At its core, feminism is the acknowledgment of the fact that the world is not at all fair. Feminism, to me, embodies the relentless pursuit of equality and justice for all genders. It is a multifaceted movement rooted in the belief that every individual, regardless of their gender, deserves equal rights, opportunities, and respect. I consider myself a feminist, although on a surface level since I don’t always advocate for the equality of genders. These values have been ingrained in me from an early age, largely due to my father’s influence. He instilled in me the belief that as a woman, I should always strive to be self-sufficient and not rely on anyone else for my success or well-being.
In her TEDTalk We Should be Feminists, Chimamanda Adichie advocates for a shift in perspective towards feminism, urging society to discard the misconception that it’s an insult and instead embrace it. Adichie describes the importance of dismantling old stereotypes and beliefs that perpetuate gender inequality, highlighting that being a feminist involves advocating for women’s rights and working towards creating a more fair world. Adichie is critical of the way masculinity is constructed, stating “We define masculinity in a very narrow way, masculinity becomes this hard, small cage and we put boys inside the cage,” symbolizing the very restrictive nature of these societal expectations, suggesting that society as a whole must change if we are to reach equality. Feminism views people as human beings and aims to tackle the social injustices that silence people’s will and power to exceed social expectations. Therefore, becoming a feminist normalizes women’s success and an equal playing field for all.
One thought on “What is Feminism? – SOPHIA RAMIREZ”
Sophia I agree with you, we have an unjust world where we are not treated equally amongst our peers who are of the opposite sex (male). Women have to cater to men, treat men as their superior, and lower our standards as women to not make a fool of a man in our presence.