OPINION 4
October 16, 2014
Why I’m a Feminist
By Molly Arndt Opinion Editor
T
he word feminism has come up a lot in popular culture lately. Between Beyonce’s performance at the VMA’s and Emma Watson’s address to the United Nations, the internet has exploded with memes, rants, and opinions about the word. As a young woman thinking about her future and as someone still in the process of shaping their personal ideology, I would like to share a few of the reasons why I consider myself a feminist, and perhaps inspire you to consider joining me underneath the label. Merriam Webster defines feminism as, “the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.” Feminism does not exclude men- in fact, U.N. Ambassador Emma Watson started the HeForShe campaign to encourage men to join the cause. (You can read more about HeForShe in Killian’s Spectrum Online article.) Societal adherence to gender roles hurts men just as much as they hurt women. Almost all of the positions thought of as traditionally “female,” (nurses, secretaries, elementary teachers) are still dominated by women. The same goes for “male” jobs, which are typically higher paying and more time consuming. Not only do women sacrifice career opportunities-men sacrifice family time. Feminism is about empowering people to live their lives in a way that is feasible and productive for them, based on their goals and their abilities, regardless of whether it fits into their gender stereotype. Feminism is also about recognizing and addressing what problems women still face. One important issue is male domination of politics. In a country where a staggering 82% of single parents are women, the wage gap (78 cents for every man’s dollar) has a huge impact on the children of single mothers. And since 62% of minimum-wage earners are women, shouldn’t women represent more than 19% of the people making laws about it? Sexual assault remains a huge problem as well- one in three women will be sexually assaulted within their lifetime. At Girl State this summer, my friends and I sat through an hour long presentation on personal safety, with a focus on avoiding sexual assault in college. There was no Boys State presentation about obtaining consent, or violence prevention, or what to do if someone you knew committed sexual assault. Women are disproportionately affected by domestic violence, rape,
Illustration by Jillian Kurovski and sexual abuse, and victims don’t get to choose whether or not they are victims- the perpetrators make that choice. More than anything, I am a feminist for the girls in countries like Cambodia, Afghanistan, Nepal, Pakistan, Chad, Haiti, and Guatemala, and even more developed countries like Egypt and India, where females
are denied the ability to go to school. These girls suffer, not just because they are taught they are worth less than other human beings, or because of the violence they may face, but because they will never know what they are capable of. The world suffers with them, because among those girls are brilliant mathematicians, scientists, writers, artists, and leaders who will never get to share their talents. If you won’t support feminism for yourself, support it for them.