Feminism. This word can conjure up a whole lot of different emotions for different people. To some, feminism is a revolutionary movement that is propelling gender equality in the 21st century. To others, feminists are crazy man-haters who just want to get special treatment. Maybe you identify with the word in another way altogether. To me? It gets a bit more complicated than that.
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Let’s Define ‘Feminism’
The fight for equality is not a new phenomenon. So what do I mean when I talk about ‘feminism’? Considering the context in which the word is used nowadays, it’s most likely that people are actually referring to third wave feminism. The first wave is composed of women in the 19th and 20th centuries fighting to create equal opportunities for women and, specifically, gain suffrage. This transitioned into questioning women’s role in society, differentiating between sex and gender, and challenging the patriarchy. Many of the famous feminist icons arose during this time. Thus, the second wave of feminism was more of a revolutionary thought period, allowing us to move into the last wave.
The third wave of feminism began in the mid-1990s, even though we associate it with being a relatively recent movement. As you probably know, feminism nowadays attempts to tackle pay inequality, the use of derogatory terms, and features many online matriarchs paving a path to steer our social nuances in a positive direction. (Source) As Everyday Feminism puts it, the feminists of today want to change the way both men and women interact with females in order to create more positive environments.
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So What’s Wrong With Feminism?
Judging by what I just told you, feminism doesn’t seem all bad, right? And it’s not. I’m not trying to compare them to Nazis or imply that what they’re fighting for is inherently ill natured, but my problem lies within the fact that feminists are putting their energy in the wrong places.
If we look at the first two waves of feminism, we can see that they are actually fighting for equality. The right to vote and freedom of expression are fundamental rights that are protected in the constitutions of democratic states. It makes sense that women back then wanted to participate in a political discussion or have a job to make money of their own. But nowadays, we have those rights.
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You know who doesn’t have those rights? Women in developing countries. People in countries with corrupt governments. Women in developed countries already have the same rights and opportunities as men, it just doesn’t often seem that way due to certain stigmas. The most inequality in our world is not happening in North America, or most places where feminist movements sprout. According to a poll conducted in 2014, the largest percentages of feminists seem to live in Sweden and Italy. There’s something paradoxical about a man or woman who lives in one of the most prosperous countries in the world claiming inequality. (Source)
What’s actually unjust is how 30% of the food we produce goes to waste when there are people starving all around the world. What’s actually inequitable is how sports stars are paid millions while there are homeless children on the streets. What I don’t see is feminists speaking out about these issues. And that is my main problem. When you fight for rights within your own borders you’re not looking for equality, you’re looking for privilege. I don’t know about you, but I feel we have enough of that in our houses with doors and internet connection.
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I get it, being called a “slut” or not being able to breastfeed in public is uncomfortable, but it doesn’t reduce someone’s standard of living. Domestic violence is an issue, but it has less to do with an intricate top-down system where men think they can control women and more to due with a person’s mental health/stability. Then, of course, there’s the age-old argument that feminism doesn’t cater to men. I’m not addressing the man-hate which people often associate with men, but rather the lack of programs or campaigns within the feminist movement that attempt to help men at the same time. You can’t empower one group while simultaneously telling another group that they have too much empowerment.
But What About The Pay Gap (And More)?
It is true that women can be paid less than men, but these calculations don’t take into consideration occupation, position, hours worked, or many other relevant factors. If the wage gap were actually a statistical fact, why wouldn’t employers simply hire only women to reduce their labour costs? Well, they don’t. The wage gap exists as an extension of faulty journalism and the difference in occupations that men and women choose. (Source)
Furthermore, there are already acts in places in countries such as Canada and the U.S. that protect against wage discrimination for any reason. This right is protected by law, and yet people consciously choose to cut corners for petty personal reasons. Will campaigning really change these people’s minds? Should we not rally to have those who are bigoted to face penalties and/or termination of their position, instead? To me, punishing those who write the paycheques would be more effective than just telling people women shouldn’t be paid less.
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There is a lack of actual action being taken to correct the problems we see in the work force. As another example, if you’re concerned that there’s a bias preventing women from working in certain jobs, advocate for a more fair and technical assessment of an applicant’s skills rather than simply saying there’s something wrong with the way we think. Simply telling people they’re wrong will never be as effective as showing people how they could be doing something better.
If you want to talk about a pay gap, we should talk about the use of sweatshops in our society. But feminists don’t address sweatshops. How can one go about boasting equal pay for men and women in one’s Gap t-shirt produced by a Vietnamese woman making ten cents per day?
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As this article, 10 Examples of Gender Inequality in the World, points out, the barriers surrounding jobs and inequality are only a fraction of the numerous problems plaguing women around the world. When you take a look at girls who are forced to marry at the age of 9, being judged for not shaving your body hair seems trivial. Hitting closer to home, there is minimal advocacy for LTBTQ+ issues within the feminist credo.
For every issue, I could come up with a counterargument (and vice versa for those who consider themselves to be a feminist), I’m sure, so let’s stop there and move on with the article.
Then I Must Be Antifeminist, Right?
No. By no means am I an antifeminist. Maybe people will try to tell you that if you’re not a feminist then you must automatically be a flaming misogynist, but that is definitely not the case. Just because I don’t support the cause doesn’t mean I try to sabotage it. The point of this article isn’t to take sides, but simply explain why I, one person, do not identify as a feminist.
There aren’t many feminism-esque pictures included in this article because I couldn’t find any that didn’t portray a radical form of thought or stereotyping, and I’m talking from both ends. When it comes down to it, there is a lot of hate being directed towards feminists and antifeminist. Hateful or derogatory comments are not the way to convince someone of your argument, and I can’t say I agree with either side.
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The feminist cause is noble, in theory. Personally, I won’t diminish the problems that they are trying to fight for. But you can’t deny that there are far bigger problems in the world. I didn’t say more important, because this isn’t a social justice competition. Just as not everyone in the world needs to be an environmentalist or a political activist, I don’t think everyone needs to be a feminist. We all know what causes are important to us and we will fight for them. We need to stop pressuring those who don’t want to support a movement and focus on empowering those who already are or will lend their help.
Is Feminism Still Valuable?
Confusingly enough, I do agree with what some feminists have to say. At the roots, feminism wants women’s rights, and I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t want that. So in my opinion, yes, we do still need feminism. But I am not jumping on that boat. With all the feminist pop culture that surrounds us, I think it’s far too easy to give in and just claim that you’re a feminist without having your heart fully in the cause. For me, I won’t put a label on myself unless I can absolutely immerse myself into the community.
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In no way am I trying to tell you that you shouldn’t be a feminist. Nor am I trying to build a bullet-proof argument, otherwise we would be here for days. Our world needs movers and shakers in all aspects. I have a deep respect for anyone who’s brave enough to stand up for what they believe in, as I personally know how hard that can be. Regardless of what you believe in and stand for, there needs to be a level of respect for anyone who doesn’t agree with you.
Feminism just isn’t where my allegiance lies. I have other battles to fight. While there are still women who can’t leave their homes because their husbands say so, while there are still women who are not allowed to receive an education, while genital mutilation and acid or hot oil is still used against women who speak out. While those are still problems in our world, I cannot call myself a feminist. I will call myself a humanist, an egalitarian, or any other word that actually means equal rights for all human beings. But I don’t call myself a feminist.
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