For those of you who don’t know, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, feminism is: “1. The theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. 2. Organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests.”
Why am I explaining this to you? Well, because recently, in my country, an influencer said on an Instagram Q&A that she wasn’t a feminist, and everyone was shocked. Apparently, she was and is a feminist, but she just didn’t know what feminism was.
This influencer has a magazine where she talks about women empowerment and preaches equality and that was one of the reasons why people were surprised by her answer.
This made me wonder: how many women and men, out there, are feminists but either don’t know they are or refuse to be titled as one because they don’t truly know what feminism is?
To make it easier for everyone I decided to do this post where I’ll give you 5 reasons that prove you are a feminist.
Reason 1: You don’t hate the man and you don’t want to overpower them.
One of the biggest myths about feminism is that women hate men and, because they do, they are willing to overpower them just to get to where they want to be.
In reality, this is not true. Like I told you earlier, feminism is the belief in an equal society, where men and women stand, side by side, having the same opportunities and the same rights. So, if you believe in a fair and equal society where men and women can co-exist in equality, then you already passed reason
Reason 2: You are a man but still believe in gender equality.
Once again, here I am debunking myths. Feminism isn’t just for girls. Feminism isn’t just for women. Feminism is a fight for gender equality and, if you are a man and you believe that women are your equals and that they should be rewarded with the same opportunities and rights as you, then you are a feminist. You believe in feminism. If you are a man reading this, then here’s the second reason why you are a feminist. If you are a woman, then here’s a reason to go spread the word about feminism with your guy pals.
Reason 3: You believe that parental rights should be equal.
Unfortunately, in our society, parenthood is still seen as being more relevant for women. In other words, children, in most countries, are still seen as an only woman responsibility.
Because of this, women often lose job opportunities when they refuse to sign a contract that demands they don’t have children on their first year in the company, and men often lose custody rights because kids should always be with their mothers. We can also talk about maternity leaves where man, in some countries, aren’t even given the same maternity leaves as their spouses.
So, if you believe that both parents should have the same rights when it comes to their children, regardless of their gender, then, chances are, you actually are a feminist.
Reason 4: You believe that pink and blue are just colours.
Recently, a world leader said that he believed that pink is for girls and blue is for boys. And, although this might seem harmless, it is very concerning. It means that we are putting people in boxes according to their genders. It means that, if you are a boy you can’t wear dresses and make-up. It means that, if you are a woman, you can’t play soccer or wear sporty clothes.
It means that we are adding layers of separation between people based on their gender and this is not ok.
We don’t need to live in boxes especially if these boxes aren’t gender-free.
So, if you think these colours are just colours, then you passed reason four.
Reason 5: You have an opinion.
At the end of the day, you are still entitled to your opinion, meaning that you don’t have to agree with every single thing feminism represents.
This is the beauty of feminism. You are invited to have an opinion about things and you are invited to start a debate about our fights. You are invited to participate and to educate other people on what feminism is, even if they think they already have it figured out. This is not a closed conversation – this is about dialogue and communication because that’s the only way we can get somewhere.
Now that you know the five reasons, I hope I’ve convinced you that you are a feminist and that if you weren’t, that it is ok to be one. You are not hating on anyone’s gender, you are not trying to overpower anyone, you are not fighting for a wrongful cause.
At the end of the day, feminism is one of the keys to an equal world where we are equal, regardless of our gender identity.
We already live inside so many boxes. Don’t let you gender by one of them. Get out of your box and speak your truth at aies.ec/youthspeak19 .
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