THE STATE OF FEMINISM
Since the previous elections when Hillary Clinton was the first woman to be the main contender in an election (let alone win the popular vote) feminism has made a new stand in our country. From slogans such as “the future in feminine” to a surplus of programs designed for female empowerment the message from media is clear. A movement of feminine power is rising in our country and it looks drastically different than aprons and stove timers.
What comes to mind when I ask you to describe a feminist? What do they look like? What do they sound like? How do they take up their space in the world? If I were to ask this questions a decade ago the answer would likely be different than what I get now and we can attribute this to a foundational tool in spreading awareness- the media. As we all know media is a powerful tool that has the ability to unlock minds (not to mention preconceived notions about others) and connect. Back when there were mainly a handful of media sources and no social platforms we were more susceptible to be sheep; believing whatever the person behind the broadcaster’s desk told us. This was a beautiful way to perpetuate stereotypes. Somehow feminist began to be something only for a specific group. You want to be about women equality but you are a stay at home Mom? You were told (even subconsciously) you didn’t fit the mold. This isn’t to say that there weren’t other struggles in the movement, there are many more scars. For example, women of color felt they were losing their voices due to the necessity to pay attention to their intersectionalities and the multiple oppressions they dealt with. For them, feminism became an elite privilege oppression if you will- one that was clearly designed for white women.
Pause to insert the gasps, eye rolls, or whatever you need to do to still stay with me. You see, in a world that had a very controlled media we had a very singular story of what it meant to be in “girl power”. Luckily, that is changing. Now there are tons of social media outlets where anyone can sign up and share themselves. Through platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, slack, (and the list goes on) people are beginning to share more about themselves and their beliefs as to what makes them who they are. Insert a plethora of ways to show what a feminist looks like. With a bigger push towards a clear foundation of women empowerment, equity, equal pay, and breaking glass ceilings, feminist are beginning to come out of the woodworks. And they are all different shapes, sizes, colors, sexes, socioeconomic classes, and religions.
Nowadays, we see feminism being praised in most places. All genders are rocking “this is what a feminist looks like” shirts and millions giving their support to women for equality. The face of a feminist is beginning to change and with that the face of our society. More commercials where the Mom is the “breadwinner” and Dad is at home with the child is beginning to be normalized. More women unapologetically doing what they love and living their femininity in action. Hopefully, this means we are closely coming to a place where an idea of a feminist is something of the past and total equity is the current reality.
How do you show your feminist voice? Let us know through picture, song, or prose!
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