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Why did YOU become a feminist?
I am a feminist because I was sick and tired of feeling like I needed to fit into a box that society told me to sit in. I am activist for women's rights, and I currently work for one of the worlds largest Women's and Reproductive healthcare organization. It is an important part of my life journey.
I am a feminist because I'm tired of being told my limitations. I'm tired of the stereotypes. Of believing that the only thing in life I should want is a husband and children. And if I get a job it's "ok" to make less. I'm a Master's student who is living with three other graduates all between the ages of 22-25 (and for the record we're all from different countries) and all of us know people who believe we'll become spinsters since we are getting higher degrees. Men don't have to deal with this. No one should have to deal with limitations.
Hi! I'm from Brazil, Rio de Janeiro. As a Brazillian woman, I do not speak English very well, so I'm sorry if I write something wrong. I study Social Service and I can say who I was before studying subjects involving feminism and being part of discussion meetings.
I just didn't use to think about our moral and behavior. Our culture is extremely uniqual and I didn't see or question anything. What was always faced as true - and from this we could estipulate what was wrong - could not be questionated by me, a ordinary girl who thinks more than she should, right?
Anyway, I was raised by my mother only. I have two brothers. My father died when I was 5. My mother tould us that he used to cheet on her. And when they separated from each other, my father's family supported him. They took his side. His act wasn't wrong for them. My mother was wrong when he came and tried to take me and my older brother to meet the woman that he was now. My mother was still his wife! They didn't get divorced!
My father left us and never came back after my mother said no to him. He forgot us. We came Through a lot of money problems, cause even my mother being a public server, we were three abandoned kids! The money she earned wasn't enough. We were amoust miserables. But ask me if any relative of my father's side came to help us? No! As my father, they left us. Like we never have existed.
And then my father died in a truck crash. And what did my aunt say? That she rather be my mother than her lovely brother. The man who had three children and a wife but pretended not. Who make us through pain, hungry, sadness. But who cares if a married man, father of three children abandoned them?
When I started to study in college I could understand. And then some rage grew up. They protected my father even after everything he did. But what if was my mother? What if was she who left us? What would people say?
A lot of other facts came into my mind that always have happened and I couldn't see. And that was terrifying and a relief too! I could see what was wrong for the first time. Not only about this but about a lot of things!
And now I fight for women rights and respect. I fight for everyone who were ever humiliated and oppressed for who they are! Only for being who they are. Our moral has to change. It's time to be free. To be iqual. To be respected.
Hi, I'm Cyndie and I'm 61 years old. When I was in an adolescent I was becoming increasingly aware that I was not considered equal to men. When the Women's Liberation Movement started to be covered by the Media, I was all over that. I was a Junior in High School when "Burn the Bra" protests were going on. Of course I did. When I was a Senior in High School, they sent out a letter a week before classes were supposed to start and said no Hot Pants were going to be allowed in school. Well, since I had worked all summer and had already bought my school wardrobe which consisted of Hot Pants and boots, (I was always pretty fashion forward and they were all the craze!) I decided they didn't have the right to dictate what I could wear. So I showed up in my Hot Pants that I had purchased for school everyday. After discussions with some other young women, they decided to get brave and wear theirs too. I was called to the carpet, along with about 10 other young women for wearing Hot Pants. I was our spokesperson and told them that it was our constitutional right to wear what we wanted to. We argued our point and had a small victory. We had to make a list of our outfits and couldn't buy any new "Hot Pants" outfits. (I kind of hate that they were called Hot Pants because I now realize that's pretty sexist.) My first taste of feminist activisim! LOL I have always had an equality mindset. I did the same thing when I was a sophomore and they told us we couldn't wear culottes, so I guess I was at it all along. I'm not of the mindset of hating men, I just set the chauvinists straight. I have watched this movement change, grow and evolve. This will be fun belonging to this book club.
I am feminist because i think gender is something what shouldn´t make difference between men´s and women´s rights. How we treat with men we should treat with women as well. All of us deserve the same position in society and equal treatment. I believe in gender equality and that´s why i am a feminist.
