What Does Being a Feminist Mean?
Feminism means different things to different people. Third wave feminism has morphed onto a vast array of categories and sub-categories that cover a litany of issues such as; body image, gender discrimination in the workforce, sexual assault, victim-blaming, #metoo, pay inequality, reproductive health rights, intersectionality, plus much more. All these issues fall under a big umbrella. A big umbrella being held by a man who’s been trying to keep it to himself and his buddies during a rain storm. Now obviously, most men aren’t like this guy hogging the umbrella. They are just by-products of a system that’s been in place since societies were created. These systems were created by men, enforced by men, and traditions were kept alive by men until the first suffragettes stood up and risked everything to demand equality for woman.
A common misconception seems to be that feminists are angry and that we want everything: we want control. This could not be father from the truth. Sure, there is a small but loud group of women that meet this criteria, but most women just want equality, safety, and opportunity. We don’t want more, we don’t want less. Equal footing is all we ask.
