The official definition of feminism is the belief in and advocacy for economic, social and political equality between genders. Think about our society in the past century or so: Have women been considered true equals in these ways? Women have only been allowed to vote for the last hundred years. We’ve never had a female president, and most women don’t feel safe when going out alone. Implementing feminism can serve to combat these issues and make further progress in these areas.
Typically, women have used feminism and their subsequent beliefs in it to advocate for the right to vote, serve in the military and attend certain universities. Now, it is even more prevalent and arguably more important because it has a heavy focus on women’s safety and protecting those who don’t receive it. Feminism is necessary in modern society because it helps protect women’s welfare and empowerment through the support of other women.
Feminism can make it easier for women to feel and be safe because if they know they aren’t alone when faced with safety concerns, it is more likely for them to seek help to resolve the issue. For everybody, not just women, personal safety should be of utmost priority, and anything that helps to improve that should be seen as a valuable resource, not an offensive set of ideals.
An article written by the “Global Media Journal” describes how there are different “waves” of feminism and how the current one (early 2010s to now) relies on social media as one of the main tools for feminisitic advocacy and support.
Seeing as how social media is such a wide-spread resource, it can be a valuable tool to bring feminism awareness to women everywhere. Additionally, this side of social media has also shed light on issues involving gender-based violence and has stopped normalizing situations that commonly make women feel unsafe.
An article published by the World Health Organization reports that approximately one in three women have experienced some form of sexual or gender based violence. This shows why it really is so important for women to be supported—through feminism and its values—in unsafe situations.
A core principle of feminism involves women uplifting one another, but how that manifests can vary. The idea of being a ‘girls’ girl’ is a newly surfaced subject that has gained traction on many social media platforms. The term typically refers to women that show solidarity and consideration for each other, especially in situations that impact their safety or how they feel about themselves.
Calista Hough, high school freshman with experience in feminist advocacy said, “In situations with creepy people, feminism can help by letting them [women] have almost full assurance that if you come up to a girl and start talking to her like she’s your friend, she’ll likely go along with it, no questions asked.”
Her example highlights the uplifting, communicative nature of feminism, and how implementing it can be extremely beneficial to women’ s safety, especially in situations where they feel they are in danger.
Despite how feminism has proven to heighten equality, some focus on the previous uses for it—like the women’s rights movement—and think that because those issues are resolved, the beliefs of feminism are no longer relevant.
Equal rights are great, but previous successful accomplishments created by a feministic belief system isn’t an excuse to dismantle that ideology. In fact, it should be a reason to continue the practice, with the goal of advocating for women in instances where the key characteristics of feminism like support and equality aren’t exhibited. Women deserve more from feminism than the legal right to do what men can while being societally inferior. The importance of women’s safety and the things to improve it shouldn’t be dependent on the success of previous women’s rights movements, and those who believe it to be should reconsider.
The belief system exhibited by feminism typically prioritizes the importance of supporting fellow women, which can help them feel more safe and empowered. Even though some crucial rights like voting and property ownership have been achieved through feminism, the further journey towards true equality, in areas of safety, politics and societal rights, is ongoing.
Feminism isn’t just a historic belief system, it is a crucial movement that has evolved over time, one that surges in waves throughout different eras.
So, what’s next for feminism? Modern society needs to show more understanding and support for the topic, rather than dismissing it as misandry (the belief that women are superior to men) when it is far from that. A lot of people are unsure how to bring awareness to the importance of feminism, and there are many resources that can help.
Women’s Health Outreach Advocates (WHOA) is a club at FVHS with this topic as one of their main focuses. WHOA and similar community organizations can really help improve inequalities in modern society through the local use of feminism.
Before you finalize your perspective, think about this: Safety is always necessary, and isn’t it important for women to feel just as empowered as men, regardless of what beliefs they hold?
