365 reasons to be a feminist

[365reasonstobeafeminist]

Thank you!

So now you have 365 reasons to be a feminist and this blog has now (unfortunately) ended. Though I could probably write 365 more reasons why our world can not yet be labelled 'gender equal', it's time to move on to other things. I want to thank all my readers, followers, rebloggers, fan mail-ers and everyone who has sent me articles and ideas for the 365 reasons.

Thank you!

  Thank you again & remember to always question the status quo!

Charissa

xxx

[365reasonstobeafeminist]

#365 Because of the word 'feminist'.

Feminism means:

1. Acknowledging that women are people.

2. Acknowledging that gender inequality exists.

3. Acknowledging that though gender inequality negatively affects all genders, women are on the losing side in the patriarchal society in which we live.

4. Wanting to change that current situation by improving conditions for women (and by doing so also improving the conditions for everone.)

But you call yourself a humanist, equalist, everybodyist, because feminism is just too strong a word for you. You believe in equality, but why does it all have to be about the ladies?

So, why has feminist become a bad word?

1. Because it sounds like it has to do with women, and everything women do is kind of crap. (Your ideas about women haven't been coloured by a misoynistic society at all, have they?)

2. Women who are angry, annoyed, upset, politically aware and well-informed are annoying. And bitchy. And screechy. Women who express negative opinions are just annoying.  (Your ideas about women haven't been coloured by a misoynistic society at all, have they?)

3. You don't believe women suffer gender discrimination. You haven't seen it. (Oh, but you have! Or you've never questioned the world in which you live. Or it's just easier to brush it off when it doesn't happen to you. Or it's easier to brush it off than to fight against it.)

4. You just don't care about women that much. (Your ideas about women haven't been coloured by a misoynistic society at all, have they?)

5. You're afraid that giving women power (time/a voice/ opportunities) will mean that men will lose theirs.(Probably some, yes. Equality will never happen if some people keep all the power and won't let go of it.)

6. Some feminists, whose names you do not know, hate men. And because of these individuals who expressed some hatred towards men, you don't want to identify with this word. 

You will happily define yourself as Communist, because what Stalin did has nothing to do with Marx. Or you'll happily say that capitalism is a great system, despite 7-year-olds in Cambodia stitching your H&M t-shirts together. You will call yourself a Roman Polanski fan, minus the child raping bit. But feminism well, you just can't get over that one girl at that one party who said she hated men.

Misandry (hatred of men) might fuel a satirical play, a song that includes the line Men are pigs! or a an aggressive statement at a campus party. But misogyny (hatred of women) kills more women than war, pays women less for their work, uses women's bodies as objects in advertising and denies millions of women the right to an education. But feminism is just a bit too strong a word for you. 

The hatred of the word feminist is one of the reasons we need feminism in the 21st century.

[365reasonstobeafeminist]

#364 Because of the burqa.

The banning of face covering has become a hot topic in recent years. And in 2011 France placed a ban on face covering, which specifically targeted the approximately 2000 Muslim women in France who wear burqas or niqabs. The ban was the result of an inquiry that occured after president Nicolas Sarkozy stated: 

"The full veil is not welcome in France because it runs contrary to our values and contrary to the idea we have of a woman's dignity," he said, while cautioning against an extreme move that would further alienate a section of society. Let us undertake not to give opponents of democracy, dignity and sexual equality the chance for a victory which would put our society in a very difficult situation," he said, adding it was "essential that no one felt stigmatised".

So, apart from this ban being fueled by Islamophobia, what is the problem here?

1. France bans women from covering their faces in public.

2. The former Taliban regime in Afghanistan banned women from showing their faces in public. 

They are both examples of patriarchal leaders limiting women's freedoms.

Yeah, but isn't France's ban on face covering empowering Muslim women?

No, it's still removing their freedom to choose. Though the burqa, niqab or hijab can be part of an oppression, they are not necessarily so. They can (OMG, really?) even be a manifestation of a woman's freedom, because she has made the active choice to wear a Muslim veil as part of her cultural and religious identity. However, it has become a symbol of oppression, partly because of the women who have been forced to wear it,but also because non-Muslims have decided to define the Muslim woman's liberation.  .

(Finally, does it even sound probable that the sudden removal of an item of clothing would instantly free a woman from oppression in her community? If women's rights, and not Islamophobia, was the real problem here, the French government would probably not have approached issue in this way.)

"For decades, in books, op-eds, and lectures, I stood firmly and unquestioningly against the veil and the hijab, the Islamic headscarf, viewing them as signs of women’s disempowerment. To me, and to my fellow Arab feminists, being told what to wear was just another form of tyranny. But in the course of researching and writing a new book on the history of the veil’s improbable comeback, I’ve had to radically rethink my assumptions. Where I once saw the veil as a symbol of intolerance, I now understand that for many women, it is a badge of individuality and justice.”