Just like many people here, i've been a feminist for many years, but i've recently rediscovered the term. Growing up, my parents always told me that i could become anything i wanted, and that women and men were equals. So here i am, and i think feminism is important (or equality, same thing), because women should always have the same oportunities as men in all aspects of life, period.
I think I discovered feminism from my father. He was a US Marine and taught me from the beginning that everyone was important; that everyone played a necessary part. I followed in his footsteps, both by having a twenty-year career in the military and by believing in equality across the board. I’ve taught my sons that feminism isn’t a belief that women are greater than, but that we are equal to.
Hopefully, they will say they learned feminism from me.
I don't think people become feminists. Some, at some point, simply realize that's what they are.
At some point, some of us, feeling that things are not right have the courage to question ourselves and most importantly, have the courage to question the world, out loud. The moment you question and doubt the secular answers is the moment you realize you are a feminist. And at this point, there's no turning back.
As a feminist I want things to change. Not only around me, but also inside me. Accepting yourself as a feminist means fighting on a daily basis against everything you've been taught. Is finding new answers to all the answers you've been giving.
I am not a feminist because I believe that modern, 3rd Wave Feminism is detrimental to what the movement is trying to achieve, overall. So I guess I never really BECAME a feminist, but I've always been hugely interested in the movement (enough to read on the subject and constructively discuss a range of feminism-related issues wherever I can).I believe that women in the Western world now have the same rights and equal treatment as men - and that instead of focusing upon women generally on an international scale - there should be a movement that focuses solely upon working towards fighting gender inequality in countries in which gender inequality is apparent, which is not necessary the Western world. For example, I don't believe that subjects such as tampon tax are of any significance, as there are more pressing issues beyond the West in regards to gender inequality that should instead be addressed more by a wider range of people.
I'm of the belief that Feminism (in its third wave) has diverged too much from what it was initially, and so has become ineffective. I've noticed that my views diverge a lot from the norm, so I'm really looking forward to discussing a huge range of topics with you guys.
Hi I'm Rebecca and I'm 16 in the USA. I first became a feminist when I heard about Malala back in 2012. Though I was 13 I just remember being so mad. Women are just as good as men. It pissed me off so much that these Men could just go around shooting girls because they want a education. All people have rights to a education whether their male or female, black or white. When I was 10 I was first exposed to the terrible things that happened to women. And when I heard about Malala I just was so mad at the world. There are other reasons why, but they involve other people who are close to me and I don't know if they'd be comfortable with me saying it on here.
I'm Sofie, 15 years old from Denmark.I think it was the constant feeling of being seen as hysterical(both by girls and boys), if I stood up for something, just because I was a girl. The same people also see me as hysterical, because I'm a feminist.
Okay, I'm a teenager and I know a few things about feminism. I'm not a feminist because I'm not informed enough, but I know, I watch news every evening at dinner time with my family, I'm sure my reality is very different from others. I hope to will be someone who can help, understand the world and its problems. I'm so lucky, because I'm living a very good life while others fight to survive. I'm so proud to have a lot of examples and I hope, one day, to be a feminist as you, Emma, and as all the people in this club and as all the people that believe in a getterà world. :)
I have always believed in the potential of my gender. I have always enjoyed watching a show or reading a book with a strong female character. And I have never been told that there was something I couldn't do (except join the boy scouts). But even though my mother was/is a feminist, I never became one. I think the main reason I never became one was because I was never taught to fear what a man could do. And I have spent a lot of time in male spaces. So many of the stereotypes I hear in feminist circle, don't ring true. It does make me wonder how we could have our lines so crossed.
I've always been a "feminist," but I didn't become familiar with the term until I was 10 or so--I actually read an interview with Emma Watson in Girls Life magazine where she called herself "a bit of a feminist." I thought the word might have a negative connotation (something that is changing now, I think), but when I asked my mom what it meant, she just said that it was someone who believed in equal rights for men and women. That's when I realized I was a feminist.
