It's been an uneventful past couple days except for the fact that I'm starting to panic about not being able to pay for my wedding, but that's a topic for a different day. But what I do want to talk about today is something that I've been thinking about a lot the past couple weeks and months and that is feminism in today's world.
First off, lets look at the definition of feminism. There's one key word that I want everyone to put their focus on. Can you guess which one?
If you guessed EQUALITY, you are so very right. I think what a lot of women forget is that we are fighting and advocating to be equal. Not to be treated special or better than men or even differently. We are fighting to be the exact same, as it should be. In today's world, women are not not fragile creatures, we are strong and independent. This is not the 1950's anymore. When we fight to be equal in the right to vote, equal pay, etc. we are also fighting for equal treatment in everyday things. So if I want to be looked at like I'm a strong, independent, fearless woman, just like a man is looked at, I should EXPECT to be treated as such. That means that if I make a stupid decision, I should expect to get the equal kind of punishment that a man should. If I hit somebody, I should expect to get hit back, doesn't matter if it's a man twice my size. I took the first swing, it will probably be reciprocated and when it does I should not be allowed to going cry to the police because a man hit me when I started it in the first place. When we constantly scream that we a strong and independent women and then go crying when our stupid decisions don't work out, that does a heck of alot more harm to the cause and it honestly makes us hypocrites when we do stuff like that.
We need to remember that when fighting for equal rights in comes with equal treatments as well. One gender should not receive special treatment just because they are built slightly differently.
Also, it completely baffles me when some women say that they are not feminists. How do they not want equal rights for themselves and others like them? I know some extremists have given feminists a bad name but the core of feminism is everyday, critically thinking women who just want to be treated equally. How can a women not be for their own equal rights? It'd be like a gay perosn not wanting marriage equality, or a christian not wanting religious freedom, or a black person to be against racial equality. It makes absolutely no sense. Just because some have tainted the word "feminist" with bad things does not mean that it is at it's very core, it is a good cause that every woman should stand behind.
The last thing I want to talk about today is this man hating business. Just because a woman is a feminist does not make her a man hater. Men are our biggest allies when it comes to fair and equal treatment. We should treat them as such. Heck, I'm even a gay feminist and I don't hate men. We have to remember that we are in no way against men, we just wanted to be treated as their equals. This world cannot function without men, just like it can't function without women. We need each other.
I think that's all I have to say for now. I may think of some more things later but will make a seperate post about them. Let me know what you think about all this in the comments!
And i will leave you with these words from Gloria Steinem...
“A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.”
Love always,
Mandi
Mandi
