Before you get your panties in a knot, lets get something straight, not all feminists hate men, we are not angry all the time, many of us do not burn our bras and yes most of us shave our armpits on a regular basis.
But for some reason, society has deemed the word "feminism" as a negative concept. Since when did the desire to live in a society that respects gender equality become an offence?
Feminism to me is about being a strong and proud woman who believes in, and strives for gender equality. I am pretty darn proud to be a woman, and I don't think any female out there should shy away from the word "feminism".
I must be honest with you though, I have not always been so confident in myself, and in being a woman. It was not until I fell into an emotional hole that I knew it was time to work on myself. To think back to the lowest point in my life thus far, at the time, I didn't think I was going to get out of it. I felt paralyzed, stuck in a deep, dark hole where no ladder tall enough existed to get me out. That was pretty scary.
Forward in time to today, where we are nearing the end of 2014 (Wowzer! Where has this year gone?). And I can now say with full confidence how proud I am to be a woman! I am now a strong woman who expresses her opinions and beliefs without being afraid of what others may think of her. A few years ago, being a strong woman was not at the forefront of my mind and was not what pulled me down. However, my realization of the importance of being a strong woman is what helped pull me up.
Now lets get into the nitty gritty shall we. There has been a lot in the media recently about feminism, gender inequality and violence against woman. Emma Watson's speech at the UN generated an amazing awareness of the importance of both men and women taking an active role in eliminating gender inequality. Additionally, the "Run Like A Girl" campaign highlighted the impact that negative stereotypes can have on people. The words "like a girl" have somehow been turned into something bad, an insult and a sign of weakness. Both of these examples show that our society is definitely taking an active role in attempting to eradicate gender inequality.
However, despite the increase in awareness of gender equality, violence against women has been prolific in the media in the last few months. American Footballer, Ray Rice's violence against his fiancé and Oscar Pistorius' pitiful 5-year sentence for killing girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp have reinforced the fact that gender inequality and violence against women is still extremely prevalent.
How have we as a society, allowed women to continually be treated as second-class citizens? How ancient of us! I mean, come on human population, let's get our shit together. Don't get me wrong, I am definitely not putting all the blame on the men, as I believe it is equally important for women to acknowledge the fact that they are just as good as men. Then, and only then, will our world start to treat men and women as equals. I didn't realize until recently, how important it is to take control of our own lives, and make them what we want them to be. So come on ladies, lets be proud of who we are, lets stand up for what we believe in and lets change the world one feminist at a time.
Check out Emma Watson's speech at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-iFl4qhBsE
"Run Like a Girl" campaign https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs