I’m saddened to hear that Shailene Woodley, a young and upcoming Hollywood actress, doesn’t want to be considered a feminist. Why? Because she loves men and does not believe that women overtaking men’s power would benefit the world in any way.
Adding to the thought, she said in her TIME magazine interview, “We have to have a fine balance.” How sad that she is describing the very core of feminism but doesn’t even know it i.e gender equality. However, she is not the only female role model who has made this mistake, joining in with likes of Kelly Clarkson and Katy Perry.
Granted that the media and society itself propagate the concept with a negative connotation, many are unfortunately misinformed and uneducated as to what feminism or being a feminist really is.
Being a feminist does not mean burning your bras to prove a point (first of all, bras are very expensive) and it most certainly does not mean hating men or anything remotely masculine. In fact, men are feminists too. If you’re wondering how that is, then you really need to understand the movement and what it aims to establish.
I believe that author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie defined the term best saying, “Feminist: A person who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes.”
I don’t want to point the finger at men for in reality, women are just as responsible to rectify gender inequality. If you esteem to sit and complain about male hegemony, then it accomplishes nothing. Young girls need to be taught to have their own opinions, not further anyone else’s, man or woman. It is wrong for men to assume that women are vessels to bear children and meant to do household work. There is no shame in managing a household, it is in fact a full-time job, one that is without pay or vacation days I’m afraid. It’s upsetting how women can be taken for granted so easily.
On the other hand, while discussing fairness to both genders, I feel it is important that we acknowledge that men are not monsters harbouring ill intentions. Not all, anyway. Women should not insinuate that all men are insensitive pigs or sexual sharks because the matter of the fact is that that is simply not true. It is unfair to generalise in the case of both men and women. While women are subjected to unfair stereotypes, men are too. Men are victims of rape as well and their trauma is no less than that of a woman’s.
I think the more we point out differences among men and women, the worse it is. After all, we are human beings. In fact, psychologist Carl Jung, the male psyche consists of a female component called the anima while the female psyche consists of a male component called the animus. So in truth, we all have our masculine and feminine sides. So why can’t we just embrace them?
I’m so sick and tired of being told to do something simply because I’m a girl or hearing a boy being told to ‘man up’. I would just like everyone to be. Till then though…
Be a feminist.
It’s not the right choice but it’s a good choice.
The Tea-Infused Typewriter 