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I am very aware of the stigma attached to feminism, I've heard it being referred to as the "f" word and many women and men don't wish to be associated with it or label themselves as feminists. Personally I think its because many assume it is a bra burning, men loathing group of people but its not, not in my eyes anyway. I had that attitude when I was like thirteen but my feminist values have very much changed since then. They are now more tame and broad. However, I still definitely regard myself as a feminist. I define it simply as an equality belief. I don't think we're better than men, I simply acknowledge that women have come along way in the beady eyes of a man's world and more importantly have a bit to go before we can live in harmony.
“When a man gives his opinion, he's a man. When a woman gives her opinion, she's a bitch.”
I actually possess a great deal of knowledge on this topic, which is unlike me as I generally prefer writing from internal feelings and experiences. Regardless I've read books and articles on Feminism and Women's rights so I actually have evidence to back me up:O One was an angsty book, which would depress you more and more after each sentence. It talked a lot about how its difficult for women in the workplace because many meetings or conferences take place in gentle men's clubs (which I'm assuming is a classy way of saying strip club??) and heterosexual women naturally find this uncomfortable. I'm also fully aware of the immense difference in gender equality between third world countries and the first world. Women are complete second class citizens which is sad to think of isn't it? We might feel like there's no need for feminism because we feel its some women overreacting or being hormonal bitches. But its not, there's a much bigger picture.
“A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.”
And even aside from the obvious, basic human right depriving ways of some cultures which are forced on their women, we here in developed countries still need feminism. Yes maybe its subtle and kind of hard to put your finger on or justify but sexism is still out there! What I want to address is this whole sex object phenomenon which women have sunk into! I haven't forgotten that I wrote a blog post about the terms "sluts" and "whores" where I defended women who have casual sex and wear little clothing. I stand by that! A woman should be allowed to treat her body and her sexual instinct the way she wants to. That's equality. What's not equality is women being sex trafficked, drugged and thrown into brothels to be raped over and over and over again. Even on a lesser scale this pressure to wear half nothing or else you can't get a man's attention, the fact that a woman's body is constantly talked about by men as if she has no brain or feelings or that she isn't even a human being. The fact that a lot of men subconsciously put women they see in magazines and porn into the same box as the cars they see on the next page. Where's the feminism in that? How is that equal? Once again I wish to reiterate that women taking pride in their bodies and wishing to reveal their bodies and dress femininely is fantastic, a huge step but us becoming sex objects? That's just a leap backwards...
“A woman reading Playboy feels a little like a Jew reading a Nazi manual.”
― Gloria Steinem
Stereotypes is another huge problem I guess everyone faces really. The reality that in advertisements and such where women are always calling for "Mr. Muscle" and always the voice behind the washing up liquid. We're always in the kitchen basically. We're never the superheroes and we're never the builders (unless they're super hot sweaty builders with little clothing) and so I guess the stereotypical placing annoys me. Because we have so much more rights now the law is on our side but until attitudes change we cannot be equal. Emerging from the telly though, Its true that house husbands/ stay at home dads are not as common or as accepted in society as stay at home mothers and wives. Men are still the more common bread winners of the family and until 50% of stay at home parents are men then 50% of the workforce will not be women. And its shocking how few women work in the senior jobs or in politics and a huge chunk of that problem is confidence. That will be a topic I will discuss in another blog! Prepare for a long 'un.
“Women make up one half of society. Our society will remain backward and in chains unless its women are liberated, enlightened and educated.”
― Saddam Hussein, The Revolution and Woman in Iraq
This is only touching on why feminism is so required in all our lives and there's much more to say but they're just my main reasons that I'm grateful for its existence. The reason I'm writing this post is because its International Women's Day! Woohoo! I was lucky enough to attend a talk on women and their role in the workforce and politics today in the city hall in my city. There were three great female speakers with our lord mayor chairing and it just spurred me on to give my views on the misunderstood "f" word. I'm so proud to be a girl and I hope all of my peers and women in my life feel the same. Lets all try and help the women who haven't the same rights as we have and work on closing the final gap between men and women's equality. On this very special day I want to thank all the inspiring women who have aided the amazing progress of women's rights and all the sufficiently secure and mature men who see the importance of equality for women and have pushed the progress forward also! We're all human at the end of the day and we're not that different if you think about it. The essence of living is in all of us. Both genders can love, laugh, smile, learn, cry, feel, fear and do everything else us weird humans do. The rest is only details.
