Today: Mar 28, 2024

Women for and against feminism share their views on gender equality and stereotypes

Anisa Jibrell General Assignment Reporter 

Women lie, men lie, but numbers don’t.

Antifeminism, an online movement and ideology that casts a cloud of doubt over the concept of feminism and its purpose, belongs to those who reject gender equality advocacy. However, a report issued by the World Economic Forum seems to disagree with the anti-feminist sentiments that have occupied the streets of social media.

According to the 2014 Gender Gap report, the world is roughly 81 years from closing the equality gap, based on factors such as economic participation and opportunity, education, political empowerment, health and survival.

“People think that in order to be a feminist you need to favor females over males, but it’s really just about equality,” said Stephanie Braker, senior public health major. “The ultimate goal is equality between the genders and that they should be given the same pay, the same rights and privileges. ”

The gender gap for economic participation and opportunity currently stands at 60 percent worldwide, having closed by four percent from 56 percent in 2006.

Braker suggests the vagueness that surrounds the term “feminism,” opens it up to misinterpretation.

The concept of feminism stretches beyond advocacy for equal treatment in the workplace and political landscape, but forays into issues such as domestic violence against women, who are the number one victims of domestic violence.

An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Feminism also involves advocacy towards improving things such as, literacy among the 493 million women in the world –who still cannot read or write– according to International Literacy data.

Senior sociology major, Emily Sniffin, said part of the shared assumption that feminism translates to hatred towards men, stems from the word “feminism,” itself.

“It’s a hot button word,” said Jeff Clancy, senior psychology major.  “And women will say they’re not a feminist even though they are.”

More and more women are distancing themselves from feminism through online campaigns like “Women Against Feminism,” a Tumblr site that invites users to post selfies holding up handwritten signs with a list of reasons for their anti-feminist views.

One Tumblr user writes, “I don’t need feminism because: I love my boyfriend and respect him! I enjoy makeup and enjoy feeling pretty? Also I don’t need to be superior to men.”

“It’s alarming,” said Sniffin, “women should want to stand up for themselves and say when things are right and you shouldn’t feel like you have to hide.”

Sniffin said part of why women distance themselves from feminism is out of fear of appearing less attractive to their men counterparts.

“Just because you’re independent or financially self-supportive doesn’t mean that you’re any less attractive or feminine,” said Sniffin.

Feminism, much like any other ideology, has its fair share of extremists, extremists that Braker, admits are prevalent on social media avenues.

“Online you’ll see them tearing men to shreds over small things,” said Braker “They’ll just be very verbally abusive towards men.”

Clancy said occasionally there’s that feminist who really does hate men, which causes some people to believe that all feminists are like “that one feminist who is condemning men to Hell.”

“It sets the tone, and stereotypes are perpetuated,” said Clancy. “One bad egg , makes all the eggs look bad.”

Photo Credit: Flazingo Photos 

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