Natalie Barletta – Opinions Editor
Feminism is a word that has both positive and negative connotations. Let me ask you a question. What do you think about when you hear the word ‘feminist’? Sometimes you think of the freedom of a woman’s right to make her own choices. Sometimes, when thinking about the word you think of outspoken self-sufficient women who swear off men for good. However, even if the word has a negative meaning, the word is something that speaks volumes for equality between the sexes.
It’s no argument that men and women are taught to be completely different things. Men are taught to hunt, build, and to provide wealth to their family. Women are taught to aspire to marriage, not be too strong or tough, and not to be too ambitious because its not ‘attractive.’ Women play with dolls while men play with action figures. Who can remember Barbie being Wonder Woman, however, needing to have Ken for financial and emotional support? If a man is seen to be sensitive then they are perceived to be as a weak link to the society, but if the man is muscular and ‘macho’ then they are perceived to be as a perfect mate.
Let me ask you something. What do you think of when you think of feminists? I myself think of Beyonce, but that’s just me. I also think of equality between men and women as workers, and as human beings. Stars such as Lana Del Rey and Shailene Woodley hide from the word, yet Beyonce and Emma Watson wear it with a badge of honor.
Watson, who was recently appointed as a UN Goodwill Ambassador, spoke passionately about the subject in a speech in September 2014. She is also spokesperson for the campaign #HeForShe which is a campaign to promote equality between the genders.
“I decided I was a ‘feminist’ and this seemed uncomplicated to me. But my recent research has shown me that feminism has become an unpopular word,” Watson said in her speech. “Why is the word such an uncomfortable one?”
Gender is a tricky issue. It often comes with a side dish of expectations, roles, and ideas what each gender entails. I have friends that are genderqueer, which is someone who identifies as neither male nor female. Stereotypes cloud our judgement for what is right for each gender, putting a ton of pressure for someone to confine to a certain idea of what is right based on gender expectations.
I believe that as a human race that we should be equal no matter what gender you are. When I hear that women make a significantly smaller percentage less than a man does for the same job, it makes me sick to my stomach. Women are taught to ask and settle for less than their male co-workers.
I’ve read somewhere that as a woman asking for a raise, then you should ask for about 20 percent more than you think is fair, because it’s really not that much when being compared to a man’s salary. Women are taught to think that they deserve less than their male counterparts in the corporate world, in addition to the social spectrum in our society.
With that in mind, I also get really angry when fathers teach their sons not to show emotions and being strong and tough. Naturally, it is really unhealthy for anyone to keep all of your emotions in, no matter what gender you are. With that in mind, why do we put women in one category, and men in the other with little to no room for blurred lines?
Equality between the genders is something that I think is important. The stereotypes that have been passed down from generation to generation is something that need to be broken. I think that we have to look at each other as our equal counterparts, versus one being more dominant. We are all equal, and if you believe that women deserve to have the same rights as women, then you are in fact as Watson says ‘inadvertent feminists.’
