Memo to all humans:
Feminists just want equal rights for men and women.
Feminists don’t hate men.
Feminists don’t hate make up.
Feminists don’t think marriage is wrong or that women shouldn’t shave their legs.
Feminists don’t make any rules about how any woman should behave.
Feminists just want equal rights for men and women.
That’s it.
But, although it sounds like a relatively simple concept, a lot of women are confused about what it means to be a feminist. They reject feminism because they mistakenly believe that it has something to do with bra-burning and man-hating. And although having equal rights sounds like something every woman should root for, a lot of very confused ladies have found a community in the Women Against Feminism movement:
It’s easy to feel frustrated with these women. A lot of people have even called for the word ‘feminism’ to be changed to something with less ‘aggression’ and ‘stigma’ behind it, so that women like this won’t feel so alienated that they reject the movement altogether.
But we don’t need to change the word. Feminism is a great fucking word. Feminism got women the vote. Feminism made it legal for women to own their own homes. Feminism is the reason women can now order their own drink in a bar.
What needs to change are the people who don’t understand what feminism is and why we still need it. Because as far as feminism has pushed women forward, there is still a long way to go.
Australian women still earn approximately 80 cents for every 1 dollar earned by a man. Australian women only hold 8 per cent of board director positions despite making up over 50% of the population. Nearly one in five female Australians will experience sexual assault in their lifetime. And there is currently only one woman representing the country in the Australian cabinet. One. Woman.
WE. STILL. NEED. FEMINISM.
So answer this question:
Do you believe that men and women should have equal rights?
Yes? Congratulations, you are a feminist.
That’s all it takes. Because guess what? That’s all that feminism is. Feminism is the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social and economic equality to men.
So no, we’re not going to change the word to something less aggressive. We’re not going to pretend that we aren’t feminists because it puts people off.
We should be proud to be feminists because of all that feminism has achieved, and excited to be feminists because of all that it will achieve.
So, to the women who are proud to be part of Women Against Feminism, we’re sorry you’re confused. We’re sorry you feel alienated and we hope one day you realise that the only reason you can hold those signs on the internet is because feminism gave you the right to do so. In the meantime, the rest of us will keep fighting for equality. For you, and every other woman you know.
Because feminism rocks. And we desperately need it.
Here’s why the Mamamia Team are feminists.
Only question left is, why do you need feminism?
Top Comments
Your actions speak far louder than your words. Here, you cherry pick cliched arguments to make your point about how women who choose their own opinions are ignorant. What about the real issues? What about the fact that "feminism" doesn't have a monopoly on equality? The mass majority of women who are anti-feminist are egalitarians, which means equality for everyone. Just because somebody does not pick a label for themselves does not mean you can judge them offhand or try to thrust it upon them. I am an egalitarian, I am not and will never be a "feminist". The wage gap is a myth - women working the same jobs and the same hours receive the same rate of pay, it would be illegal for it to be otherwise. Generally women are paid less, because women generally work short hours in unskilled jobs. A woman who commits murder or rape may well walk free, a man who does the same goes to prison. I am not a feminist because the "victories" of feminism in my lifetime are not "victories" for me, they are not "victories" for equality. Women protested in my country about safe houses being closed, but they are the same people who refused to make them gender equal - they were told, legally, they must take in abused, raped, beaten men, they said no, they had their safehouse closed because it was operating on an unfair gender bias. Calling people who disagree with you ignorant is only turning more women away from your cause. Instead of addressing the issues or addressing us as people, feminists become patronising, aggressive, hysterical, and talk down to some fantasy intellectually inferior slave woman. It's ludicrous. Women are not feminists because feminism does not represent them, it does not speak for them and that should be OK. It's our life, it's our choice.
Actions say more than labels