Why is Laura a Feminist?

Feminism is a huge F-word in the Christian sub-culture. It brings to mind images of angry women burning bras in the street or the hate-filled ideology of misandry - women who can’t stand men.  They picture a lot of rage and prejudice against males. Western culture has made such a mockery of feminism so that when I ask people about what they think about it – they say “I support gender equality but I don’t like feminism.” 

That is the equivalent of saying I am sleepy but not tired.They are the same thing. It’s just that feminism is seen as a bad word. Some people would rather say that they are an egalitarian or simply a women’s rights supporter. I have even considered not calling myself a feminist because of the terrible connotations.

Then I realized something.

Christianity is a huge swearword in this culture. It brings to mind images of angry people burning witches at the stake or the hate-filled ideology of Westboro Baptist Church.  They picture a lot of rage and prejudice. Western culture has made such a mockery of Christianity so that when I ask people about what they think about it – they say “I like Jesus but I don’t like Christianity.” Some people would rather say that they are spiritual or a Jesus follower. I have even considered not calling myself a Christian because of the terrible connotations.

Both feminism and Christianity have a bad history and reputation. However, as any Christian can tell you, Christianity has done some great things in this world and has carried out the mission of Jesus in our own human way. 

Feminism has also done great things.  Women in the west can now wear pants, vote, drive, work outside of the home, and even become pastors! Just as true Christianity is about love, true feminism is about equality for all genders. (hey, don't those goals seem like they would complement each other really well?) Some may say that feminism has completed its task and now it is completely unnecessary or it is now going into overdrive and castrating the men of society.

I feel like I should address the latter first. There are extreme feminists who would very much like to see men die out. They paint a caricature of a man, throw darts at it, and injure many guys in the process. Now anyone who knows me knows that I really like hanging out with guys because I have things in common with them that I don’t with females and we can talk about our dissimilarities as well. Obviously I don't hate men. However, I do call myself a feminist much to their chagrin. They think that it is not important in today's society.

Is feminism unnecessary? No, Western society does not have full gender equality. It is close but it is still lacking. A recent study showed that women with a 4.0 GPA earn as much as men with a 2.0.  In the Women's Media Center study (p.40), women made up 28.8% of characters with speaking parts in the 100 top-grossing films of 2012. In American politics, only 20% of the members of the Senate, Congress, and House of Commons are female. Canada is only slightly better with women representing 25 percent of the 308 seats in Parliament. There are also more subtle ways that gender inequality is active in the West. These are things such as body-shaming, rape culture, and the ever-controversial friend-zone.

Now, that is just in our backyard. Let's talk about where feminism is absolutely necessary. 

Women in India must go to relieve themselves in groups by the cover of darkness - holding it for 14 to 15 hours a day - and are at risk of being raped or killed. Sex-selective abortions (or gendercide) are killing hundreds of thousands of girls in China and India. Female genital mutilation (FGM) happens throughout the Middle East and Africa. So called "honor killings" end the lives of 10,000 women a year in India, which is encouraged by their government. Every year, an estimated 14 million girls aged under 18 are married worldwide with little or no say in the matter. 

Western women are a minority in the world. The majority of the world is in desperate need of gender equality. Yes, the West has gained a lot of equality and women have more freedom, but it does not stop there. We need feminism. I don't really care what you think about the friend-zone, but I do care that you are at least aware of the abuses against women around the world. The ones I have listed above are huge issues. 

So this is why I am a feminist. Women are not being treated fairly in the majority of the world. I don't burn bras or hate men. I love human rights, and women make up half of humanity. Christianity also plays a huge part in my feminism as well and I may write a post about that sometime or you can just read Sarah Bessey's book Jesus Feminist. I want to end with a quote from that book which I really resonate with.

“But as long as I know how important maternal health is to Haiti’s future, and as long as I know that women are being abused and raped, as long as I know girls are being denied life itself through selective abortion, abandonment, and abuse, as long as brave little girls in Afghanistan are attacked with acid for the crime of going to school, and until being a Christian is synonymous with doing something about these things, you can also call me a feminist.” 
― Sarah Bessey