Call me old fashioned, but I have a problem with some of these new “feminist” movements. Let’s be clear, I am not against female empowerment or equal rights. I am not against equal pay for equal work, anti-discrimination bills or respecting women. In fact, those are all cases of feminism I back 100 percent.
What is feminism?
What I cannot stand is the mutation of the feminist movement. The definition of feminism is “the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social and economic equality of men.” In short, the purpose is to ensure that women have access to the same rights as men. Nowhere does it say that women should be like men.
It is a confusing time in the feminist movement because on one hand you have people fighting for equal rights for women in Hollywood, specifically the right to stop splashing naked women all over the screen when there is relatively little male nudity in Hollywood. On the other hand, you have women insisting females be allowed to Go Topless (*warning, you will see boobs, if you visit their website) in public. The two goals are at odds, which only hampers women’s rights.
The extreme feminist movements are not only ruining the real good that could come the fight for equal rights and respect, but they are creating an environment of confusion for our daughters. Women should fight for equal rights because we are human, not because we can “do the same things men can.”
I do not want my daughters believing that in order to have the same rights as men they need to act like them. Frankly, women should not want to be like men. Why do we not try to encourage better behavior from men by raising their standards instead of lowering the standards for women? Are we that backwards as a society that we would rather lower everyone’s standards than require people to live up to a higher one? Is it too hard to imagine that men be required to put on a shirt when they walk out the door?
Why are we even worried about whether we can walk down the bare breasted, when a woman can still be stoned or disowned by her family for choosing herself over an abusive husband? Ladies, we can do more than protest half-naked in the middle of the street.
Women are different from men. Repeat after me: We are different. We are encouraged to accept that skin color, religion and sexual orientation are unique qualities that set us apart from each other. These are differences we should embrace, appreciate, and respect. Our womanhood needs that same embrace, appreciation and respect.
I want my daughter to know that being a woman is a privilege. It is powerful. Our bodies are different and our personalities and skills are different. We can change the world because we offer something unique. Women bring a gentler more empathetic approach to the world. There is power in compassion and womanhood. Let’s teach our daughters to use it.
What is your view on feminism?
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