There are many different ways that people define the word “feminist”. For example, Merriam Webster defines it as “a theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes”. Keep in mind I do consider myself a feminist, also meaning I do support the equal treatment of males and females, but day after day I continue to see unacceptable standards set for women by men, and even the media as well.
I do very strongly believe it is hard to be a woman in today’s society. We are constantly compared to certain beauty aspects, such as having a big butt to be desired by men or having a large chest. We are told that we should be smart, but not too dumb. To be confident, but not too overbearing. To be successful, but to never outshine a man in what we are participating in. It is more common to be sexually assaulted or abused by a man than when the roles are reversed. It is harder for us to find equally paying jobs in comparison to our male co-workers. And lastly, it is harder for us in society to be respected overall.
So, I go back to the drawing board. I ask myself, when did this happen? Why is this still a topic that is around when women nowadays are fortunately trying to obtain the same rights as a man? I remember things I would always see in my history textbook. Men were usually working on the fields; the women were taking care of the household. That was the accepted standard. A white man always had the right to vote, but women didn’t possess that right until 1920. Of course, that was back then. But why is “back then” still being treated as now? I will admit I’m thankful for our female empowerment leaders, women such as Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Carly Fiorina, and Oprah Winfrey, and I’m proud of the many advancements that women have made in the workforce. However, I don’t appreciate a man gawking at the fact that a woman should get equal pay. Or that a woman is scared to walk on the street alone. Or that a woman is doing better than them on the soccer field. We, as women, have every right to be as successful as they are, as strong as in body and in mind, and appreciated for what we contribute to the world.
I’m not stereotyping and saying every man does this. But the fact that a majority of young men these days do not know how to properly treat a woman with respect and give her the kindness she deserves is very aggravating. And a lot of young girls settle for a man when he doesn’t completely respect her. And not just her, every single bit of her- for her personality and her outer self. Us girls settle because we think, “Well I’m not going to be able to find anything else” or “All men are like this so why should I try”. We are criticized for being picky if we have never had interest in a guy before or wait to have a boyfriend. But in reality, we are scared to find someone who might treat us badly or not fully respect us.
So yes, if you tell me a man has it harder in society than a woman, I won’t believe you. And while I do remain a feminist in some aspects, the truth is that a man does not know what women have had to endure in society, or how our rights have been revoked or laughed at. You don’t know that we fear being the 1 in 6 women to get raped in their lifetime. You don’t know how we are frustrated by the wage gap. And you don’t know that some of us just want to find a person who respects us for us. You won’t know because you aren’t in our shoes, and that’s fine. But don’t act freaked out when a woman is becoming a leader in the workforce in a sea full of men. Don’t act surprised when a woman waits for a boyfriend out of respect for herself. And don’t act like just because we have menstrual cycles we are too weak, too emotional and too fragile to do anything better than a man can. Females are gaining this confidence and I only hope this confidence will grow in society from here on. We have every right to be successful, to be respected, and to be leaders. If you refuse to believe that, then you’re stuck in “back then” and not 2017.