So boys/girls and others. What's your view on Feminism?
Love,
Rachel!=)
“When a man gives his opinion, he's a man. When a woman gives her opinion, she's a bitch.”
I actually possess a great deal of knowledge on this topic, which is unlike me as I generally prefer writing from internal feelings and experiences. Regardless I've read books and articles on Feminism and Women's rights so I actually have evidence to back me up:O One was an angsty book, which would depress you more and more after each sentence. It talked a lot about how its difficult for women in the workplace because many meetings or conferences take place in gentle men's clubs (which I'm assuming is a classy way of saying strip club??) and heterosexual women naturally find this uncomfortable. I'm also fully aware of the immense difference in gender equality between third world countries and the first world. Women are complete second class citizens which is sad to think of isn't it? We might feel like there's no need for feminism because we feel its some women overreacting or being hormonal bitches. But its not, there's a much bigger picture.
And even aside from the obvious, basic human right depriving ways of some cultures which are forced on their women, we here in developed countries still need feminism. Yes maybe its subtle and kind of hard to put your finger on or justify but sexism is still out there! What I want to address is this whole sex object phenomenon which women have sunk into! I haven't forgotten that I wrote a blog post about the terms "sluts" and "whores" where I defended women who have casual sex and wear little clothing. I stand by that! A woman should be allowed to treat her body and her sexual instinct the way she wants to. That's equality. What's not equality is women being sex trafficked, drugged and thrown into brothels to be raped over and over and over again. Even on a lesser scale this pressure to wear half nothing or else you can't get a man's attention, the fact that a woman's body is constantly talked about by men as if she has no brain or feelings or that she isn't even a human being. The fact that a lot of men subconsciously put women they see in magazines and porn into the same box as the cars they see on the next page. Where's the feminism in that? How is that equal? Once again I wish to reiterate that women taking pride in their bodies and wishing to reveal their bodies and dress femininely is fantastic, a huge step but us becoming sex objects? That's just a leap backwards...
“A woman reading Playboy feels a little like a Jew reading a Nazi manual.”
― Gloria Steinem
Stereotypes is another huge problem I guess everyone faces really. The reality that in advertisements and such where women are always calling for "Mr. Muscle" and always the voice behind the washing up liquid. We're always in the kitchen basically. We're never the superheroes and we're never the builders (unless they're super hot sweaty builders with little clothing) and so I guess the stereotypical placing annoys me. Because we have so much more rights now the law is on our side but until attitudes change we cannot be equal. Emerging from the telly though, Its true that house husbands/ stay at home dads are not as common or as accepted in society as stay at home mothers and wives. Men are still the more common bread winners of the family and until 50% of stay at home parents are men then 50% of the workforce will not be women. And its shocking how few women work in the senior jobs or in politics and a huge chunk of that problem is confidence. That will be a topic I will discuss in another blog! Prepare for a long 'un.
“Women make up one half of society. Our society will remain backward and in chains unless its women are liberated, enlightened and educated.”
― Saddam Hussein, The Revolution and Woman in Iraq
This is only touching on why feminism is so required in all our lives and there's much more to say but they're just my main reasons that I'm grateful for its existence. The reason I'm writing this post is because its International Women's Day! Woohoo! I was lucky enough to attend a talk on women and their role in the workforce and politics today in the city hall in my city. There were three great female speakers with our lord mayor chairing and it just spurred me on to give my views on the misunderstood "f" word. I'm so proud to be a girl and I hope all of my peers and women in my life feel the same. Lets all try and help the women who haven't the same rights as we have and work on closing the final gap between men and women's equality. On this very special day I want to thank all the inspiring women who have aided the amazing progress of women's rights and all the sufficiently secure and mature men who see the importance of equality for women and have pushed the progress forward also! We're all human at the end of the day and we're not that different if you think about it. The essence of living is in all of us. Both genders can love, laugh, smile, learn, cry, feel, fear and do everything else us weird humans do. The rest is only details.
So boys/girls and others. What's your view on Feminism?
Love,
Rachel!=)
