After a recent class lecture about feminism I was sort of floored at how many people were really afraid of being called a feminist. While I do know that there is some negative connotation involved with being a feminist, I was still surprised. So, I decided to ask some people around me what they pictured when they thought of a feminist. I asked them to describe everything they could, including physical appearance. I had some mixed answers; here is a short list of the answers:
1. Ugly
2. Lesbian
3. Angry - I heard this the most
4. Man hater
5. Attractive
6. Intelligent
What I thought was interesting about the answers was that the negative ones came from men. It was the women that I had asked that mentioned the terms at the end of the list. My favorite line that someone said was "a woman that can't find a man to love her". I can see why people are maybe afraid of being associated with being a feminist, when our society sheds such a poor light on the term. After I was done asking the people what they pictured, I asked them some other questions that represent what mainstream feminism is:
1. Do you believe in equal pay for equal work?
2. Do you believe women should not be abused?
3. Do you believe that a woman should be able to apply for any job that she is qualified for?
Would you guess that everyone had the same answers? Everyone believed in equal pay for equal work, everyone believed that women should NOT be abused, and everyone believed that woman should have the right to apply any job she is qualified for. I explained that those were the main things that woman fight for, that was mainstream feminism.
Next time you think about whether you are a feminist or not, consider these very questions. Feminists are only fighting to be treated equal, we are not fighting to have more, but to simply just have the same.
As a side note, I was later asked by a male participant if he was allowed to be a feminist. I explained that I definitely think men can be feminist's, we should all be fighting for equality!!!
I just ran across this cool document, "Code of Conduct for Men in the 21st Century"
ReplyDelete1. I REJECT unconditionally all violence against women and children.
2. I REJECT the buying of sex with women and children.
3. I WILL intervene when I see a man beating a woman.
4. I WILL NOT beat my wife or partner.
5. I WILL INTERVENE when my male colleagues, friends, or family belittle or degrade women.
6. I RECOGNISE prostitution as harmful to women and will do everything I can to see the end of it.
7. I REJECT the buying of pornography, recognizing it as sexual exploitation.
8. I WILL NOT BUY products that advertise by exploiting women’s bodies when it has nothing at all to do with the product.
9. I WILL NOT visit clubs and bars that exploit women through ‘exotic’ dancing.
10. I WILL NOT BUY newspapers and magazines that advertise sexual services.
11. I REJECT all forms of sexual harassment, including wolf whistling, sexual insinuations, and unauthorized physical contact.
12. I WILL INTERVENE when my male colleagues, friends, or family engage in sexual harassment.
13. I WILL RESPECT my female colleagues and partners as equals.
14. I RECOGNISE decision-making at home is about equality and partnership.
15. I WILL ENCOURAGE other men to adopt and live by this code, including teaching it to my children
Authored by: Brian Iselin, 2009
Alabaster Jar e.V.
I fully agree with all that, so I guess I should jump on the feminist bandwagon as well! =)