What comes to mind when you hear the word “Feminism”? You’ll probably hear a few people tut or shake their heads. It as if people view Feminism as a dirty word as if Feminism equals something disgraceful as if being a Feminist is something to be ashamed of. How about this, what comes to mind when I tell you that I am a Feminist? Some may say that I am something vile, something scandalous, something that I should hide and not say. To that I ask yet another set of questions, When did it become wrong for a woman to stand up for her rights? For a woman to say what's on her mind? For a woman to speak out about the injustice, she faces? Ladies and Gentlemen, I am here today to speak about an issue, a problem, a severe dilemma that society is facing …show more content…
Some people view feminism as changing the Patriarchy into a Matriarchy, and some women act like every man is trying to rape them and that women are the dominant sex. This, however, is wrong. These people are known as Feminazis. Feminazis are not feminists; they are radical feminists, they are a misrepresentation that has been spoon fed to you. Real feminists are people who believe that men and women should be treated equally, for they are all humans and deserve the same rights. Almost all feminists fight for one thing which is for women to be treated equally on the grounds of political, economic and social rights. They are asking for very little. They are asking to be recognized as strong. They are asking to be represented as independent. They are asking to be seen as authoritative. But every time a woman raises her voice for her rights she is silenced. Every time she talks about being a feminist, she is told to stop, not come off as ‘too strong.' She is told that it is her fault for getting assaulted and being traumatized for life. She is told not to say anything to men who catcall or say rude and inappropriate comments since it may shatter the man’s fragile …show more content…
And men are also victims of rape. Men are also told to be silent about rape just like women. But it is the same sexism that affects women that also affects men. So shutting it down for women affects men too, it is a real issue that affects us all. Still, women are told to ‘cover themselves’ and ‘not draw attention.' When they get raped they are told that they were ‘asking for it,' they’re told ‘not to report it.' Why? Why are you telling someone who's gotten seriously hurt to hide their pain? How dare you tell someone who's had their body and innocence violated to ‘not report it’? How do you have the audacity to tell a woman, most often a teenager, to suffer in silence? That is why 54% of rapes go unreported, that is why 32,000 babies born in the USA are a result of sexual assault, that is why 97% of rapists are never incarcerated. Women are always being told that they are the issue, that they were asking for it, that they should overlook it. You may have heard the phrase: “men will be men.” That phrase is wrong because men are humans like us, and if women can control themselves men can too. Men must be held accountable for their actions. Nobody should say that a 14 or 15-year-old girl was ‘asking for it.' They are teenagers who should not have their bodies sexualized, who should not be shamed for who they are or how they dress. It is not acceptable for a man to be viewing a woman's body as an
Feminists today are viewed as raging, man-hating bitches, but feminism in its true sense simply advocates women’s rights. While there are extremes on either side of the scale, most feminists fight
When thinking about feminism in today’s society we tend to direct our minds and thoughts to a more radical and powerful train of thought. Feminism has been going on for centuries, with two main ideologies at the forefront; liberal and cultural feminism. Someone who identifies as a liberal feminist is someone who believes that women and men are a like and equal in most respects and deserve equal roles and opportunities (Wood & Fixmer-Oraiz, 2017, p. 58). And cultural feminism is someone who identifies as someone who believes that men and women are fundamentally differently; you have different rights, role and opportunities (Wood & Fixmer-Oraiz, 2017, p. 58). The women’s rights movement can be understood and broken down into three “waves”.
People believe that man do not get rape, so when they come out saying they have been abused, people ignore them, and do not believing their story. Just like we discussed in class, a man was rape and reported it, no one took action on. One said that he should be proud that a women wanted that kind of attention from him (McDougle’s words). As for women they society ignore them because they believe that they are looking for it, by the way they dress, or the way they carry themselves. Women should not categories and arraste just because of the way they are dress. Moreover males should not be ignored just because they are man. They have values too, and they should not be put down. That is why most men rather keep it to themselves when they have been rape, rather share it with the public, because people are going to think they are lying. Some ways that I believe that can reduce this problem is first by giving man more support, and most of all teach the public that man can also be raped, it is not only women. Furthermore, women should not be categorize as a sex item. They should get respect no matter how they dress, or look
It 's unfortunate that when some people hear the term feminism, they automatically place that as a negative word and it becomes something they don 't want to be associated with. It is unfortunate that people will try to avoid it however, people will still embrace the feminist politics. As feminist scholar Susan A. Mann (2012) describes, when people refuse to identify as a feminist they create the "I 'm-not-a feminist-but" syndrome. This refers to when people understand the importance of struggles with gender issues, such that include the wage gap or domestic violence, but they will still reject the notion that it may actually mean they are a feminist if they are fighting for that cause. Feminism has a simple definition, it means that women seek gender equality through political, social, and economic gain.
On September 5, 1995 in Beijing, China, first lady Hillary Clinton delivered a speech on women’s rights at the United Nations Fourth World Conference of Women. As Clinton stood in front of an audience of thousands she proudly stated “If there is one message that echoes forth from this conference, let it be that human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights once and for all.” The target of the conference was to inform the audience of government officials, leaders of organizations and the public on the problems women throughout the world face. Clinton’s speech argued how women were not treated equally and that women’s rights should be equal to human rights. Throughout her speech, Clinton provided harsh examples of the abuse, rape, death and discrimination women face, to evoke sympathy from the audience. Her overarching goal was to get action among government officials and motivate women across the world to take control of their lives and not suffer from these circumstances. Clinton uses a mix of pathos, ethos, logos, and anaphora to deliver a definition argument on why women’s rights are human rights.
