Saturday 26 September 2015

hi I'm esme and I'm a feminist

For me, feminism has always been simple. I've been a feminist since I was small. To little Esme, it seemed absolutely ludicrous that I shouldn't be offered the same opportunities as the boy next to me, simply because I was a girl. As a little girl, obviously I never branded myself as a feminist, just another small person who doesn't want to be treated any differently to all the little boys in the playground, and that was that. It didn't mean I hated boys, it didn't mean I was bossy or that I thought  I was better than boys, it simply meant that I wanted to be given equal opportunities. Even if I didn't want to play with the toy car, I wanted the toy car to be an option for me to play with. It was a no brainer, I didn't even give it thought as I didn't believe anybody could think differently. Simple.

As I got older, it obviously confused me that anybody could think differently. The poisonous representation of feminism in the media and in general baffled me. The official Oxford Dictionary definition is this:

feminism
ˈfɛmɪnɪz(ə)m/
noun
The advocacy of women's rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes.


In 2013, Huffington Post conducted a survey. It concluded that 82% of the population believed in the political, economical and social equality of the sexes. Why then, does only 23% of that same population identify as feminists? It's because there's a toxic stigma attached to the word FEMINIST. I try not to ever abide by labels and try not to label anybody anything, but in my opinion "feminist" isn't a label, but a statement. It's about saying "I want to be given the same amount of money, the same opportunities and the same social treatment as anybody else!"If you believe in that then it's declaring "I'm a feminist, and I don't care what that portrays me as." The only way to effectively remove ignorant assumptions about feminists is to declare yourself a feminist, simply on the grounds of you believing in equality. If others judge you on this, then that's their issue, not yours.

Common Misconceptions of Feminists:

- they are bossy

- they hate men

- they believe they're superior to men

- they believe in contradicting values 

- they believe they are ultimately right

- they are humourless

I can't generalise huge numbers. Many feminists probably are these things, but so are many non-feminists. Talking about what I believe in doesn't make me bossy. Believing in quality for both sexes doesn't make me hate men. I make mistakes every day, and although sometimes I do think I'm ultimately right, everybody does sometimes. As for contradicting values, if places were reversed, I promise I would be just as passionate about campaigning for equality, for whichever gender. I like to think I'm not humourless - have a read through my other blog posts and decide for yourself ;)

But what exactly is the equality that feminists campaign for? As well as the end of obvious feminism issues, end modern day and "casual" sexism. I just don't understand how people can think casual degradation of people is acceptable. It really doesn't make any sense how it isn't considered utterly and completely socially unacceptable to sexualise, objectify and degrade women simply because of their gender, regardless of how subtly it is carried out. It's a unnecessary evil, one we can all make an effort to extinguish forever. Do you want your sons and daughters growing up in a world with a distorted view on how women should or shouldn't be treated, and what the definition of a feminist is?

Feminism is for everybody. Guys can be feminists, girls can be feminists.

So yeah, my name is Esme, and I'm a feminist. That's what they call people who believe that women and men should be treated the same, right?



I'd love your opinion on this! 
Say hello and tell me what you think in the comments :)


I'm listening to:














Esme x

28 comments:

  1. I completely agree with you! I wouldn't usually define myself as a feminist, but after this post I realise I probably am :)
    Fab post x
    -Morgs
    Http://justmorgs.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. thank you so much morgs! and thank you for taking the time to read it - I know it's much more serious than my usual kind of post! <3

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  2. Very well said! I agree with Morgs, I don't usually associate myself as a feminist, but after reading this, I'm convinced! :)

    xoxo, Caroline | carolinevsworld.blogspot.com

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    1. thank you rosa! it's always nice having support xx

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  4. Obviously I love this post and everything it stands for ! So proud of you esme <3
    Xx Sofia
    www.blogwithsofia.blogspot.co.uk

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  5. Hi Esme, I'm a feminist too. I believe in the same rights for men and women :D

    MIASMODE

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  6. This is a very interesting post. I never thought of myself as a feminist. I studied some feminist theories at uni and I always perceived a lot of them to be a little.. 'outdated', almost irrelevant. Like, they had more of a point back when women didn't even have the right to vote, if that makes sense. These days? Yes, there's still inequality; but that applies to more spheres of life than just gender (e.g. race, religion). I feel like some feminist theories try to assert a weird sense of 'sameness' between men and women. Men and women are different, very different. Although I'm all for gender equality, of course. But things aren't as bad as they used to be fifty years ago or so, so I'm optimistic - the western society is on the right track, and hopefully things will keep getting better. x

