I admit it: I'm guilty. Guilty of being a self-proclaimed feminist. It is unfortunate that we are taught nowadays to attach shame and embarrassment to the term "feminist." When I tell people I'm a feminist, sometimes they chuckle and say, "okay, feminazi" or "I don't agree with feminism" or simply "I don't like that term." I don't think that most people truly understand what the term means, so let's take a mini crash course through history to piece it all together.
"Feminism" as we know of the term today sprouted in the late 1800s to early 1900s. In North America at the time, women were not allowed to vote and were not considered as "persons" under the law, meaning they had little to no financial freedom and political influence. Female leaders joined together to fight this injustice and gained suffrage rights throughout the 1910s. This was the first wave of feminism. Later, when swarms of husbands went to fight in the Second World War, women were left to take up all the traditionally male dominated work, and they thrived. That was the second wave of feminism.
Once all people in the country were granted equal rights by law, feminism started to shift to other critical matters, such as access to birth control options, as well as freedom from discrimination and harassment. The new feminism also dealt with racism and the ways in which traditional feminism did not take into account the experiences of women of colour. The latest feminist wave (of the past five years or so) can now be appropriately dubbed the #MeToo era, as with the rise of social media and widespread sharing of information, women are now more free to express their personal struggles of harassment, assault, and discrimination based on their sex.
While women in western society are generally equal in terms of the law, this is no reason to abolish feminism, neither the term nor the movement. It is estimated that one in four women in Canada will be sexually assaulted during their lifetimes, but the numbers could be much higher. Every woman I've acquainted to a level of friendship has opened up to me about a disturbing sexist experience in their lives, whether it be getting fired from a job for getting married, or being groped on the street by a stranger.
As long as women are viewed primarily as sex objects by the media, feminism is a necessity, especially with the overwhelming influence that social media has on peoples' lives. I am bombarded with online misogyny everyday, and even though it's directed at me, it still leaves an impact. I follow a lot of women on Instagram, and the more popular ones are slewed with comments like "get back to the kitchen" or "lose some weight" or "I'd tap that." Even when I'm just scrolling through funny pictures or visiting a casual news site like Buzzfeed, half naked women pop up everywhere, with misogynistic or hurtful words in the comments. It leaves me with a feeling of shame and disgust to see their objectification.
One of the most tragic and disturbing cases of violent misogyny occurred just earlier this year, when a man frustrated about being "involuntarily celibate" decided to use a rental car as a weapon and killed around ten people, most of whom were targeted for being women. Even though the perpetrator must have been disturbed to begin with, misogyny and the Internet had no doubt influenced his heinous act.
And of course, the high profile Kavanaugh case that occurred recently can't be ignored. Professor Christine Blasey Ford came forward about a sexual assault that happened to her years ago, at the hands of the now Supreme Court Justice, Brett Kavanaugh. Her story was not believed by many, and her testimony was in fact mocked by the US President, which shows just how much feminism is needed today. Even though the staggering majority of sexual assault allegations are true, there is still a general attitude to regard the female victim with disbelief. In Canada, only one in ten sexual assault arrests result in conviction, and these are only the ones that are reported to the police. The whole court process is humiliating and stressful for the victim, and this was amplified in Kavanaugh's heart wrenching testimony.
I actually agree with the US President when he says it is "a scary time for young men in America" because, slowly but surely, we are moving towards a society where men have to be held accountable for their actions. It has been a scary time to be a women for generations. We all deserve true equality and respect, not just in the Charter, but also in society, work, and politics.
So, no, I am not guilty of being a "feminazi" or a "man-hater" because I am neither. I want to live in a world where a woman's value isn't based on her cup size or waist measurement. I want to be able to walk alone at night in a safe neigbourhood, and not be looking over my shoulder in fear. I want to go to a bar with my girl friends and spend one night without being harassed by strangers. I want to stop rolling my eyes at the truck drivers who honk at me and yell obscenities. I am fed up with rape culture, the normalization of hitting on drunk or drugged women, and the nonchalant way in which violence against women is portrayed in every form of media, from TV shows to pornography. I want to live in a world where every woman can get an abortion, can get a job, can run for office, and can live an independent life. But until all these wishes are fulfilled, I will continue being a feminist, unapologetically and guilt-free.
Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/02/politics/trump-scary-time-for-young-men-metoo/index.html
https://globalnews.ca/news/3827388/sex-assault-convictions-statscan/
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-facebook-post-connected-to-suspect-in-van-rampage-cites-incel/
https://laughspin.com/amy-schumer-arrested-at-cancelkavanaugh-protest-in-washington-d-c/
http://markwolff.name/hartwick/exhibits/show/crwf/women-workers
https://viva.media/a-housewife
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