Snow Day Special: What is Feminism?

Hey y’all,Since today is a snow day (woot!), I thought I would take some time to not do homework and start a discussion about what feminism REALLY is. It seems to me that a lot of students who call themselves “post-feminists” or who think that feminism is “outdated” or “unnecessary” do not really understand what feminism is all about. While it is true that women in this nation have been able to win certain important battles in courts (though not every important battle *cough* Equal Right Amendment *cough*), our nation still operates on principles that make it more difficult for women to be seen as men’s equals. For example, certain workplaces make it very difficult for women who have children to gain promotions. Thus, even though the workplace is legally obligated not to discriminate based on sex, the fact that women who choose to be mothers need, well, TIME to be mothers is counted against them. What is particularly awful is that men are also perfectly capable of being caregivers, but taking care of children is (perniciously) seen as a woman’s job alone, and so she is the one punished for it.Feminism fights to make sure that all women are treated equally. Equality does not mean that a law in place states that men and women are equal–this is not enough. Instead, feminism shows how true equality accounts for imposed societal positions.Feminism works to ensure that all women have the right to make whatever choices are best for them. This applies to health care, reproductive rights, education, family, and career. If women choose to take part in a partnership or marriage, feminism works to ensure that these partnerships are products of two equals.Feminism combats violence against women. Sexual assault and domestic violence are not products of individual “evil” men, but the product of a culture that encourages violence as a means of gaining power and that denigrates women for making choices about their sexuality. Women are put into a double-bind: if they choose not to have sex, they are seen as prudish or as “teases” who deserve to be beaten or raped. If they choose to have sex, they are seen as slutty–and “sluts aren’t raped.” Feminism chooses to target these core reasons for violence against women instead of focusing on each individual separately.Feminism targets and wants to get rid of inequality of all types, since sexism is often inextricable from racism, xenophobia, heterosexism/homophobia, and socio-economic oppression. There are many movements that work within feminism to encourage dialogue and challenge feminism to continually expand, such as Chicana Feminism and Black Feminism.Feminism examines global issues, and brings attention to the misogyny and sexism that occurs all over the world. Issues such as Female Genital Cutting, honor killings, unequal legal standing, domestic violence, and the right to vote are important ones, no matter in what country they occur in.Feminism does a whole lot more too! So, since it is a snow day, you all should take some time to think about what feminism means to you, and let us know!