Challenging the Feminist Stereotype by Rebecca

Feminism in today's world is a somewhat sensitive topic. Although it has been around making changes to better women's rights since its first big wave at the turn of the 20th century, for some reason feminists today still sometimes get a bad rap. When one pictures a feminist, what might immediately come to mind is the image of a radical woman in the 1960s or 70s burning her bra to protest women's constraints in society. While extremists do exist, the stereotype of a masculine woman, battling against shaving or wearing makeup, is simply not what feminism is about. This cliché is in fact extremely detrimental to the feminist cause as it not only spreads a false idea of what feminists are like, but also makes less people willing to putting themselves in a group with others, and therefore less people supporting women's rights in general.

Back at home, I have a friend who decided around age 12 that she was a diehard feminist. She wrote articles for the middle school newspaper explaining topics like how Hermione made the perfect female role model or why sexy Halloween costumes should be frowned upon. At the time she was ridiculed for her strong opinions, which other kids had probably just not really considered at this point. While she stuck to her beliefs and didn't let others bring her down, it is amazing to look back on this a few years later and wonder what kind of progress could have been made if instead of instantly labeling her as another radical feminist just like others they had heard of, the student body decided to support her. Maybe there could have been a feminist club established, raising awareness of unequal pay between sexes or sexual harassment in the workplace, or even getting students to question why society praises unhealthy standards for women through the media.

Honestly, I don't usually describe myself as a feminist immediately, but I think that any woman who puts down feminism and refers back to the old stereotype is either in denial that there are still issues surrounding women's rights or is just a self-loathing person. How is it possible to not support a cause that you automatically, naturally fall into? Frankly, any woman or man who stands against problems ranging from women's salaries being disproportionate to men's, to rape and violence against women worldwide, should consider themselves feminists. I am someone who when asked has often said that I am a feminist, but not one of those "extreme" types. But what exactly makes someone an "extreme" feminist? Compare the number of people you know who believe men and women should be equal against the number of those people who represent the "bra-burning" standard, and you will realize, as I have, how unnecessary it is to become defensive when asked if you are a feminist, and how unimportant it is to make sure you are not grouped with others who feel too rebellious for you.

There is no guideline to being a feminist, as feminists are absolutely not all the same. Some of them will go to rallies to raise support for women's rights, some might volunteer regularly at a local battered women's shelter, while others will simply spread feminist ideas through everyday conversation among friends. While these may all seem like very different tasks, the fact is that each one of these people is supporting the same ultimate goal—a world in which women and men can live completely equally, to the point that feminists will not have to fight for women's rights or reclaiming derogatory words like "slut," used solely against women, and feminism instead will very simply be about being proud of outstanding woman figures in society and all that they have done. Our challenge now is to reach that goal, with accepting and supporting feminism as our first step. Next time you are asked whether or not you are a feminist, before becoming defensive or afraid of being labeled, think about what societal values are really important to you, and hopefully you will come to the conclusion that, just as I am a feminist, you are too.