fem·i·nism
/feməˌnizəm/
noun
a person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.
The words 'feminism' and 'feminist' have many negative connotations that are given to them through the actions of people with the wrong intention. As stated in the common proverb, "one bad apple spoils the bunch". Unfortunately those who engage in activities that advocate the rights of one race above all others are the bad apples to which I refer. Another common misconception of feminism is that feminists wish for the female sex to be superior.
Both of these fallacies are often associated with feminism and often endorsed by people who refer to themselves as "feminists" giving those who truly want equality in both men and women. This does not mean that all women must have the same ideologies. It does not mean that women have to be single parents or can't be stay at home mothers because it is not empowering, it means that women should be allowed to make the decision of what they want to be without the socialistic pressures that are common today.
One aspect of true feminism is the double standard. A double standard is "a rule or principle that is unfairly applied in different ways to different people or groups." For example, when a female sleeps around she is looked down upon as a 'slut' even by fellow women, although men are congratulated for doing the same thing and called a stud. I believe women and men are at fault for this. At my school you hear girls looking down upon each other and calling them 'hoes' and 'sluts'. We tear each other down and I believe changing this is what needs to happen before we can expect men to do the same. We live in a world where women treat each other as competition. Until women can empower each other as apposed to tearing each other down, we can't expect anyone else to do the same. We first must advocate choice and not just one person's ideologies. We must support each other in any endeavors that we choose to pursue. Stop the notion that being a feminist requires you to follow one path and learn to support everyone in their decisions and create a world in which men and women can be treated equally.
megan xx
0 comments