Why I’m a Feminist, and You Should Be Too

Michaela Bethune
 
        Here it goes, a statement that will perpetually garner eye rolls, snickers and exasperated sighs, and is also the proudest part of my identity: I am a feminist. But being a feminist does not mean I want to burn my bras, shave my head, or refuse to use male-dominated language (although “her-story” has a nice ring to it). Nor does it mean I am ungrateful to the incredible strides of progress women in America have taken to ensure the freedoms and rights I enjoy today are that much closer to gender equality. Being a feminist does not mean I’m an angry, man-hating soul with no respect for basic hygiene. Nor does it mean I'm a "tomboy" or emotionless, or despise women who embrace their femininity.

            Being a feminist means that I believe that men and women should have equal rights, and that repression against women worldwide needs to end. That’s all. This is so basic to me that it's somewhat absurd that any educated person would not agree with this statement. And I’m all about differing opinions and belief systems (bring on the diversity), but as Americans, shouldn’t we all agree that this basic statement is merely a fact of life? And that’s why it confuses and frustrates me when others assume that feminists are some whiny extremists pulling the “sexism card” whenever something seems slightly unfair to them. It frustrates me that people think the women’s rights movement accomplished all that women needed, and that sexism is not fully ingrained in our society today, when statistics after statistics prove otherwise. Most of all, it frustrates me that women don’t support other women who are trying to stand up for their rights, and ridicule these women, in an effort to maintain an eagerly compliant, “chill” image they think is more attractive to men.

            Gender inequality still exists for women in America. Look at the facts. Women earn 77 cents, on average, for every dollar men earn. Women are twice as likely to live below the poverty level in their senior years as men are. One out of every six American women have been the victims of rape in their lifetime. One in three American women will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime. This isn’t a make-believe issue from another era, this is what’s happening in our society today.

            I am very invested in feminism for two reasons; the first being my interest in the media, and how the misrepresentation and limited image of women presented in the media perpetuates sexism in our society. A film that does an excellent job at demonstrating what detrimental role this plays in the lives of both men and women in our culture is Miss. Representation. This film illustrates the need for us to realize the role the media plays in our lives and how it shapes our cultural norms, as the majority of Americans consume over ten hours of media a day. The U.S. is still only 90^th in the world for women in national legislatures, women hold only 3% of clout positions in mainstream media, and 65% of women and girls have disordered eating behaviors. Women are merely 3% of Fortune 500 CEOs and 25% of girls will experience teen dating violence. These statistics reinforcing the real disparity between men and women are endless, and many experts hold the media responsible for how it portrays gender norms and underrepresents women.

            The second reason behind my passion for feminism is the extremely perilous condition women are living in globally. While sexism is very much a part of our everyday life in the U.S., the battles women are facing internationally are life threatening, in many instances to the point unimaginable to Americans.

            One in three women on the planet will be raped or beaten in her lifetime. “One Billion Rising” is a movement started by feminist, Tony-Award winning playwright, and all around superstar, Eve Ensler (who has been defined as a “global goddess and guardian angel for women"). This movement encourages women globally to rise up to end violence against women. A truly inspirational video that this movement has created is found on the homepage of the campaign and encapsulates the idea that one billion women being violated is an atrocity, but one billion women dancing is a revolution.

            I could continue on with this tangent (it’s my jam to talk about the importance of girl power), but I hope I gave you a taste as to why I’m a feminist, and why I’m not embarrassed about it, but I’m actually embarrassed for those who would ever chose not to identify with feminism (c’mon fellas, its not emasculating to like human rights). So please, the next time you plan on scoffing when you hear the word “feminist”, think about the fact that women are still being oppressed, objectified, threatened, and abused every day. The first step in making a change in the lives of women is for us to come together and agree that this is a legitimate problem, and that something needs to be done about it.