Quoted in chapter three of Gender and Sexuality for Beginners is Estelle B. Freedman, who says feminism is "a belief that women and men are inherently of equal worth" (Garbacik, 2013). I think this is the best definition of feminism that I have ever heard. People like to turn the term feminism into a dirty word or a derogatory word to describe "man hating lesbians" but this definition really helps you see the bare bones of the cause and the fight.
Feminism isn't a new idea by any means, it is something that first emerged during the anti-slavery movement in the 19th century (Walters, 2005). I was surprised to also learn that women even though women earned the ability to participate in the national vote in 1919 (Walters, 2005) they couldn't serve on an American jury until 1975 (Garbacik, 2013). It is also pretty saddening that it has been almost one hundred years that women have been fighting in the publics eye for equality and we still have not reached a finish line, especially socially.
One social aspect that makes me believe that feminism still has a very long way to go is religion, now I am not a religious person but as I see news or hear people talk about their own religions it causes me to believe that while people are framing their lives with certain belief systems that may better their lives in some ways it puts a damper on their opportunities in other ways. When women are put in a place where they are only supposed to get married, reproduce, and stay subordinate to their husbands it is very difficult to break loose and make your own mark in the world! Sure, who wouldn't want to stay home with their small child and tend to their every need personally? I know I would, but we shouldn't limit ourselves, education is key, and being in charge of your own life is key. Plus your child will grow up seeing you as a role model, advocating college and independence, thus creating a generation which is that much more advanced than the last.
Even with everything that I have read, watched and learned so far in my journey of Feminism, I personally found it shocking, as would many other people that Sheryl WuDunn states that Gender Inequity is one of our biggest problems in the 21st Century (WuDunn). Once your personal needs are met the best way to elevate your happiness to to be part of a cause that is bigger than yourself (WuDunn). This is so true and a great example of why feminism is so important, especially for those of us that truly have the means to help others by being born privileged, mostly by just being born, or raised within the United States (WuDunn). I believe even as we progress into the future that feminism will be important, especially as we provide LGBTQ individuals with more equality. We just need to keep in in the front of our minds that we are are of equal worth-regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, gender, gender identity, or any other identifying feature that people try to separate people based on. Humans are humans and we have to keep fighting the good fight to prove that, ever improvement no matter how small is still a step closer to the end goal.
References:
WuDunn, Sheryl. "Our century's greatest injustice." TEDTalks.
AUG 2010.
Garbacik, Jaimee. Gender & Sexuality For Beginners. 1st ed. Danbury, CT: For Beginners LLC, 2013.
Walters, Margaret. Feminism: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press Inc., 2005.
No comments:
Post a Comment