Dispelling the Misconceptions of Feminism
By Lia Yanagi
Up until recently, I never wanted to associate with the word “feminism.” I didn’t think of myself as a feminist, and if the situation called for it, I would make sure people knew that. I was not just aware of the negative connotations that people attached to this complicated word; I believed that there was truth to the adverse ideas of feminism, and I was hesitant to identify with those certain labels. I realized that there was a gap in my understanding of what feminism actually is. I was ignorant, thus feeling convinced that I was not a feminist. I began to see this as a problem, and in hopes of reevaluating my perspective, I delved into the meaning of feminism.
Google’s definition of feminism is, “the advocacy of women's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes.” However, I would say this definition glosses over the true essence of feminism and is, therefore, incomplete. At its core, feminism seeks fairness and equal opportunity regardless of gender. Feminism opposes the belief that one gender is more valuable than the other. To summarize, feminism is the idea that individuals should not be subject to discrimination or oppression based on gender. This movement aims for an equal chance to succeed and thrive in life, free of gender-based constraints.
The history of feminism is a rich and complex narrative that dates back thousands of years. The early feminists can be found in ancient literature and convoluted ideologies. The history of feminism has been condensed into “waves” which people often feel oversimplifies the complicated history of feminism. To contrast this belief, I feel it is useful to discuss modern feminism using these “waves.” It’s important to keep in mind that these waves overlap, and it is a general viewpoint for people to catalog what was going on during that specific time period. However, it wasn’t until the late 19th century that the feminist movement was popularized. This was known as the first wave of feminism when women began to advocate for their legal rights, specifically the women's suffrage movement. Women were fighting to be recognized as beings in a world reserved for men. Suffragettes would get into the streets, voicing their desires for simple rights. (Brunell)
The second wave of feminism began during the 1960s when the focus shifted to social and cultural inequalities. Traditional gender roles were being protested, and women were fighting for reproductive rights. (Grady)
The third wave of feminism emerged during the late 90s into the early 2000s. The goal was to tackle the backlash that was received from the previous wave and the continuous struggles women faced when it came to the rights they had. The Anita Hill testimony triggered this wave when she accused Clarence Thomas in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee of sexually assaulting her. Anita Hill was an attorney advisor to Clarence Thomas who was the head of the EEOC (equal employment opportunity commission). This case was controversial and evoked a lot of emotion. People were beginning to recognize the underrepresentation of women in national leadership positions. Protesters worked to achieve a world with social, racial, and economic equality. This wave opened a new approach to feminism that was much more inclusive, thus expanding the feminist movement. (Grady)
The feminist movement will always evolve in response to the changing social environment and will grow with the progressing gender relations. In today’s society, feminists address issues such as the gender pay gap, representation of women in the public world, gender-based violence, and many more issues relating to equality and inclusion. Present-day feminism founded powerful movements like the #MeToo and the HeForShe campaign. If you don’t know, the MeToo movement worked to spread awareness around the issue of sexual harassment and abuse that women would often face in a working environment. The HeForShe campaign began as a way for men to pledge their support for gender equality, but it has expanded to people of all genders to show their shared want of gender equality. Today, there are still people who continue to challenge feminism and question its relevance in modern society.
Like all movements, feminism has been met with criticism and subjected to backlash for many years. Many who oppose this movement often lack understanding of what feminism actually is and overlook the true intention of the feminist movement. It is the common idea that the feminist movement is solely for helping women and that feminists are anti-men. But, like I have stated previously, the feminist movement is in the support of both genders and is not used to discredit men. Popular feminist activist Chimamanda Adichie defined feminists as being “a man or a woman who says yes there’s a problem with gender as it is today. And we must fix it, we must do better.” Her statement challenges the belief that feminists are all women who shelter strong feelings of animosity toward men. Ultimately, feminists are individuals who recognize that there are gender-based issues in society and seek to fix them.
There have been many studies that show women rejecting the label of “feminist” but saying that they support gender equality. In 2016, about 8,000 adults in the UK were surveyed for the Fawcett Society. When they were asked about feminism, 7% of the surveyed adults said that they identify as a feminist while 61% said that they support equality for men and women but don’t label themselves as a feminist. About 4% of the UK adults said that they didn’t know what feminism stood for, and 9% believed that feminism is irrelevant. This study illustrates the conflicting views of feminism, and further proves how many people don’t understand the concept of being a feminist so they shy away from identifying with the feminist movement. (Henry)
In conclusion, feminism works to challenge modern-day gender norms and rethink the equity of men and women. This complicated movement has evolved over the span of centuries, and continues to change and grow with the new generation of gender norms. Feminism is not a monolithic ideology but a complex collection of nuanced ideas that seeks to address the flaws of systematic gender norms in today's society.
There are many people who don’t understand what feminism is or what this movement aims to fix, but it’s especially important to dismantle the belief that feminism is only for women and seeks only to change the rights women have. I used to feel determined to encourage the fact that I was not a feminist. I was convinced that I would seem pushy, or overly radical which are often first impressions of feminists. I wasn’t sure why I felt the need to constantly convince myself that I wasn’t a feminist and I wanted to explore those harsh feelings of denial. I learned that I was blind to a subject much larger than I imagined.
Feminism is an intricate, controversial topic that I felt compelled to explore further. I learned that feminists are individuals who work towards abolishing the idea that one gender is superior to the other. They focus on developing a world where everyone regardless of gender has an equal opportunity at succeeding in life. I found that I resonate with their values, and have a new and improved perspective on the feminist movement.
Bibliography:
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Oct. 2023, www.britannica.com/topic/feminism.
Soken-Huberty, Emmaline. “Types of Feminism: The Four Waves.” Human Rights Careers, 24 Apr.
2022, www.humanrightscareers.com/issues/types-of-feminism-the-four-waves.
“The Waves of Feminism, and Why People Keep Fighting Over Them, Explained.” Vox, 20 July 2018,
www.vox.com/2018/3/20/16955588/feminism-waves-explained-first-second-third-fourth.
AJ+. “The 5 Biggest Myths About Feminism.” YouTube, 26 Aug. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?
Henry, Rachael. “Attitudes to Gender in 2016 Britain – 8,000 Sample Study for Fawcett Society |
Survation.” Survation, 18 Jan. 2016, www.survation.com/uk-attitudes-to-gender-in-2016-survation-for-fawcett-society.
https://images.app.goo.gl/TsSoNNHhcsDhKXHMA (image #1 link)
https://images.app.goo.gl/honvceDfbnyh71ek7 (image #2 link)