Hi guys, I'm 17 and I live in AustraliaI have been calling myself a feminist for years purely because I believed in its definition for equality between the sexes. But only in last year have I truly become a feminist and that's just from doing personal research as a result of subjects including legal studies and society and culture in my preliminary Year 11 course. I decided to research true facts around the topic because all to often I heard 'Sexism doesn't exist' but then I hear our former Prime Minister Tony Abbot saying things like women belong in the kitchen, and a bit closer to home, I hear little girls saying "I can't carry this because I'm a girl, i need a boy's help because they're strong". And then I found facts including violence against women, in which women were more likely to experience various different categories of abuses more than men. I found that women studying medicine whose career relies on their observer to pass them having to be forced into committing sexual acts otherwise they are told that they will never be a doctor. A teacher at my all girl school told her students that if a male asks you to perform sexual acts in order to keep your job, to just go along with it and don't complain. I found that it was ridiculous that women were only recently allowed to fight on the front line in our own defence forces, and that while we are being told that sexism doesn't exist, the government is reporting that there is a wage gap of 18%, worse than it was 20 years ago. However despite these eyeopening facts nothing is being done. So I am a feminist because I am aware of these injustices and I want to change them for the better, for myself, my sisters, my peers, the world and for future generations.
Hi I'm Marie from Belgium.I come from a big family where I've been the only girl for a long time. So things my parents, aunts and uncles said when I was young made me a feminist.
I went to a girl's school where our teachers explained to us every year how lucky we were to be in that school because we would'nt be compared to boys. But that was exactly what they did by saying that !
One of my concerns is that we always tell a girl or woman what to do : "don't come home alone by night", "don't wear that skirt".. but why ? Why don't we say to the boys and men : "don't hurt girls at night and every other time", "don't call her a slut because she wear a skirt" ..
Those questions and events made me a feminist
Greeting everyone! I believe I awakened and became present to feminism while I was serving a year of national service as an AmeriCorps VISTA with a domestic violence agency's community education department.
This was an interesting intersection of issues for me since VISTA is a program dedicated to targeting and alleviating poverty in the United States, I was able to see how relationship violence exists when equality is absent. Likewise, relationship violence and poverty intersected as well. It led me to discover the ONE campaign that examines how poverty is sexist and advocates for the empowerment of people in poverty.
When I heard a young woman got shot by terrorists because she wanted to have access to education. (Malala). It breaks my heart to know that so many women don't have access to education, or good jobs, or can't even make their own choices (who they are going to marry, if they want to have kids or not, what they want to do with their own body). Feminism is important for us in America, but it's what happens in other countries that really opened my eyes to the issue.
Hey there! I've always danced to my own beat and my parents always supported that. They raised me that way. There was never anything I could or couldn't do. If I wanted to be a ballerina, great! If I wanted to be a doctor, wonderful! If I wanted to play football with my brothers, they never told them to go easy on me because I was a girl. No matter what I wanted to do, it didn't matter, they said I could do it.
I realized that I was a feminist though when I was talking to my dad about taking over his job. Out of everyone is my life, my dad has always been my rock. If I ever doubted myself, he would tell me I could do it; when I was feeling pressured to have sex from a boyfriend, he told me that it was up to me on who I allowed into my personal space. So when my dad told me that he didn't think it was appropriate that I take over the business, I was dumbfounded.
At first, he beat around the bush and gave me some BS answer: "It's not stable enough, it's a better part time job than a full time one. It could be here one day and gone the next." Okay, it's not a total BS answer, I've seen him lose accounts before, but I knew it wasn't the full answer. Then he said it: "What happens when you get married? What if your future husband isn't okay with you being out on the road? Staying in hotel rooms by yourself? What happens if the car breaks down? What happens when you have kids?"
I couldn't believe it. My dad had always been the one to tell me I could do anything-except this apparently. I told him I wouldn't marry a person who wasn't okay with me being on the road and staying in a hotel room. As for the kids, my dad never missed anything important, so why would I? It didn't matter. He had spoken.
