Someone on facebook posted an image to make fun of feminism. The someone is a woman. I know this shouldn’t send me in a tizzy, but it does. Anytime a woman rejects feminism, I am flabbergasted. HOW?! How do you live in a body that men consider “the lesser” and not want to fight for equality? How do you look at the conditions other women exist in and decide that’s alright with you? HOW do you ignore everything in the past of our country, our hemisphere, our world with regards to the “fairer” sex and not want to simply explode?! Maybe people just don’t know what it means. Maybe they’ve never looked it up in a dictionary, so here goes. I’ll look it up for you.
fem·i·nism
ˈfeməˌnizəm/
noun
noun: feminism
-
the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.
Origin
late 19th century: from French féminisme .
This definition does not say “all men are demonspawn and we seek to destroy them”. Some men might be demon spawn, and perhaps they should be destroyed but that’s something to be determined on a case by case basis.
All feminism wants is for the genders to be treated equally.
Feminists have been fighting long and hard to achieve a form of equality in our country.
The United States of America declared its independence July 4, 1776.
Congress passed the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote, on June 4, 1919. The states were slow to ratify, and it finalized in 1920.
That’s 144 years without an ability to vote.
In 1923, things were looking up for women. Two females sponsored an Equal Rights Amendment. The text is simple. It reads: “Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article. Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification”
This Equal Rights Amendment was introduced in every Congressional session from 1923-1970, but it rarely made it out of committee.
In 1972, The ERA passed both the Senate and the House of Representatives. To become a full constitutional amendment, it would need to also be ratified by 38 states. In 1979, it feel three states short.
We are living in the year 2015. We are quickly approaching a 100 year anniversary of the Right for women to vote.
We are approaching a 100 year anniversary for the attempt of women to secure equal rights in this country, and still we do not have them.
Women still do not have equal rights on paper or in practice.
I am feminist because I deserve equal pay for equal work.
I am feminist because my body is my own.
I am feminist because I don’t exist to take care of a man.
I am feminist because I control my career.
I am feminist because little boys still call each other “GIRLS” as an insult.
I am a feminist because girls can do anything; women feel more limited.
I am feminist because sexual harassment is alive and well in the workplace.
I am feminist because cat calling is wrong and prevalent.
I am feminist because No means NO.
Our country has existed for 239 years.
That’s too long to ignore the rights of half your population.
You’re damned right I’m a feminist. If you don’t like it. that’s too damn bad.