Feminism is the radical notion that women are human beings. It’s a quote that has been attributed to dozens of women throughout history, but no matter who whispered those wise words, they still hold a significant impact in the modern social body. Much like with the civil rights movement for African Americans, women have won their suffrage and have been granted equal rights; however, also much like the African American people, oppression is still very real for women in the modern social body. The growing disparity between the wages of males and females is frightening, the presence of a rape culture is devastating, and the failures to recognize the right of a woman to choose are cataclysmic. So, if the feminist
Feminism is most often thought of as a method used for educating society on the rights of women. It teaches that men and women are equal in every way both civil and societal. Charlotte Bunch, realizing that this is not always the case, also defined feminism as "a way of looking at the world a questioning of power and domination issues". A great deal of feminists attempt to ignore the ideas of a stereotypical women and move them away from people who don’t. They fight to find, study, and do away with biases in a world filled with ignorant men who see women only as objects and not equals. There are however, women who announce their immense intellect, wealth, and vibrant and free personalities to those who oppress them. A woman
What does it mean to be a Feminist? Does it automatically mean you hate men or does it mean you're an activist for women's rights? Contrary to popular belief, feminism is not about establishing a superior gender. It is about fighting for equality and destroying the social, cultural and historical norms set upon women throughout the world. The Twenty-first century has brought change and growth to female empowerment. Although, in many parts of the world women are given the same rights as men, they are still treated and viewed inferior to men. G.I. Jane perfectly illustrates the struggle women have gone through, even when given “identical” opportunities as men.
During these last thirteen weeks, I have discovered a lot about myself, not only as a student, but as a feminist. Before taking this class, I knew that I wanted to be a feminist. I believed that women should stand up and exercise their rights to be equal to men on every level. Be that as it may, I lacked the education required to develop my own sense of feminism--my feminist manifesto, if you will. When approaching the topic of feminism, every person needs to ask themselves a list of questions: Who am I? Who do I want to be? What has influenced me as a person? How can I help? These are the beckoning questions we, as developing and purposeful human beings, ask ourselves every day, and these are the questions that will lead each and every person
In order to understand the present day feminist movement, one must understand how feminism originated and the basic definition of feminism. What comes to mind when you hear the word feminism? For many, phrases like “man-hater” and “feminazi” have become equated with feminism. However, feminism is quite simply defined as “political, economic, and social equality of
What is feminism? The definition is often argued over by feminists and anti-feminists. Feminists believe that the expectations for women are far too high to be attainable for most—they are expected to be the perfect weight, the perfect height, the perfect everything in the eyes of society in order to be seen as worth anything. Feminists believe that women are seen by society as less powerful, less smart, simply less than men. Feminists also believe that feminism promotes gender equality, not misandry. They aim to fix this. Anti-feminists, on the other hand believe that feminism is women being obnoxious and putting themselves above men. They think feminism in 2015 in unnecessary. Women already have the right to vote, what more could they possibly want? This oppression is just one reason why feminism exists and—in my opinion—is extremely important in today’s world.
I. ATTENTION GETTER: Think about every time someone has said or taught you something sexist, now think about what you’ve heard about feminism in the media, from your friends, from yourself. Now think about what gender inequality and feminism looked like in the past. Did you know that there are still countries where domestic violence isn’t frowned upon and that feminism stretches outside of the United States to issues such as that?
The definition of feminism is very elusive. Maybe because of its ever-changing historical meaning, it’s not for certain whether there is any coherence to the term feminism or if there is a definition that will live up to the movement’s variety of adherents and ideas. In the book “No Turning Back,” author Estelle Freedman gives an accurate four-part definition of the very active movement: “Feminism is a belief that women and men are inherently part of equal worth. Because most societies privilege men as a group, social movements are necessary to achieve equality between women and men, with the understanding that gender always intersects with other social hierarchies” (Freedman 7).
To admit or to label oneself as a feminist is to accept a whirlwind of judgment from those around you. It is without a doubt that the word “Feminism” or “Feminist” turns heads, and not necessarily for the right reasons. Many have resorted to mocking, disagreeing, and/or hating Feminism without even having a good grasp of what it is. The stigmas that feminists face are that they are radical, extremist, liberal, lesbians who hate men, refuse to shave and enjoy burning bras (Lee).Conversely, feminists are principally advocates for social justice and equality as well as aim for the establishment of equally divided power between the sexes. It is obvious that many are unaware of and uneducated on the misogynistic injustices plaguing our world and the toxic environment we all live in- both women and men. Feminism is a positive concept that works to eliminate injustices between both sexes and to establish the value of women, thus should be treated as such a concept instead of being a forbidden idea.
The first major misconception about feminism is that the women are the only ones who can be feminist. This is extremely untrue. The people who work to support this movement are not only women. They work in many ways to help promote equality. For example, “endorsing feminist beliefs, identifying oneself as a feminist, and participating in feminist collective action” (Precopio & Ramsey 2017). These are all ways that feminists work to promote a better society. However, the negative stigma and stereotypes surrounding feminism and its supporters discourages men and women from having any part of Feminism. This is in part, the fault of those who spread