That conversation was 2 years ago and I still remember it. I remember what highway we were driving on when we had it, what car we were driving in, I even remember how I was sitting. I love my dad, and I respect him, but I will never respect his decision to not let me take over his business.
However, there are other things that I can do. I can be successful in everything else I do and not let that one thing hold me down.
Hey! My name is Patricia and I'm 16 years old. I think I've always been a feminist, even when I didn't know that term. I believe that ALL people (women, men, people of different race) must be equal. Why? Because we are all humans and because of the fact that you are women or you have a different skin tone, doesn't mean that you are less than the others.
Unfortunately, nowadays, there is still so many people that treat women as they were less than men.
I became a feminist in 8th grade as I was seeing inequality in how girls were referenced in science and math. I was living in the American South at the time and was acutely aware that I was being underestimated and overprotected from....from what? It wasn't until a few years later that I learned what feminism is - and could be. I've never strayed from saying I am one and have never, and will never, back away from explaining why it's important. Now the mother to 2 sons, I feel an immense amount of responsibility to raise them as feminists as well.
I'm also really enjoying the conversation around feminism and intersectionality! I'm glad the conversation is including everyone - that's what it's all about!
Hello, I am Mary (Maria), I am 18 and I live in Switzerland. I think I became a feminist because l i didn't always add up to "female" attributes. I liked playing in the mud, I preferred Mulan over all other princesses, I liked girls that were strong, brave, proud, and that not despite, but because they were a woman. I was better in math than every boy, and I wanted to become a doctor. But soon I saw how hard it is as a female doctor. And I heard of the pay gap and of gender discrimination and I want things to change. I doubt that I already will have a 100% fair pay, but I want my daughter to have one. Women are strong, and we mustn't put down.
Someone said women and men are like a firetruck and an ambulance. We are not exactly the same, as most men are physically stronger than I. But both firetruck and ambulance save lifes and are important.
So if I can't make a difference, I should at least try to.
Hi! I was raised with feminist sensibilities, though I'm not sure it was on purpose. I don't recall ever being pushed to behave more 'like a girl', I was always told that I could do anything, be anything, wear anything (unless I looked like Madonna...that was NOT ok in Minnesota in the mid/late 1980's!). I never really thought much about it until I heard my sister-in-law tell her 5 year old son that only (please pardon this word!) 'fags' wear skinny jeans and he didn't want to look like a 'fag', did he?That was when it really hit me that we, as a society/culture/county/world need, feminism. If it was ok for me to wear jeans and play with trucks as a little girl, it should be ok for that poor little boy to wear skinny jeans, or a tutu, if he wants! It is such a two-way street and it takes everybody, fighting every day, to achieve equality.
I am a 16-year-old from Sweden who see the inequality in the word far too often. I believe in a future when gender doesn't matter and that's why I would never hesitate to call myself a feminist. Far too many people believe thet feminism is a bad thing, a thing they are ashamed to be. That is wrong on so many levels, because no one should be ashamed to believe in human rights andfight for them. We need to step up when something bad happens, we can't always stand on the sidelines and let things happen. When I said I was a feminist my "friends" judged me and people who asked if I was gonna become a lesbian (or they didn't but their previous anti-feminism discussions suggested they wanted to). We should stand up against everything together. Everyone who stands up will be backed up by millions of people who support the same thing. Together we can make a difference, so everyone needs to stand strong.
I became a feminist when I was told that I could never become a business owner because I am a girl. That was three years ago today I am a proud sixteen year old feminist
I think I really chose to become a feminist, although that's not to say I used to be sexist or anything, when I realized that people were mistaking the term as a bad or ugly word. I'm 16 years old, so I think I have the advantage of starting young when it comes to social movements like this. I just wanted to show people around me that, well hey. Being a feminist is not a bad thing! It's a great thing!
I feel like I've always been a feminist. I was raised in a family where my parents were equal partners, so I never knew any different. In my own marriage not only are my husband and I partners, but I am the breadwinner and my husband stays at home with the kids. We just knew that was what was right for us, and my husband is one of the most masculine, manly men going around. But he believes in equality and that a strong man should want a strong woman by his side as an equal partner. As I grow as I person I've seen that while countries have made a lot of steps to go forward, there's so much work to go, so I support feminist initiatives where I can.
