Tuesday 6 March 2018

What Does Feminism Mean To Me?


Hey guys! So, feminism is a widely talked about subject and I feel like I would like to address it. For anyone wondering, I class myself as a feminist. In order for me to explain why I think it is important to know exactly what 'Feminism' means. So I've gathered a few definitions of 'feminism'.

"The advocacy of women's rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes" - Oxford Dictionary

"The theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes" - Merriam Webster 

"The belief that women should be allowed the same rights, power, and opportunities as men and be treated in the same way" - Cambridge Dictionary  

So that should be enough for anyone to get the general gist of feminism. However, sometimes the meaning of the word gets confused and escalated to something it's not, so much so, some people feel uncomfortable calling themselves 'feminists' because they are unclear of the true meaning. There is a lot of negative stereotypes associated with being a 'feminist' and a common misunderstanding is that it means women think they are better than men. But feminism has never been about being better or superior. Feminism is about being considered as equal. 

Women have always struggled to be valued the same as men through history and 'feminism' is trying to change that. It means women and men should have equal opportunities, power and social equality. I really do not think this should be a lot to ask for! But surprisingly there is still inequality between sexes in today's society. Women are still being paid less than men or being valued less socially. Of course, there has been a lot of progress thanks to all the wonderful people, especially women, who have fought for our equality. But we still need to continue this mission to gain true equality worldwide. 

So, I am proud to call myself a Feminist. I believe that men and women should be equal. I would hate to be told I could not do something just because of my gender. Women can do whatever they want with their lives, whether that's being a stay at home mum or being a mechanic. Men should be free to do what they want, whether that's being a builder or being a makeup artist. We are our own people and we have our own thoughts and dreams. Our gender should never get in the way of these dreams. 

Nothing annoys me more than when someone expects something of me just because I am female. Yes, I am female but it does not mean that my main ambition in life is to have a family, cook for my husband or any of the other 'women's place' stereotypes. I love that some women love this and they should be able to make this decision for themselves. But for me, I want to be able to follow my ambitions and dreams that aren't necessarily in line with the traditional 'women's place' stereotypes, without so much criticism. I will make my life decisions based on my happiness and not what society perceives my happiness should be. Therefore, feminism is important to me. I want to be able to work hard and get paid the same as a man doing the same job. I don't want to be considered worth less than a man. I want society to consider women equal to men. I want to be able to have power and express my voice. I want equality. 

So I hope this post helped some of you understand better what feminism is and why it is important to me, as an ambitious woman in today's society. Let me know your thoughts on the topic!


Love Rebecca Ashley x





SHARE:

No comments

Post a Comment

Blogger Template Created by pipdig