I Stand With Feminism
Admitting that I have been wrong is extremely difficult for me, as it is for anyone, but right now I'm going to admit it. A long while ago I wrote a ranting post exclaiming that I'm not a feminist, and whenever the subject has come up over the past several years I've stood my ground opposing feminism quite forcefully...until recently. I disagree with some ideas that have, over time, come from certain divisions of feminism, such as the aggressive ideas that women need to be as tough as men or that they are better.
Ultimately, however, I am a feminist. I've learned so much more about feminism over the past couple of months and the bitter truth of gender inequality has hit me hard. After my newly gained understanding, I've realized that to reject feminism is to reject the problems and needs of humanity which are staring me straight in the face.
I still want to be a mother more than anything else and I love fairy tales just as much as before, but those are not what feminism is about.
Feminism is about the women who are unable to speak or make decisions in their leadership positions and their own homes because of skewed perceptions of leadership.
Similarly, it's about the women who are viewed as objects and slaves to a man's desire and needs, including both the women who are reduced to slavery in their own homes ("a woman's place is in the kitchen"...and doing the man's laundry and cleaning his house) and the women who are objectified and turned into nothing more than things for men to lust over and control.
It's about the women who are not taken seriously because they're perceived as irrational and emotional (which so many base jokes result from).
It's about the limited jobs, the diminished salaries, the discouraged fields of study, the unacknowledged wisdom, and the lack of respect women are faced with throughout their lives.
It's about the inability for all women and men to be able to express themselves and admit to their vulnerability and mistakes as imposed by societal norms and stereotypes. (See this recent post.)
I recently read an article written by author Shannon Hale expressing her surprise and dismay upon finding that schools had actually prohibited boys from coming to her speeches whereas the male authors had all of the students attend. One young boy was granted permission, but clearly was ashamed to be the only one. He was also terrified to ask for a copy of her book because it had the word "princess" in the title and he'd probably get teased for being a "sissy."
Gender inequality needs to stop for the sake of both the women and the men of the world. It's not just about the women, and I hope men come to recognize the problems of gender equality and begin to support feminism as well. Only then can the needed change truly happen.
I have been blessed to have a wise, knowledgable, and respecting family in which there is no trace of inequality. My parents have grown to be a quintessential example to me of perfect unity and equality between husband and wife, and I am incredibly grateful for that. But I have grown increasingly aware that they are quite definitely the minority in the world, and that causes me to grieve. Inequality is unjust and morally wrong.
If I have not moved you, I hope that Emma Watson's eloquent speech at the United Nations last year will.
Ultimately, however, I am a feminist. I've learned so much more about feminism over the past couple of months and the bitter truth of gender inequality has hit me hard. After my newly gained understanding, I've realized that to reject feminism is to reject the problems and needs of humanity which are staring me straight in the face.
I still want to be a mother more than anything else and I love fairy tales just as much as before, but those are not what feminism is about.
Feminism is about the women who are unable to speak or make decisions in their leadership positions and their own homes because of skewed perceptions of leadership.
Similarly, it's about the women who are viewed as objects and slaves to a man's desire and needs, including both the women who are reduced to slavery in their own homes ("a woman's place is in the kitchen"...and doing the man's laundry and cleaning his house) and the women who are objectified and turned into nothing more than things for men to lust over and control.
It's about the women who are not taken seriously because they're perceived as irrational and emotional (which so many base jokes result from).
It's about the limited jobs, the diminished salaries, the discouraged fields of study, the unacknowledged wisdom, and the lack of respect women are faced with throughout their lives.
It's about the inability for all women and men to be able to express themselves and admit to their vulnerability and mistakes as imposed by societal norms and stereotypes. (See this recent post.)
I recently read an article written by author Shannon Hale expressing her surprise and dismay upon finding that schools had actually prohibited boys from coming to her speeches whereas the male authors had all of the students attend. One young boy was granted permission, but clearly was ashamed to be the only one. He was also terrified to ask for a copy of her book because it had the word "princess" in the title and he'd probably get teased for being a "sissy."
Gender inequality needs to stop for the sake of both the women and the men of the world. It's not just about the women, and I hope men come to recognize the problems of gender equality and begin to support feminism as well. Only then can the needed change truly happen.
I have been blessed to have a wise, knowledgable, and respecting family in which there is no trace of inequality. My parents have grown to be a quintessential example to me of perfect unity and equality between husband and wife, and I am incredibly grateful for that. But I have grown increasingly aware that they are quite definitely the minority in the world, and that causes me to grieve. Inequality is unjust and morally wrong.
If I have not moved you, I hope that Emma Watson's eloquent speech at the United Nations last year will.
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