I first started seriously reading and thinking about feminism maybe about two years ago (so I was about 12), mostly on internet. I knew about it before, but had never wondered if I was one. But I learned what feminism means and I have never hesitated about equality - it always seemed natural. Especially this past year, I have become more and more fervent because I have discovered some so sexist opinions by people (both boys and girls) in my entourage I would never have expected. I totally agree with Sofie : every time people criticized not my opinions, but my way of expressing them or the fact that I, as a girl, was saying, it just motivated me to argue even more with them.And finally, I wanted to say a big thank you to Emma Watson for working so ardently for feminism because I think it is horrible that something that promotes equality is seen by many as too radical and endangering.
Hi, I'm Sophia a soon yo be 26 year old Swede.I've only called myself a feminist for about two years, however I've always been one.
When I was 13 we briefly discussed feminism in class. Everyone was supposed to say what other words they thought about when they heard the word feminism. Mostly the boys in the class said stuff, stupid stuff, sexist and misogynist stuff. However the only word I could think of was "equality", and that the boys pissed me off. So struggling with my shyness and insecurity I raised my hand and said it loud and clear. Later I realized that was the moment I started fighting the patriarchy, thus at first without knowing it, and at a very small scale, but still.
Since then I've been through some hard times and I even lost myself for a while. But I found myself again, and I'm stronger now. I know what I stand for, what I believe in, and what I'm worth. What we're all worth.
Lots of love and strenght to you my fellow feminists! We can do it!
Hi, I'm French and I'm 28 yo. I think I've always been a feminist too without really knowing what it was long ago. There is so much disinformation about it. Glad now a lot of people are working together to make it last!
Hi everyone, only found out about this book group today and I think it's a great thing! :) I'm Kelly, 21, from England. It's actually only been in the last few months that I've felt comfortable with calling myself a feminist and telling others that I'm proud of that. Since I'd heard lots of negativity attached with the label of feminist, I was reluctant to call myself one for a long time. As I've gotten older and seen the views we're 'meant' to have, I've always been bothered about men and women being equal and the fact that often, that isn't true. My parents brought me up to the fact that everyone is a human being no matter where we're from.
When I heard Emma Watson's speech for HeForShe, it all made sense to me, and I was reminded of a few things.
First of all, there have been a few occasions where my dad has cried at films. Being an emotional person anyway, I tend to cry a lot at films and things! My dad doesn't in that way- he gets sad about things, but doesn't always cry. When he does, I think it's beautiful. He doesn't care whether it's not 'right' for him to cry because he's a guy; he doesn't care what other think. He's always showed his feelings and that's ok.
Secondly, I remember a few years ago that a teenage boy made the front page on my local newspaper because he had an eating disorder. I'm betting not a lot would have been said about it if it had been a girl, but because it was a boy, it made the front page as though it was world changing, shock horror news! I knew that wasn't right. Just because the media and society say that guys shouldn't show their feelings and always be strong...well, hey, men are human beings too. They make up 50% of us, so why should they feel that they have to stay quiet about things they're struggling with?!
I have in my years also heard plenty of comments about women that are sexist or just rude. It annoys me that women are often seen as inferior to men when that isn't true. It also annoys me that in almost every industry women are being paid a lot less than men when the jobs we're all doing are jobs for both genders.
I know there is a long way to go, but I feel like change is happening. If the negative stigma with feminism is removed, people will see what it really is and won't need to be afraid of it.
Over these last few months as I've discovered more and realised that I am a feminist, I've also gotten comfortable with calling myself one.
So yes, I am a feminist and I'm proud of it.
I think I've always been a feminist. As a young girl I remember naming all of my stuffed animals "girl names". But in college I've taken many women's studies and sociology classes as well as gendered linguistics classes. The word "feminist" has such a terrible connotation to it but it simply means a person that supports the rights of women. A large majority of the population knows that racism is bad and looked down upon (at least in some states/countries) but a misogynist just keeps on going about his day without a single person batting an eye! Women will always support other women, but men are needed to help in our fight for equality. Just like black people fought for their own rights, they needed whites to help fight their fight as well. We need men to be feminists too!
