The definition of feminism is simple. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, it is “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.” That’s right, it’s literally just the belief that both sexes should be equal. So why are there so many negative connotations of the word? Well, you may be living in a man’s world where the people who are in power would rather not have their status threatened. Oh, yeah… That’s exactly what it is. As soon as the idea gets around that feminists are man-hating, anti-shaving, bra-burning girls who want to take control of the world (or any variation of that), even women start to back away from the title. Because uncoincidentally, we have been conditioned our whole lives to do anything but come off as wanting more than we “deserve.” Now it all makes sense, right? The cause of feminism has been nearly silenced because women either have the choice of appearing “bossy” and “uptight,” or giving in to the system that pushes them down.
If you’re still confused, I have compiled a list of things that feminism IS and ISN’T.
- IS empowering women and non-men… not unconditionally, but as a community for those who want total social justice
- IS making choices that make YOU feel most comfortable and confident
- IS not caring what a man thinks is best for you1
- IS defying stereotypes that target women
- IS simply recognizing certain setbacks that women face in life that men do not
- IS NOT hating all men
- IS NOT seeking advantages for women over any other gender
- IS NOT tearing down other women for not fitting your definition of feminism
- IS NOT using sexism as an excuse for unrelated opinions
- IS NOT refusing to recognize societal challenges that men and people of other genders face too
If you agree with these points, great! You are already a feminist. You don’t need to sign up, you don’t need to put it in your Instagram profile, but you do need to stand up for what you believe in. There is little purpose to holding moral values if you let the opposition pass by. Now, this does not mean you have to lecture everyone you know or repost every feminist tweet you see. This could simply be refusing to laugh at a sexist joke and calmly telling the person who said it that it’s not cool. Or, it could be complimenting your female friend for making a new style choice. There are lots of ways to spread female empowerment, and there is really no wrong way to do it as long as you make sure to not encourage or add to the problem.
1 Note- if the man is your doctor, therapist, or otherwise consultant, disregard this point.
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