    Kay
    http://shoesandglitter.blogspot.co.uk/

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    1. thank you kay! I'd never thought about it like that. I can understand that plenty of feminist theories can seem a little irrelevant - and not applicable to modern society. After all, we do live in a world where the issue of gender equality is diminishing. I feel like there is still subtle inequality - obviously much less noticeable than bigger issues such as getting the vote! something I'd like to be seen eliminated is catcalling - I think like it's degrading, makes the woman feel uncomfortable and unsafe and generally unpleasant. as for same-ness, this point really interested me. I completely understand what you mean, it's as if some people try to gloss over any differences, trying to create identical people. Personally, I believe that people should be allowed to be completely their own person - a different, lovely individual, but treated the same. thank you very much for commenting kay, your comment really interested me! I love your blog by the way, it's very pretty, and your posts are so creative. xxx

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    2. Yes, there is still a lot of inequality, but I'm happy to see that things have been steadily getting better. We have equal employment opportunities now, we see more and more women in positions of power, working independently, becoming successful, etc. It's not something that was really the case fifty years ago, and that's why I think that feminism was slightly more 'needed' back then, if that makes sense! I remember studying a copy of a magazine from the 50s, which 'taught' women how they should always greet their man with a glass of champagne at the end of his working day, give him a massage, treat him like a king, to not talk too much because men find it tiring, and basically be all 'neat, nice and sexy because your main job is to please your man' (and that's more or less a direct quote). I can't imagine something like that being promoted these days, that would be outrageous! But it gives a really good contrast as to how much different things were just a few decades ago.

      As for the sameness thing, I feel like some of the more extreme feminist theories (unfortunately, the more extreme ones are usually also the loudest) tend to push this concept that men and women shouldn't just be equal, they should also be the same. It can't be denied that biologically, psychologically, men and women are very different, and I think those differences should be embraced, not stigmatized/glossed over. =)

      Oops, looks like I got carried away with my comment again. :P I just find these topics very interesting! Thank you for your kind words, btw. =) I'm still new to this whole blogging thing, but I absolutely love it, and I'm glad you enjoy reading my little blog, means a lot! <3

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    3. of course! feminism and women's right have come a long way. it's not perfect but we're certainly improving - and noticeably. oh, and welcome to blogging! it's definitely one of the most special creative outlets you'll find - I adore it!
      thank you for your comment kay <3

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  7. I have a subject in uni called Women's Studies. I believe we'll tackle this one pretty soon. It's something that I'm really curious about and I'm grateful that you've posted this and voiced out what your opinions are. Somehow, I have a deeper understanding of what Feminism really is! xx

    http://beecaluya.com/

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed it Bee! Women's Studies sounds really interesting I might look into that xx

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  8. This was such an interesting post to read! Over the years the media used the word feminism in so many wrong eays leading to a big confusion to society. I applaude you for standing up to your believes! I'm a feminist to because of the simple fact that I believe in gender equality. Loved this post!
    xx

    http://www.stylebydeb.com

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    1. thank you deb! I completely agree - people need to reassess the definition of a feminist! <3

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  9. Totally agree! Amazing post and worth reading. Hope you have lots of visits because it is an interesting topic and sometimes we don't talk about it. I'm a feminist too, thnaks for sharing with us.

    Kisses

    *Cludy http://cludysskystyle.blogspot.com.es/

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    1. my pleasure, thank you for commenting cludy xx

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  10. Great post and we need more women like you shouting from the rooftops that they are feminists. In the end if you believe in equality you are a feminist but due to a lot of misconceptions like the ones you have listed above, the very sexism we try to fight is causing many women (and men!) to shy away from calling themselves feminists. Sad really, but we need to just keep working hard to smash the sexist stereotypes surrounding feminism and get more people on board with the cause!

    Rae | Love from Berlin

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    1. exactly! the more people who are aware and understand the true concept and aims feminism tries to promote, the better. thank you rae <3 xx

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  11. I love this post girl! You touched on some great points and I'm right there with you. I actually attend an all girls college so I understand that it is important for women to empower one another.

    I nominated you to try the Liebster Award! Check out what you have to do next here: frizzyteapot.blogspot.com

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  12. yes esme!!! love this and makes it so easy to understand xx

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thanks for your comment! I will try to reply ASAP x