I think I've always been a feminist, and like someone else already said, I just had to learn the word. I started becoming slowly aware of all the issues when I was around 11 or so- after being catcalled by various men. (I was eleven, they were, what? 25?) Slowly since then I've become more and more aware of the issues and the depth of this topic. I am happy to call myself a feminist. No one should be put down for their race/gender/sexuality/religion/etc. Seeing this group, and seeing the number of members in such a short time is really a great feeling.
I'm Emma from Sweden, I can't say it's one particular moment of my life but many that has slowly made me think more about why this differences between men and women exist. Something that's been in my mind often the last week or so are the differences in social medias, especially Instagram. How the reaponse of a picture depends on which gender the person who has posted the photo has. It's sick how the world can be this unfair, may the people in the earlier generations have accepted it but I'm not going to!
Mod
Why did I want to become a feminist? Well, truthfully, I don't want to be a feminist anymore. I want there to be equality for both genders, and it is my belief that the term feminist does not promote my desires in the appropriate way. I believe people only believe the word "feminist" to mean the promotion of female rights, and I do not think I am far from the truth. Gender equality, to me, means making sure both genders are given the same opportunities. It means allowing each gender to behave however they wish (within legal reason) and then not having to deal with the stereotypical views of those blinded from the truth. The truth is that everyone should be allowed to be themselves, whatever and whoever that is. Woman should be able to be mechanics without worrying about it being a male dominated profession. Men should be able to be make up artists without everyone around them assuming they are homosexuals. I think you get my drift.
A more personal reason for me being a supporter of gender equality would be how I have seen those around me treated, and, unfortunately, how I myself have been treated by those who just do not understand me. I grew up on a farm, and I can keep up with the best of them, whether they be men or woman. But people would see my out working and building fences or cutting down trees with painted nails and assume I had no idea what I was doing. Or, and I have no idea how they managed to get this from nail polish, that I was going to slack off and not do my job. Really, you can gather all of that from my nails? Why thank you, my dearest, male cousins. Even if you were joking with me, do you not realize you were feeding into stereotypes either way?
As for my friends, I have seen them being asked if they were lesbians because they did not dress the way society expected. A majority of my friends dislike skinny jeans and would rather wear lose, torn up jeans and a baggy shirt. Apparently that means we are not feminine enough and that we are obviously "dykes" due to not flirting with guys. Some of us just aren't interested in that, but apparently, every girl who does not hit on a guy in her high school years just has to be a lesbian. Well no, thank you very much. It is these types of labels I get really upset by and I wish to change.
But don't think I am just supporting woman. I use the term gender equality in no light way. My male friends, who have feelings and emotions just like us girls, are not allowed to show them. Being considerate and gentlemanly is now "a thing of the past" to most people, but it isn't. You get enough men alone and you will see that everyone has a sensitive side. My male friends have cried and been upset, and for being upset and depressed, their fathers have accused them of being an attention getter. They've been called weak and pathetic, for what? Shedding a few tears? Everyone has tear ducts, everyone has emotions. It is these things that upset me beyond belief, because it is not just out there on the television for me, it is all around me, and I want it to stop. I want to stop hearing people call girls "sluts" for being confident in their sexuality. I want people to stop saying "man up" to a male every time he is down in the dumps. More importantly, I want everyone else to want these things, too! That is why I am a support of gender equality, and that is why I am here in this group. It is to help get things moving with more people who share my views.
I'm reminded of a poem, written by Pastor Martin Niemöller, which came to mind when Ms. Watson talked about how some men feel compelled to be "manly" and don't ask for help, and also when Ms. Watson quoted a statesman that said for evil to win, all that is needed is for good people to do nothing.
"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."
I've been told to "man up" only twice in my life. But to them,"manning up" was just listening to them, doing what they wanted, and not thinking or acting for myself.
