Feminism – Initial Thoughts

To preface, I am limited to both my personal experience and knowledge in defining the term “feminism”. With that, I believe the word is defined as the empowerment of all women to achieve social equality with men. When I say “equality” I don’t necessarily mean that females must be physically and emotionally equal to males – it is clear that biological differences among the two sexes yield
inevitable advantages and disadvantages on both sides. Instead, what I mean by equality is that we are not treated differently because of these differences.

When I first heard of the term feminism I didn’t quite have this definition. I associated the word with bitter and serious single women who’s pastime would be spent writing articles about the oppressions of men in the 50’s (pretty narrow-minded definition, I know). I obtained this conception of feminism at a predominantly white, middle-upper class school where talks of systemic misogyny was the closest thing there was to “social wokeness” and challenging social norms. To call oneself a feminist was to be cast out as an ungrateful outsider who couldn’t fit in amongst the culture that was Los Gatos High School.

Now that I’ve had the privilege to attend SCU, and reform my limited perspectives on American culture and interconnected oppressions, I realize that a feminist encompasses anyone who rejects violence against women, anyone who respects and values their mothers and female humans in their lives, and anyone who revokes the idea that women are inferior to men. I was a feminist ever since I experienced the difference in treatment being a women entitled me to. I also realize that feminism is empowerment to all women through multiple intersections, and calls for equality in treatment to women of color, women of all religions, women who identify as LGTBQ, fat women (and no, fat is not used as a derogatory term here), transgender women, etc.