouldn't want to negate your point about violence against women--which is obviously deplorable and unacceptable, I think there is virtually no attention given to violence of men against men, which I suspect exceeds the amount of violence of men against women. Why is this relevant? A context that permits bullying at a young age and violence into adulthood, is a context in which women are going to be caught in the crossfire of men socialized into violence.
I'd like to share the final thought that it strikes me that progress on the issues you raise no longer requires just focused attention on women, their plight and their contributions to society, but more attention given to men. Afterall, our jails are full of men, more women graduate college and than men now, in a number of large cities in the US women now outearn men, and this recent recession has now put us much closer to having more women in the workforce than men. So, it's cliche but "it takes two to tango". I think we need adapt a more systemic view of gender relations and hopefully that will translate into greater progress for all, including the women's issues you have raised. Best of luck to you!