I enjoy thinking, especially for myself, and would never want to infringe on anyone else's ability to do that, as long as they were not going to harm anyone else with their actions or themselves.
"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."
I've been told to "man up" only twice in my life. But to them,"manning up" was just listening to them, doing what they wanted, and not thinking or acting for myself.
I enjoy thinking, especially for myself, and would never want to infringe on anyone else's ability to do that, as long as they were not going to harm anyone else with their actions or themselves.
I'm a senior woman. I've been a feminist my entire life that I can recall. I remember having full freedom as a child to ride my bike anywhere and explore, was given a tennis racket at 8, helped my Dad in his shop and with woodworking projects, etc. Mom and Dad just assumed I would strive to live richly and reach my potential. Luckily, my husband has always been of a similar mind. I wouldn't have married him otherwise. My hubby in particular, has always acted as if he simply accepted I was his partner, his equal, entitled to anything he enjoyed or experienced. It's not spoken… it just is. We've raised our son and daughter and now grandkids the same way. Attitudes passed down through family generations matter. I've never felt a need to go to rallies, or demonstrate beyond simply living a feminist life, though I will assert myself if necessary. I find that logic and rationality are strong weapons.
I became a feminist because it is the right thing to do. No don't get me wrong. I know that the line between what's right and what's wrong is very thin. But feminism it feels... right. We are all people. No matter if we are women or men we all are equal, we are all capable of great things. By not giving some people the chance to shine, you're holding everyone back. The whole damn world! Everyone deserves a chance.
I'm a feminist because it's about equality.
I'm a feminist because its just common sense.
It was more of adopting the feminist label than "becoming" a feminist. I've always believed in equality for all genders, but was turned away from the idea of feminism because of things certain feminist activists said about men as a demographic. Eventually I recognized that feminism is just about the equality of genders and doesn't mean I also agree with any particular person's views who happens to identify as a feminist. Today I added a new reason for being a feminist: the woman at Barnes & Noble who helped me find My Life on the Road reacted oddly when I told her what book I was looking for. It shouldn't be strange for men to be feminists.
Hello! I'm Chloe, 18, from the UK. I don't think there was a specific moment where I became a feminist; more rather a gradual change where I began to pay more attention to global affairs - in particular the ongoing battle for women's rights. I'd been taught about the Suffragettes at school (though in very little detail - only learnt about the two 'major' ones, Emmeline Pankhurst and Emily Wilding-Davison). However the issue of women's rights was brought to my attention after Malala Yousafzai was shot simply because she wanted the opportunity to go to school. I - like the rest of the world - found this a barbaric act, and it really made me think of not only how lucky I am to be able to attend school, but how unjust it is that girls (and boys) in other countries should not have that chance.
I think it was after that event I really began to consider myself a feminist. I began to look into the fight for equality in more detail; learning about the small name members of the Suffragette movement whose names should be in history books, the struggles many women and girls face globally as they are denied basic rights (the right to vote, the right to education etc), the alarming numbers of girls being married off as child brides in under-developing countries and the steps we need to take to eradicate stereotypes and misogyny. As I educated myself more on the matter, I found my opinions and support for feminism becoming stronger.
Emma's speech at the UN headquarters was simply inspirational - especially the quote, ‘If not me, who? If not now, when?’ This moment really gave me the chills and is a simple reminder to everybody that we all need to play a part in the fight for equality, otherwise without changing attitudes we won't get changes in the law that are desperately needed to make society a more tolerable and equal place.
Péter wrote: "I never considered this topic important, as I always viewed males and females equal. I have rarely seen discrimination or degrading behaviour, when I did, it upset me as unfair on completely basele..."Wow!! This is really enlightening, thank you so much of this information! Even though it has become known internationally that Hungary's current government is a far-right one, it is usually associated with the immigration crisis and/or other international politics subjects (at least here in Greece). It never occured to me that they might actually have any interest in gender politics - other than maybe theoretical - let alone trying to implement it. If anything, this shows that after more than a century, women's rights are still not entirely safe even in European countries, where it is considered unthinkable by most to even question those rights that are already established! Even more reason to speak about feminist ideals and goals, even if we really are in a most privileged environment compared to many third word countries. Thank you!
