What a better way to start this blog than with a post on International Women’s Day (this very date of publication!)
The preposition of feminism strikes an abnormal fear in many individuals which is perplexing to some but should be understood that it is because they are unknowledgeable of the full meaning of the word and movement. This should therefore be prefaced with the definition and some key bits of information to create the full picture so that said individual isn't left in the dark of what it's all about:
Feminism; a social and political movement for equality between the sexes.
That is the dictionary definition which I believe is rather outdated as it should be adapted to cover all genders rather than just the ‘sexes’ as the movement does encompass all individuals regardless of race, age, gender etc.
Intersectional feminism, some may believe, is the way forward in society – it integrates all the aspects of identification among people which stretches the understanding for feminism to be applicable to everyone, it isn’t specific to young angry white women as it is commonly misunderstood to be.
I personally think that it is integral that we should all support this proclamation of equality because the greater the support for women there is the better our society will be as prejudices will be broken down and independence will be achieved. Although there has been significant improvement over the years to create an even ground for men and women there is still a lot to be changed in order to create a safe and fair society.
There are many aspects of feminism to look into which I am sure to discuss in further posts but for the moment I will be focussing specifically on women to highlight the importance that they have within our present day and the historical differences they have made along with some significant figures which provide a role model for us to look up to.
Sexism is a learnt thing; no one is born with the prejudice that females are inferior and men have the 'inherent power' over the supposedly 'weaker' sex.
It saddens me to think that boys are taught from a young age that they have an upper hand within their society and it is their role to combat those, women, who try and overthrow this ‘given responsibility’.
The first significant part in feminist history commonly dates back to the Suffrage movement which was when women attempted (and succeeded) to gain governmental attention in order to gain the vote which allowed for a much larger proportion of society to have a voice in political matters. Feminism itself and the strength of females has existed way before the 19th century including; the reign of an Egyptian Queen, Cleopatra, who proved that a female could rule a country and Boudicca was an inspirational leader of the Britons and led several tribes in a revolution; not to mention many more forward thinking women such as Florence Nightingale, Queen Victoria and Jane Austen to name few.
We can see that from this minor list alone that there were, and still are, many independent, strong females doing what they can to support the equality of women and promote the significance of female power in a fight against stereotypes and gender roles and gain the same, fair treatment that men receive.
It is important to bring up children in this modern day with the understanding that everyone is born equal and that a person’s individuality cannot be suppressed by another based on gender. This stretches as far as recognising that merchandise and clothing which reads ‘Daddy’s angel’ or ‘Mummy’s little monster’ already constructs some kind of societal perception of a boy being strong and a girl being weak.
Feminism encapsulates all people and there are many steps that still need to be made in order to create an even ground for each society.
The oppressed and blatantly unfair nature in which women have been consistently put under includes; strict job roles, the pay gap, responsibilities as a wife and a mother, educational expectations, physical and mental strength, general success and choice in life and even the use of suffixes (such as -ess) on occupational titles. These issues have been combatted throughout time and we will continue to fight until the same, fair treatment is applied to everyone.
The incredible women who inspire me today because of their political standpoints, positive influences on the lives of men and women, aspiring feats of skill and talent as well as general outstanding supporters of equal rights are; Emma Watson, Serena Williams, Rosa Parks, Jack Monroe, Lupita Nyong’o, Malala Yousafzai and Michelle Obama (just to outline a few contemporary, mostly, figures).
It would be a suitable suggestion for whoever is reading this to reflect on which women you know of who inspire you and make you think of how their actions and beliefs have shaped the world we live in.
Furthermore, remember to wear purple to represent the suffrage movement – the significance of this colour is because of the sash colour that the Suffragettes wore when campaigning as well as the fact that they used a purple colouring to dye the water supply in London which spread the knowledge and awareness of their actions even further (these passionate ladies were pretty smart huh!)