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Am I a Feminist?

Determining Whether or Not Being a Feminist Means Supporting the Way the Movement Is Progressing

By Mary GovoniPublished 6 years ago 6 min read
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Photo credit: Clem Onojeghuo (@clemono2)

I’ve been struggling a lot lately with the idea of feminism. How do I, as a female that truly embraces my own femininity, identify with this movement? More feminist movements begin to surface themselves in my day-to-day life within my city and cities around the nation. Information, both fair and biased, is made easily accessible by various websites and social media platforms. And yet, the more I see regarding the current state of the feminist movement, the more hesitant I become to connect on a personal level.

A primary concern of mine stems from the rhetoric used amongst supporters. As feminism continues to grow as a movement and as a genuine and legitimate call for action for our legislation, the rhetoric that surrounds the party is more crucial than ever. A cliche-fuelled, stereotyping, market-based rhetoric that we so often see on apparel, in magazines, or at marches, runs the risk of devaluing the movement’s validity. A myriad of problems arise from slogans and speeches fuelled with phrases akin to “the future is female” and “feminism is the radical notion that women are people.”

The current state of feminist rhetoric is all around us: printed on t-shirts, portrayed by makeup ads, and even used to push the credibility of political parties. Yet, simultaneously this rhetoric seems to be excluding certain groups that may not fall within certain social constraints. Preaching feminism in boldface text and summarizing the movement into a pun, in my opinion, undermines the plethora of work that women have made in the past towards equality as well as further stratifying groups that do not fit within these social standards.

I have also seen many feminist actions fuelled by resentment, or by ignorance, or by the desire to identify strongly with a group of adversaries. I have seen many women use the feminist movement as a means of deflating, negating, and all around opposing perspectives that critique their own, and in this sense, I do not see feminism working constructively to make social and cultural changes. As difficult as it may be to hear narrow-minded, misogynistic, and sexist comments, it is crucial for the feminist movement to allow them to be heard in order to determine the root of the problem. It is the only way we will be able to learn from one another.

Thus, my perspective for change is founded on whether or not the current feminist movement allows all parties a chance to voice their understanding of the movement, regardless if it aligns with the feminist agenda. At the present, I’d say the feminist movement does a lot more talking than listening. I strive more for a balance between the two. With this in mind, I question whether or not I can still consider myself a part of a movement that I am so intent on critiquing.

And while there is a multitude of other flaws I could point out that I’ve seen individuals act on as advocates for feminism, the main reason I struggle to determine my feminist identity is that I do not see the majority of feminists fighting for the change that seems inherently necessary. I have seen many women that come from exceptional upbringings with outrageous potential and legitimate opportunity abounded to them preach inequality amongst the sexes. I recognize that there is a gender imbalance, yes. However, I think that the current model of the feminist movement is aiming, ultimately, to perpetuate a system founded on oppression and to reinforce the current model of happiness.

Feminism suggests that women deserve equal rights to their male counterpart, which I, of course, believe to be true. But, what comes when women do gain these positions of power? The cycle of oppression within our societal structure still remains.

The current feminist movement perpetuates the idea that money and power are the root of success—that striving for professional power, positions with higher salaries and more titles will allow women to flourish within this patriarchal society. Yet, what good is such a change if it continues to leave behind massive groups of individuals, both men, and women, that are weighed down more heavily by added oppressions other than their gender.

In Jessa Crispin’s controversially-titled critique, “Why I Am Not a Feminist,” she sums up this cyclical effect in saying that the current fight for feminism “means simply buying one’s way out of oppression and then perpetuating it.” Changing the system does not come from simply having more women in power. These women must use such power to advance others.

In concurrence with the necessary structural changes women will need to make, we will also need to go several steps further to change the current, widely accepted attitude towards “success.” Feminism inherently suggests that women should work towards a position of power, that success is determined by their professional identity. Thus, the feminist movement needs to develop an approach that equally validates all forms of success, rather than just those females that strive for this type of progress. In order to be inclusive, “success” cannot be determined by the number of female CEOs, but rather a legitimate support system for all individuals to achieve what they believe constitutes success.

Legitimate equality means equal opportunity, equal pay, and equal freedom for both men and women from any racial, ethnic, ability-oriented, socio-economic, religious, and sexually-oriented backgrounds. I worry that well-intentioned feminists that are ignorant of their privileges may have a potential hindrance on the push for equality amongst such groups.

Perhaps my view of feminism is myopic. Perhaps I do not see the efforts of such groups in the mainstream media enough so I assume these efforts are not at the forefront. And it would never be my intention to devalue the works of groups that do strive to achieve a more inclusive, authentic approach to what seems to match my definition of equality. I am no expert, as I am struggling to determine what I want my role to be within this system of culture change.

As feminism continues to grow and change and push forward every day, I worry that the current model of this movement is becoming predominantly recognized as a means of a particular group of women asking for a privilege that they do indeed deserve. But, this type of privilege is what continues to manifest itself as the determined end goal of “success,” when many identities are continuing to be denied these same rights.

Instead of feminism working to raise the number of women in positions of power, I hope to see feminism move towards a more inclusive approach. When considering why you are a feminist, allow yourself to recognize the privileges you are awarded, as well as the privileges you are hoping to gain from this upward battle for gender equality. And when you receive such privileges, what will you be able to do to include others that have not yet achieved social, professional, cultural, or academic equality?

If we truly want equality to work for everyone, we as feminists, need to strive to make the spaces for conversation, for questioning, for critiquing, and for debating ones that are truly intersectional. And here I am, after a lengthy critique of the feminist movement, all the while questioning my stance, to find myself saying “we as feminists.” So perhaps I am a feminist. Perhaps this type of questioning and critiquing is what the feminist movement needs more of. Maybe we don’t need more catchy slogans or resentment-fuelled speeches, but rather maybe we need to consider the direction in which we are heading.

I would consider myself a feminist because I want to enact change both within the individuals in opposition and within the support structure. I consider myself incredibly proud to be a member of a group of such dedicated, strong, and hard working females. I just don’t want the feminist movement to fall short of the potential that I truly and genuinely think it holds for change.

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About the Creator

Mary Govoni

A freelance writer and blogger on an endless search for good food, better views, and the best way to put it all into words.

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