Feminism: A Movement,
Not a Dirty Word
by Sofia Karlsson
There has always been a negative stigma to the word feminism. Many seem to believe that feminists are angry women who hate men (and refuse to shave their armpits). Supposedly, feminists want women to “take over” the world because they are better than men and they want to have special privileges. These are just a few examples of misinterpretations and prejudices of the movement, and the entire list is infinite. So what is the true meaning of feminism and why are so many people (mostly men) scared of calling themselves feminists?
Historically, women have always had fewer rights than men or no rights at all. They were not considered as smart and were therefore not allowed to be a part of decision-making, such as voting, not even if the decision was concerning themselves. Women basically only had two jobs: to give birth to children and take care of the home. According to Caroline Dorey-Steine, women started to demand a change and eventually a new movement was born. They were sick of the inequalities of not having rights and of being taken for granted. The roots of feminism come from ancient Greece, but can be divided into three waves in modern time. The women of ancient times planted the seeds of feminism with their total freedom, decision-making and independent movements, despite their limited amount of power and influence.
The first wave of feminism in modern times started in the late 1800’s when women comprehended that they first needed to gain political power, such as the right to vote, in order to make a change. Later on, the second wave emerged in the 1960’s, when the debate got broader and expanded to other issues as well (Dorey-Steine). Women put much emphasis on equality in the workplace, sexuality, family and reproductive rights. Today, which is considered the third wave, women are still fighting for some of the same issues as they did fifty years ago, although major improvement has been made since the movement began. Women still fight gender bias in the workplace, which is an obstacle for women’s success, and they still fight for the right to their own bodies. The previous generations of women made huge progress in a short period of time, but feminists still have a lot to work for before they have reached their goal: social, economic and political equality of the sexes.
According to Weiyi Cai and Scott Clement, only 23 percent of the males in the U.S consider themselves feminists. However, the majority do believe in equal rights for women and men, but they do not know a way to achieve it. These statistics are very interesting, considering that the official description and definition of feminism is very distinct: “Feminism is the belief in the social, economic and political equality of the sexes” (Burkett and Brunell 1). It is all about equality between the sexes, in every situation, and in every country. So, if feminism is all about equality, why don't most men call themselves feminists? There is no easy explanation to this matter when multiple factors presumably play a role. One answer can be that many still associate feminism with the feminists that are extreme in their beliefs. People still do not understood the goal and intention of the entire movement, and they lack knowledge about the field. Therefore, they only hear about the extremists who do not want to achieve equality between the sexes, but create a society where women are privileged and considered more valuable than men. This could not be further from the true meaning of feminism, but it is what comes to mind for many when thinking about the word (Burkett and Brunell 1).
Moreover, another reason that plays a major role as well is the fact that many men are scared of feminism and what comes along with it. Kathy Caprino claims that some men fear that they will end up losing power, impact, influence, economic opportunities and control, if feminism grows bigger. They are also afraid that feminism will affect relationships, society, business, culture and authority dynamics in a negative way. Feminism is all about fighting the patriarchy, which is a long established set of societal norms that puts masculinity/ men in a better position than femininity/women, and that might be why some men do not want to join the worldwide movement. They do not see why feminism is necessary in our modern society, because they might not see the existing inequalities or they might not have experienced the kind of oppression many women do on a daily basis (1).
Gender inequalities in the society are real. Feminism is needed, for thousands of reasons. Women are still seen as inferior in many situations, and the societal expectations make it seem like a large part of their worth is determined by appearances. Feminism is necessary because there is a 23 percent pay gap, even though men and women are supposed to be paid the same for the same type of work, and have equal employment opportunities (Cavanaugh). There is a 35 percent risk that a woman’s perceived competency worth falls by 15.088 USD if a woman is seen as forceful or assertive in the workplace, which proves that there is a real gender bias in the workplace, that possibly can be an obstacle for women’s success (Caprino 1). Feminism is also needed because women’s right to their own bodies are still being discussed, because one out of six women have been a victim of rape or attempted rape, and because society teaches women how to prevent rape, instead of teaching people to not view women as objects (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network). Even though it is 2018, only 13 out of 178 heads of state in the world are women, and the right to their own bodies is still being discussed and legislated (First Ladies).
Women has come a long way in their fight for equal rights, and it is clear that the society has improved during this journey. In the workplace, business benefits from having women in leadership positions. Women are great at developing other colleagues, show high financial performance and building relationships, both within and outside the company. They also have a tendency of inspiring others and motivating them to succeed. These characteristics are extremely valuable for a society, in order for it to function as good as possible (Alender) .
Education and the realization of existing inequalities is the start of a journey towards a society where all humans, male and female, have the equal political, economic and social rights. Feminism is not a dirty word or hatred towards men, it is equality, for everyone. Women have fought for their rights since ancient times, and now is the time to finish what they started - once and for all.
Works cited
Alender, Sarah. “14 Ways Businesses Benefit From Having Women In Leadership”. Wall
Burkett, Elinor and Laura Brunell. “Feminism.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopædia
Cai, Weiyi, and Scott Clement. “Poll: Feminism in the U.S.” The Washington Post.
Caprino, Kathy. “What is feminism, And Why Do So Many Women And Men Hate It?.”
---. “Gender Bias Is Real: Women’s Perceived Competency Drops Significantly When Judged
Cavanaugh, Casey. “Why We Still Need Feminism.” The Huffington Post. Oath Incorporation,
Dorey-Steine, Caroline. “A Brief History: The Three Waves of Feminism.” Progressive
“Victims of Sexual Violence: Statistics.” Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. rainn.org.
“2017, Women And Political Leadership - Female Heads of State And Heads of
Government.” First Ladies. WordPress, 7 Mar 2017. Web. 6 Apr 2018.
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