Feminism is not over – Here’s why
When you hear the word “feminist”, what do you think of? Due to recent times, feminism is now seen as a toxic, its definition twisted beyond recognition. Here’s the true meaning: the advocacy of women's rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes. Not to be confused with its most recent deviation: being what ’s popularly known as a “feminazi”. The correct term for these people is a misandrist, individuals who dislike (to say the least) all men.
Many videos have gone viral of misandrists lashing out at men, some going as far as to claim that the only way forward is without the male gender, solely because of their gender. As well as this, many people on line make videos and reports calling them out, and assuming all genuine feminists follow suit. They claim that “feminism is dead”, however, there are many people who are still avid supporters of genuine feminism and gender equality.
Feminism isn’t a new thing either. There were a lot of early feminists in the form of the Suffragettes. In 1903, Emmeline Pankhurst founded the Women’s Social and Political Union, a group of women dedicated to gaining equal rights for women. At the time, women had almost no rights; they couldn’t vote, they couldn’t legally inherit property, they couldn’t work in certain professions and in the few jobs they could be employed in, they were payed much less than the men. Up until 1929, women weren’t even considered to be people by the law. In 1918, after years of trying, women were finally granted the right to vote, but they had lost a lot in doing so, even losing lives.
But all of this was over a century ago, so why should you care?
Well, it’s a lot more important than you might think. There are still a lot of countries where women are severely oppressed, to the point where they aren’t allowed to drive, or even choose their own clothing. By modern standards, this is completely unacceptable and a clear violation of our human rights. But to some countries, that’s just the way things are. They haven’t changed since the time of the suffragettes. And right now, there’s nothing we can do about it, but we can spread awareness about the feminist movement.
Megan Corfield and Jess Maloney
