Why I Need Feminism

Normally when I tell people that I identify myself as a feminist the first thing they ask is "Why?" or I get given a strange look like I've just casually sworn at them. There still seems to be a lot of misconceptions about being a feminist (I done a post about it here) so I'm writing this to talk about feminism from my perspective. Not that I feel I need to justify myself because I do feel like more people are starting to understand the true meaning of feminism, I just want to talk about issues that are important to me that lead me to believe feminism is still very much needed. So from now if anyone asks me why I'm a feminist, I'll be sending them straight here!

“Feminism is not a dirty word. It does not mean you hate men, it does not mean you hate girls that have nice legs and a tan, and it does not mean you are a bitch or a dyke. It means you believe in equality.” ― Kate Nash

#1 Because We Deserve Equal Pay For Equal Work

You would think this would be common sense but that doesn't seem to be the case. Did you know that on average men earn 14% more than women (stats by the Fawcett Society) and no matter what way you look at it that's discrimination! The causes can vary including senior roles being more appointed to men as well as unfair treatment when women have children. If this was the other way round and women were getting paid more than men, do you honestly think men would put up with it?

#2 Because Gender Stereotypes Annoy Me

This can be anything from people saying women are responsible for raising children to others saying men are being 'feminine' when they show their emotions. Oh and the typical pink is a girls colour and blue is a boy's colour. There's really no need for all this gendering as it's totally unnecessary and I have no idea why we keep doing it!

#3 Because It's A Humanity Issue

A common reply I get when I talk to people about different issues, especially relating to women's issues, is "It's not my problem" when it kind of is because it affects everyone. Let me give you an example: millions of girls around the world are being denied an education and although that may not be the case in the UK in countries like Nigeria, Pakistan and Ethiopia this is happening right now. There's no point in pinning the responsibility onto someone else because the only way equality is going to happen is when everyone is involved - simple as that!

#4 Because Rape Culture Shouldn't be Tolerated

There is never an excuse for rape. It doesn't matter what the person is wearing or whether they've been drinking (they seem to be the most common questions after someone says they've been sexually assaulted) consent is always needed with no exceptions!

#5 Because Body-shaming and Slut-shaming Needs to Stop

Urgh enough with it! We've all established already that we come in all shapes and sizes and that we can have sex or in cases not have sex with whoever we want. We didn't ask for your approval so stop making out that we did. Please and thank you!

#6 Because The Media Represent Women So Wrongly

This is something I've felt strongly about for a while now and I can't express how much some magazines portray women! It's all about our bodies, our relationships or whatever we're wearing.. do they not know that there's more to us then that? There are great magazines out there that aim to inspire others and actually have intelligent interesting discussions including Femsplain and Bustle which are just two of my favourites. All aspects of the media need to pull their socks up and get with the program - stop representing women in these sexist ways!

#7 Because I Sometimes Don't Feel Safe

We get taught how to stay safe while we're out in public alone which is obviously very important obviously. However I think it's unfair to say "Don't wear *insert type of clothing* because you're bound to be stared at/touched" instead of teaching others about about personal space, consent and plain common courtesy. It's backwards thinking and needs to be left in the past.

#8 Because There's Still So Much That Needs to Be Done

We have made some great progress over the years and we should be proud of the people that helped us get to where we are now. The sad reality is there's still so much that needs to be done to ensure everyone has equality and no one will ever need to fight for their rights again. We can do this!

Until everyone has the same social, political and economic rights I'm not going to stop preaching about them. We all deserved to be treated equally in all aspects of life! Feel free to share your thoughts below, just please remember to respect everyone's opinions even if you have an alternative view!