About the Contributor
Opinion: Why The Term “Feminism” Can Be Confusing
What I once thought, and what I’ve learned since
December 6, 2020
I am a daughter in a politically-left-leaning, socially active family. I wore an Obama + Biden shirt when I was three, and once my mom left for less than a day to see the 2008 Democratic Convention but still somehow saw both Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama. I was always a loud voice for animal rights, and I continue to be. I was brought up to be fearless in my opinions, confident, and strong. But somehow, whenever I would think of the word “feminism,” I would never quite understand it. Women deserved equal rights, and pay, and everything you could imagine, in my mind. I wouldn’t say I liked the word.
Women’s equal rights are fundamental to me. They truly, really are. But there’s a part of me that wants to make sure that they aren’t my most pressing issue; I have things I hold even dearer to my heart. Some issues make me more passionate and blood-boilingly mad and fiery than women’s rights. However, as I went to my first women’s march in 2018, I saw how the issue is so important to so many people and why it should be important to me, too.
At my first women’s-march, I held a sign (I believe it said, “All beings are created equal. If anyone should be first, it should be pigs. I love pigs.” Oh, I was always fiery about animal rights… even seeped into my women’s march sign! 2018 Kaya was a strange person) and marched the one-mile walk with my mom, sister, and family friend. It was amazing. I felt a power I hadn’t in a long time. It made me feel strong and empowered inside.
What would it feel like if, in 2021, women were offered equal pay? What would it feel like if women’s adventures, writing, and sports were prioritized as much as men’s? I consider these questions and get a shiver down my spine. I would like that, I say to myself. I feel like the world would get much stronger.
I like the idea that feminism doesn’t apply to just women but is a call for equality among all people. I feel like an excellent example of this is Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s famous case, Weinberger v. Wiesenfeld. She demonstrated that feminism is a call for equality for men, too. It gave men the opportunity for child support who were widowers, something that was not possible before.
I think feminism is confusing because some people will hear it and think that it means women are higher above and better than everyone else. However, that is not the case. Feminism is the spirited opposition to inequality and a call for women to be treated equally to men. It is not an overt call to say that oneself is better than others; it is a plea for equality.
As I think about this, I remember a meme on Instagram that fully summed up what I had felt about feminism and what I had learned along the way:
“Feminism does not mean ??♀️??♀️??♀️??♀️??♀️ > ??♂️??♂️??♂️??♂️??♂️
It means ??♀️??♀️??♀️??♀️??♀️ =. ??♂️??♂️??♂️??♂️??♂️”
A simple meme expanded my view of feminism so much. I am not going to say completely honestly that I am passionate about feminism over all other issues. After many years of not liking the phrase, I think I am still warming up to it. I wanted to write this article for myself and people like me, who never understood the term but are coming to realize how important it is.
I am a passionate person about animal rights. We need to stop climate change, and now, before it’s too late. I believe that black lives matter, and we need to stop racism in America.
However, even among all these issues (I sometimes feel like there are too many to count, it can feel exhausting), feminism speaks to me. I wonder what our lives would be like if women and men were thought to have been created equally and were treated as so. I wonder if I will see a world that way as I grow older. I wonder if you, reading this article, will be a voice for that change.
T. Perry • Jan 16, 2021 at 5:59 pm
This is a very well written article. It’s important to remember that Aristotle said it all when he said “inequality breeds instability “. Keep up the good work, Kaya. (Right on).
Ari Trette • Jan 2, 2021 at 4:20 pm
This is an incredible article Kaya!! Great job!
Rayelyn Burrell • Dec 13, 2020 at 2:50 am
This is really well said and very relatable, I really loved this article.
Kerry Fordyce • Dec 7, 2020 at 3:58 pm
I’m so proud of your ability to put into words your feelings on this difficult subject. My immediate reaction is one of thanks. Thanks that your generation has moved beyond the feminism as I knew it. Remember the strides your ancestors made to get you to this point. The early suffragettes who had little or no voice in society. I remember when I could not open a bank account, have a credit card or own a home without a man signing for me. Its been a well fought fight but it is not over. Now, let’s continue to fight for women’s rights but include the right of all to be equal.
Eliza • Dec 7, 2020 at 1:52 pm
Oh my gosh Kaya!! This is amazing. 😀
Ellory Maxwell • Dec 6, 2020 at 1:04 pm
I LOVED THIS ARTICLE KAYA! First off you are such a talented writer! Second, I’ve always been super passionate about feminism, in the same way you are about animal rights. And it always made me so confused when other woman (and men) didn’t consider themselves feminists. In 8th grade my English class did speeches. I unsurprisingly wrote mine about feminism. My main focus was how society today interprets feminism. The term feminist has been twisted to express woman superiority and that feminism is only for woman. Since then I’ve made it my goal to spread awareness of what feminism truly means: the equality of ALL genders, not just female, not just male, but also people who identify as non binary and gender fluid and so on. I love the way you wrote this article and I’m glad you changed your mind about the term 🙂 -Ellory maxwell.