I admit it; I find myself mystified by much of the public debate about feminism.
I suppose that’s because I have learned to judge people by what they do, not what they say. So you (female or male) can claim that you are not feminist, whine, stamp your feet, roll your eyes, vote in a poll to ban the word “feminism” or wail that Nobel Prize winner Tim Hunt was “persecuted” for advocating gender segregation in science labs, but none of the that changes the fact that you, just like me, are a feminist.
How do I know that you are a feminist? It’s pretty easy.
For women:
- Do you vote? If so, you are exercising one of the first rights brought to you by feminists.
- Do you have your own bank account, credit card or mortgage? Those economic rights are brought to you by feminism.
- Did you marry the man (or woman) or your choice or did your father trade you in a monetary deal for greater family prestige or advantage? If you chose, you are a feminist.
- Do you use birth control? Choosing to control your own fertility makes you a feminist.
- Do you have a professional job? You can thank feminism.
- If you’re divorced, did you get custody of the kids? That wouldn’t have happened without feminism.
I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea. Unless you are prepared to give up all those rights, you are a feminist, whether you admit it to yourself or not.
[pullquote align=”right” color=”#f551c5″]Men’s rights activists: your whining has nothing to do with men’s rights & everything to do with inability to get a date.[/pullquote]
For men:
- Do you own your wife? No, you’re a feminist.
- Do you spend the money that your wife earns? You’re benefiting from feminism.
- Did you marry the woman (or man) of your choice, or did you pay a bride price or receive a dowry for her? If you chose, you’re a feminist.
- Have you committed any honor killings lately? No, that’s because feminists have successfully broken the link between women’s sexual purity and men’s honor.
Whether you like it or not, abiding by these societal rules makes you a feminist.
If you are a woman, you can protest all you want that you are a “lady against feminism,” but unless you are immured in your home, unable to go out without the escort of a male relative, and swathed in a burqa when you do leave your home, you are a feminist.
And men’s rights activists: We all know that your whining has nothing to do with men’s rights and everything to do with your inability to get a date. I imagine that you are correct in assuming that you would have a much better chance of getting laid if you or your father could buy someone to marry you, but that has more to do with you than with feminism.
Banning the word feminism will have as much impact on women’s rights as banning the word “war” will have on the prospects for world peace. In other words, no effect at all.
Simply put, anyone who behaves according to the principle that women are morally vested with the same legal, political and economic rights as men is a feminist. I don’t care what call yourself; I’ve seen what you do … and what you do makes you a feminist just like me.