Loving your answers! x Thanks for commenting!
Hello!! I'm Amanda. I'm 28 & I live in Wisconsin (USA).I can't remember a specific moment when I became a feminist.
Growing up, my parents didn't fulfill traditional gender roles. They always did the dishes together, they both did the laundry, they both took out the trash, etc. My sister & I were taught that being a girl didn't mean we couldn't be the smartest in our class or the most athletic.
I was 8 when the Spice Girls became popular. "Girl Power" quickly became my mantra! I had learned about women's suffrage from my "American Girl" books. I definitely knew what feminism was at that point. It was never a question of IF I was a feminist. I figured, "I'm a woman & I want to be considered equal to my peers, so of course I'm a feminist."
In high school & college, I definitely became more outspoken about feminism. I took a class about "Social Movements" which went very in depth about the suffrage movement. We watched "Iron Jawed Angels," which truly made me realize how hard these women fought for a freedom that I took for granted. I decided to get the year 1920 tattooed on my ankle after this class. It's a daily reminder of what these brave, strong women did for ME!! I wrote my senior thesis on Sexism in Politics. I analyzed how Hillary Clinton & Sarah Palin were judged on their clothing & emotions, unlike their male peers (during the 2008 US Presidential Race).
Feminism is something that's always been near & dear to my heart <3
I disassociated with the Feminist movement for a lot of my adolescence. I was raised in a conservative American family that values traditionalist views above individual empowerment and thus thought feminism went against my nurtured politics. It wasn't until I went off to college that I blossomed into the person I had always known was there, but was too over-shadowed by the conservative household I was raised in. I became a full-scale feminist lefty. Going into a liberal arts college and hearing testimonials from professors about the shaping of American politics for the new generation, my generation, was insightful to say the least. I learned that the definition of feminism is often misconstrued to ignite gender differences; and in fact, it is the very opposite. The simple definition of feminism is the social, economic, and political equality of the sexes. (Honestly, who can't get behind that?) I got involved with various groups on campus that support women on a progressive agenda. I made friends who valued female empowerment and encouraged me to grow as a feminist and a humanist.
Without this transition, I would have no idea where I would have ended up. And though my right-winged father and I might bicker a bit about how women should be eligible for any and all work (seriously - he thinks women shouldn't be able to operate machinery professionally), I am steadfast in my resolve to promote and protect feminism.
(Also - currently 20 and attending Virginia Tech)
Chloe wrote: "Hello! I'm Chloe, 18, from the UK. I don't think there was a specific moment where I became a feminist; more rather a gradual change where I began to pay more attention to global affairs - in parti..."I completely agree with your comments about "gradual change". I felt that when I began becoming more engrossed in global affairs, particularly against injustice against women across the world (i.e. Malala) it opened me to a new platform of pro-women sentiment. Though in my gut I feel I have always been a feminist, it took time to fully understand the world in relation to our world.
Hi everybody. I'm Candela from Argentina.I realized I had to fight for equality when I was in high school. I have always liked sports, especially football (soccer) which is a big deal in my country. So when I tried to openly talk about football around men, most of them would not take my opinion seriously because "women know nothing about football". That was their actual argument. I was verbally bullied at school because of this. This may seem stupid but it was what made me a true fighter for equal rights. Disclaimer: not all men are like this, I will never generalize.
Thank you for letting me share my story and I love that everyone here is so different but we are all fighters! xxx
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My mother in law became a physical therapist instead of a doctor, because her father wouldn't let her apply to medical school. His words: "You can't do that! YOU would get in, and that would prevent some man from becoming a doctor." The thought was then when she got married and made babies, she would give up her career and the world would be doubly cheated out of another doctor.
The denouement of it all: she convinced her son, my husband, to go to medical school. He's a very good doctor - but he absolutely hates what he does. But at this stage, he's got too many years invested in his career to change.
Thus the sins of the fathers are passed down through the generations...