The F Word

Feminist. To be or not to be? That is the question. If you asked me if I was a feminist 10 years ago, I would have said "absolutely not." However, like many women, that was long before I understood  the concept of feminism. Instead, I focused my perception of what I thought it to mean. The perception that society has ingrained in me for most of my life. Feminist ... a woman who hates men. When I was once asked if I was one, I was insulted by the question. After all, how could this person imply that I was someone who could think that I was superior to another human being, simply because of my gender. But, I was wrong.

Feminism n. refers to the policy, practice or advocacy of political, economic, and social equality for women (Webster, 2010). Do you see the word "men" mentioned anywhere in that definition? No. Of course not. It is not about them, it is about us. It is about equality and living in the pursuit of happiness, like we all deserve.

Did you know that after children, the largest poverty group in the United States is women over the age of 60 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2009)? This is a direct correlation between women and the powerful positions in society, which are most often held by men. According to Fortune magazine (2009), only 13 women head Fortune 500 companies. Considering women make up more than half of the U.S. population, these numbers are increasingly disproportionate and alarming. Similar statistics can be found in other highly regarded professions such as law, medicine and business.

Let's examine the law-makers of this country, shall we? How many do you think are women? You guessed it ... not many. According to the Leadership Theory and Practice by scholar Peter Northouse (2009), the glass ceiling (a socio-economic barrier that prevents women from reaching top positions) is based on gender stereotypes that women take care and men take charge. The social constructs have perpetuated such biases. These perceptions have even been carried over onto the campaign trail. Think of how many times Hillary Clinton was condemned for wearing certain color suits or her hair in an unflattering form. When is the last time the media focused attention like that on a male contender? I still say that if Hillary had been a man, she would have won the primary. A woman who takes charge is seen as a b*^&% while a man is considered strong and assertive. Women today still earn just 77 cents for every dollar men make, in the same field, with the same level of education.

On July 20, 2010, President Obama released a statement addressing this very topic. In it, he said: "Paycheck discrimination hurts families who lose out on badly needed income. And with so many families depending on women's wages, it hurts the American economy as a whole. In difficult economic times like these, we simply cannot afford this discriminatory burden." Specifically, the President urged the Senate to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill that would amend the "Equal Pay Act to revise remedies for, enforcement of, and exceptions to prohibitions against sex discrimination in the payment of wages." For feminists who have worked tirelessly on such efforts, they are just finally starting to pay off.

By the way, there is no gender requirement to be a feminist. President Obama is a feminist himself. He has spoken relentlessly about ensuring that his girls have the same opportunities available to them as their male counterparts. All of us have an obligation to ensure that "our" girls have those same opportunities.

So, am I a feminist? You bet I am, and YOU should be too.