“Men are from Earth, women are from Earth. Deal with it.”
~ George Carlin
In a recent speech at the United Nations Headquarters, newly appointed Women’s Goodwill Ambassador, Emma Watson, declared the word Feminist to be an unpopular one: “Apparently I am among the ranks of women whose expressions are seen as too strong, too aggressive, isolating, anti-men and, unattractive.”
In layman’s terms, Feminism is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. It is the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes. That doesn’t sound too weird, aggressive, or radical, does it?
The feminist movement began in the late 19th century and has experienced several waves as it has evolved including the fight for political, social, cultural, and financial equality, and more recently has also had to focus on women’s reproductive rights.
Feminism, at its heart, is based on the mentality that everyone on this earth should be granted the same rights as everyone else. We’re all human after all, and therefore we’re all equal.
The fact that feminism is a women’s movement means that arguments are usually biased towards women’s rights to be seen as equal, most importantly within politics, culture and the workplace.
However, there is another side to feminism which focuses on men’s rights to be considered equal in terms of emotional freedom and expression which should be addressed in terms of the cultural oppression of male emotions and sensitivity.
So why, then, has feminism become a dirty word?
Unfortunately, as with any movement which originates with a radical idea (feminism began with the suffragette movement to win the right to vote which was met with outrage from men and women alike!), many people still do, and always will, believe it to be radical.
There will always be people who believe, for one way or another, through cultural, social, or religious conditioning, that the rights belonging to different races, species or sexes are not to be considered within the same moral or ethical arena.
Some of these people are unfortunately also in positions of power, therefore any rational arguments for equality are already jeopardized and threatened.
The angry man-hating feminist stereotype is also an unfortunate by-product of the movement.
Whether the media has sensationalized the concept, or whether it does actually exist, is immaterial because by these standards, the very ideas and concepts of the feminist movement are already tainted and seen as taboo and unattractive.
Women are afraid to openly admit to being a feminist, not because they don’t believe that women should be treated equally, but because they don’t actually hate men at all and by standing up for this cause, you are somehow guilty by association.
If you want to express yourself freely, then you support feminism, if you believe women should have opinions, then you support feminism, if you believe women have a right to be seen ‘and’ heard, then you are a supporter of feminism.
Feminism really needs to be reclaimed, in order to shake it of its dirty shackles, dust it off, give it a polish and re-introduce the idea that feminism is absolutely nothing to do with hating men and absolutely everything to do with living in harmony together with respect and acceptance.
It is about fairness and justice and about evolving our morals and ethics to compliment the day and age we are living in.
Of course, there are still drastic and dangerous levels of inequality still prevalent throughout the world, however the evidence of how far this movement still has to go should surely serve to highlight how important and how absolutely necessary it is for us stand behind it.
We must forget the controversy surrounding the word feminism and unite to support the plight of our sisters around the world who still cannot live in safety or with basic acknowledgement of their unique importance and sacred place in the world.
The fact we are still confronted with cases of such extreme inequality shows that we need to completely break down the conditioning of men and women and their engrained stereotypical roles in society.
This leads to the next concept; that feminism is not just for women. Although it began as a women’s movement and its name suggests the female bias, it is actually a movement for everyone.
It is welcoming to men and women alike because it simply requires that whoever understands and supports it, believes in equal rights for all on earth, regardless of sex, race, region or religion.
It is an absolutely awesome trait for a man to be considered a feminist; the feminist man is evolved in his ability to understand the powers of both men and women respectively and appreciates our unique and innate differences and attributes.
A world where men can hold women in their own divine strength and see them as the powerful creatures that they are, is a world that knows peace.
In the same way, a world in which women respect and cherish men and let them be open and vulnerable as well as strong and protective, is a world that knows love.
“I want men to take up this mantle. So their daughters, sisters and mothers can be free from prejudice but also so that their sons have permission to be vulnerable and human too — reclaim those parts of themselves they abandoned and in doing so be a more true and complete version of themselves.” ~ Emma Watson
We are teetering on the edge of a worldwide awakening of consciousness; it is palpable. We are lucky enough to be witnessing a mass spiritual evolution where we can no longer operate within the restrictive and outdated limitations that society has imposed on us.
We have come to realize that we must use our new-found spiritual freedom, knowledge and power to influence and effect change on a grand scale. But in order to stand up and be heard, we must stand together and speak as one, because our voices will be louder in unison.
“All that is needed for the forces of evil to triumph is for enough good men and women to do nothing.” ~ Edmund Burke
The idea of an initiative which appeals to both men and women works on so many levels because it breaks down the separation which often puts men off the idea of feminism and only serves to alienate them from the cause.
In reaching out to men to help fight for the rights of male/female equality, we are creating a movement based on love and respect, which is what feminism is essentially fighting for.
The fact that there are women’s groups that exist which are against the idea of feminism (Women Against Feminism) just shows how misunderstood the women’s movement has become and how urgently we need to rectify the situation.
We need to remember what we’re fighting for and why: the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities because we’re all humans, in different looking bodies.
Feminism has been clouded by contradiction and confusion but if you believe that men and women deserve the same basic rights and opportunities, then you’re already a feminist.
You don’t have to protest in the streets or burn your bra or stop shaving your legs (although you can do if you want, that’s fine as well), you just have to believe in equal rights and want for a world where we live besides each other with mutual understanding and respect.
On those grounds I am most definitely a feminist.
I embrace my own power, sexuality and right to express myself freely, without fear. I do not want to compete with men, I want to live alongside them, just as I don’t want to compete with women.
I will still continue to wear a bra when I choose to and I will continue to wax. And I would like men to feel comfortable enough to be soft and open around me if they want to.
This is a world I want to live in.
This is the reclaiming of feminism.
This is is our future.
