When I told a number of people I was writing an article about feminism, I found that many people’s image of a feminist is a man-hating hippie with body hair, no bra and a minimal interest in the feminine hygiene aisle.
The feminist movement sparked a collection of ideologies that believe in equal social, economic and political rights for women. It advocates the need for equal opportunities for women in education, employment, voting, property and contract law.
In the 18th century, Mary Wollstonecraft, a British writer and advocate for women’s rights, responded to Thomas Paine’s “Rights of Man” with “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman,” a book that sparked the first wave of feminism.
In the late 19th century, when women were still considered men’s property and were unable to vote, the first women’s rights convention took place in 1848 in New York.
Historically, women have been strong, but this movement gave women a voice. It was the first steppingstone in having the confidence to take control of their lives, decisions, education and relationships.
It is now 2012 and things have changed drastically. More women expect and receive an education, hold positions of power and authority and have the choice to work and be a mother.
In many ways, women’s roles have changed — and most people in the United States think that women and men have equal rights. But sadly, that is still not the case, at least from an earnings perspective. According to TIME Magazine, “women earned less than men in all 20 industries and 25 occupation groups surveyed by the Census Bureau in 2007.” And today, women make 77 cents for each man’s dollar.
“I think the average person probably thinks of feminism as something that isn’t needed anymore, and they think that women already have equal rights,” junior women’s, gender and sexuality studies major Sarah James said.
“I call myself a feminist because I believe in the ideas that are coming up in our current times,” she said. “Feminism is about trying to create a better society where everyone has
opportunities and choices on how they want to live their life. To me, a feminist is someone who wants a better world for everyone. It’s something that is for everybody. You don’t have to fit the perceived stereotype of a feminist.”
Senior sustainability studies major Lucy Pierce said that to her, feminism is “about advocating feminist theory through art, literature, music and other cultural forms that allow girls to feel and act the way they want to and not how society wants them to. Feminism is not having to apologize for being who you are, no matter your sex. And it is being as ‘girly’ as I want to be because, damn it, I am a girl.”
The face of feminism is continually expanding and becoming more diverse, and men around the world are speaking out to show their support for equal rights, too. Feministmen.tumblr.com is one of many Tumblr sites that are full of men supporting feminist ideals.
“Dating as a feminist,” a YouTube video that really made an impact on me, focused on a girl with brightly colored hair sharing her thoughts about a question that she had received more than once regarding the subject of body hair. She explained that, subconsciously, men are trained to believe that women having little to no body hair is natural, correct and attractive. She believes the media are responsible for this perception.
“Your boyfriends’ preferences shouldn’t be dictating decisions you make about your body,” James said. “At least, in my opinion, if your partner is going to be that turned off that they would compromise your relationship over something that is naturally on you … in that case, no matter how close you are with your boyfriend, your body is always yours and it’s only yours.”
Feminists seek equality for women in the home, workplace, education, society and law. They encourage women to make their own decisions about their body, health and contraceptive methods. Society has come a long way since that small meeting of 1,000 women in 1850. However, the feminist movement recognizes that work still needs to be done.
Women need to feel safe enough and strong enough to make their own decisions and voice their opinions. We have a long way to go.
