This is What a Feminist Looks Like

I've never been able to understand women who say they aren't a feminist. To me, it's the biggest no-brainer ever, but to them it seems to be some kind of admission of non-femininity, or, God forbid, of being a lesbian. In a seminar at university once, an English one where there were about 2 boys in the room, when asked who considered themselves a feminist, only me and one other girl raised our hands. How has this happened? How has feminist become a dirty word, and sexism brushed off as being not important (or not as important as other things like, say, having a husband and becoming his own personal house elf).

I have been a feminist before I even had any concept of the political or social implications of feminism. It never even occurred to me to think that girls were not as good as, if not better than, boys. I just assumed that people in the world were smart enough (like an eight year old me) to realise that what's in your underpants doesn't affect what you are capable of. Because, believe me, we're capable of A LOT.

This isn't how the world works though, and it sucks, but it is something that we can't just allow to continue the way it is. Things have got to change, so that women aren't doing 2/3 of the world's work, but only controlling 10% of the wealth. How does this make any sense? Things have got to change so that women aren't afraid to walk on the streets alone at night, for fear of getting attacked, simply because they are 'weaker' than men. Things have got to change so that women aren't essentially forced to stay with men who beat them, because the British government is cutting funding to women's refuges, not to mention the jobs they are cutting in industries that are dominated by women workers. The world is so much more unequal than we think it is, and something has got to change so that's not the case anymore.

I'm not afraid to say it, and you shouldn't be either, I am a Feminist. I don't care if that scares you, because all that means is this- I think that women are just as good as men, and deserve to be treated with the same respect as men, be paid the same as men, and get the full respect of the law as men do (rape conviction rates are just a joke, albeit not a very funny one). I am not just saying all this because I am a woman- if I was a man, I would have exactly the same views, just with more opportunity to change things (another not so funny joke). So, on this International Women's Day, don't be afraid to say that you are a feminist- is there really any other way to be?

Rant over. Now watch this video: