When you picture a feminist, what image comes to mind?
Probably not someone like me.
I am a stay at home mom of 3. We are a traditional family where my husband is the breadwinner (although I never understood that phrase, he neither wins bread nor brings home bacon unless I ask him to stop at Publix on the way home). I am conservative in the majority of my political and social ideals. I am passionately pro-life. I am a Christian who loves Jesus and strives to follow His teachings. I believe the man is the head of the home and that our marriage is sacred.
So how could I possibly fit into the category of “feminist”?
Feminism began as a movement shortly after the Civil War when woman began to fight for the right to retain ownership of property and funds after marriage. Up until that point, woman were not legally allowed to retain ownership of anything after marriage; it was all signed over to the husband. Can you imagine living in a time when you were literally not worth anything outside of your husband?
Sidenote: a lot of your belief, as it pertains to this particular issue, greatly depends on your view of marriage. Personally, I feel that all of your possessions should be merged into equal ownership when you are married. You are vowing to spend the rest of your life with this person and give them your whole heart, you should be able to trust them with your belongings and they should trust you the same. But at any rate, I think we can all agree that the man possessing full ownership of everything is unfair and could lead to some serious problems and shady marriage unions.
The next huge issue to be addressed was the right to vow which came in 1920. Many people thought that woman were too emotional and not logical and therefore could not be trusted with such great decisions. You know, because raising children and running households was so easy…but I digress.
More modernly speaking, the second wave of the feminist movement came in the 1960s and lasted through the early 1980s. This push of woman’s rights focused primarily on equality and the over sexualization of woman.
As the 4th generation daughter of very conservative, Christian woman, my understanding of feminism was very vague growing up. Personally, I don’t remember ever really talking about it with my own mom, it just wasn’t a prominent issue. I have a faint memory of a very short conversation about it once when I was very young but I couldn’t even tell you what all was said.
There was (and still is) a common belief among conservatives that feminist were man-hating radicals that went around burning their bras and demanding power. These people do exist but they are not the majority. Just as with any other group of people that have been categorized, there is a wide range of severity that all receive the same label. So what exactly is a feminist?
Feminism: the advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes
It is actually pretty simple when you boil it down to it’s pure definition. Basically, if you are a human man and I am a human woman, we should both receive the same treatment, rights and opportunities because we are equally human. I used to think that this was the way America was and that feminism was no longer necessary but that is not the truth just yet. We have come a long way and the serious issues like ownership, processions, voting, education, and professional opportunity, but there are still gaps.
Woman in America currently earn 84-96 cents per dollar as compared to men. That is an incredible improvement from the past but if both are preforming the same job, they should both be earning the full dollar. Woman are also less likely to be seriously considered for positions of authority and seen a liability if they are likely to be or become pregnant. Some of that liability is justifiable because a mother’s priority does shift to the well being of her child above all else but let’s save that for another discussion.
My greatest concern is the over sexualization of woman and girls.
When we use the sexual appeal of young woman to sell cheeseburgers; that is objectifying them. When we have restaurants that are known for the scantily clad waitresses; that is objectifying them. When we select one woman above another for a job because she looks better to our customers; that is objectifying them. When we identify woman by “the fat one” or “the one with the big boobs” or “the hot one”; that is objectifying them.
God created them to be beautiful. God created them to be smart. God created them to be compassionate. God created them to be powerful. God created them to be strong. God created them in the likeness of His image.
God did not create them to be objectified and used as a decoration for your enjoyment.
So yes; I, feminist.
