Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Yes, I am a feminist!

This statement is usually accompanied by a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, awkward moments or rolling eyes, followed by the question: But why?

Naturally most of the people assume that being a feminist means hating men, not shaving legs or exercising militant stereotypes where furious women point fingers at you and scream slogans about opression, domination and payback time. Well no.

For me being a feminist means smashing gender stereotypes and fighting inequality. Being a woman or man doesn't mean you need to fit into the uncomfortable and socially prescribed role if you don't want to. But many do because of the social pressure.

It's not about all women of the world having a sucessful career nor about all men becoming caring housewifes. It's simply about recognising that "women" and "men" are not unique categories. Not all women want to have a family and not all men want to be providers. And personally I don't see a problem with that.

Being a feminist means noticing the existing power relations and the structure behind them. Equal rights are not just about the laws, but also about all the social structures that affect us and our surroundings, constituting invisible "natural" order which is in fact as artificial as it can get.

So yes I am a feminist. And I think it's about time to claim feminism back. It is not and shouldn't be a fight of women for their rights. It is a fight of the society for the gender equality. Globally.
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