- Leila Ahmed

We need feminism to end all laws that dictate what a woman should or should not wear. We need feminism so Muslim women's voices are heard. 

[365reasonstobeafeminist]

#363 Because of homicide sentences.

Watch the full video and learn more about the complexities of domestic violence: Violent Relationships with Dr Leelia Franck - Moving Forward #4.

Note: The Michigan Women's Justice & Clemency Projectreport similar statistics.

[365reasonstobeafeminist]

#362 Because of the marketing of toys.

“At no point during the 20th century did toy marketing resemble what it’s become today. What we see happening is way more extreme than even periods in our history when gender inequality was at its greatest levels”

These are the words of Elizabeth Sweet, a doctoral candidate who studies gender and toys at the University of California.

Sweet has studied the marketing of children's toys during the 20th century and her research has shown that today we gender toys more than ever before:

"In my research on toy advertisements, I found that even when gendered marketing was most pronounced in the 20th century, roughly half of toys were still being advertised in a gender-neutral manner. This is a stark difference from what we see today, as businesses categorize toys in a way that more narrowly forces kids into boxes. For example, a recent study by sociologists Carol Auster and Claire Mansbach found that all toys sold on the Disney Store’s website were explicitly categorized as being “for boys” or “for girls”—there was no “for boys and girls” option, even though a handful of toys could be found on both lists.  

In the Sears catalog ads from 1975, less than 2 percent of toys were explicitly marketed to either boys or girls. More importantly, there were many ads in the ‘70s that actively challenged gender stereotypes—boys were shown playing with domestic toys and girls were shown building and enacting stereotypically masculine roles such as doctor, carpenter, and scientist."

"During the 1980s, gender-neutral advertising receded, and by 1995, gendered toys made up roughly half of the Sears catalog’s offerings—the same proportion as during the interwar years."

Why is this damaging?

According to Melissa Atkins Wardy, author of Redefining Girly.

"Gendered toy marketing divides a child’s ability to learn about the world based on gender constructions that are culturally determined. When all of the marketing consistently revolves around gender, it teaches our kids to look at the opposite sex as a different species, because in order to market gendered toys, you have to point out the difference and not the similarities."

However, we don't all realise that gender constructions are culturally determined. According to Elizabeth Sweet.

"While the public generally supports the idea that we should have gender equality, polls reveal an increase in the number of people who believe that essential gender differences exist."

It must be difficult to live as a free individual in a society that believes you are biologically programmed to like a certain type of toy. 

[365reasonstobeafeminist]

#361 Because of the Emmys.

See this infographic in greater detail here.

[365reasonstobeafeminist]

#360 Because of Middle Eastern parliaments.

[365reasonstobeafeminist]

#359 Because of women in Australia - part 2.

[365reasonstobeafeminist]

#358 Because of Stockholm Police.

Last week Swedish Radio News revealed that Stockholm Police had kept a secret database with names and details of 2000-3000 female victims of domestic violence. The illegal database, named Kvinnoregistret (Women's Register) by the press, has been used for about 10 years and an estimated 20 police officers have contributed towards it. Though officially labelled a register over suspected abusers, the database contains details such as the victim's name, age, ethnicity, country of birth, religion, history of abuse and hobbies, as well as details about their family members. Police officers have also made notes about possible psychiatric diagnoses and the credibility of the victim's story. Many of the women have been branded tricky, difficult and particular.

Here are some excerpts from the database: 

- Claimant sometimes socialises with drug addicts. Has difficulty keeping her story together. Has a daughter with intellectual disability.

- Claimant has visited inappropriate places.

- Claimant's half-brother has a dodgy background.

- In my personal opinion, the claimant seems to have mental health issues.

- Claimant has, according to her sister, problems with alcohol abuse and mental health issues.

- She is very frightened and the fear is not in proportion to the assesed risk.

- Louise is a little girl with issues. Not our problem.

- Both parties give credible stories, however, the woman's story is a bit "embroidered"

- Claimant has been here for 10 years, from Iraq. Fled Saddam Hussein's regime, politically active. Member of Iraqi Artists Association in Sweden. Gives same old story about ex husband recently finding her. Social services believe she might have mental health issues, delusional.

- Claimant is a mentally retarded Roma.  

- The greatest victim in this situation is the man himself.

 Anna-Karin Rybeck, the head of the Sisters' Shelter Somaya for women and girls, told Swedish Radio News:

"I am really surprised and am really upset, because the information that is registered here, is not interesting at all. The only thing it reveals is discrimination and racism and it reveals an antiquated view of women. I can, of course, understand that the police want to register indicators for arresting an offender, or if they want to minimize further acts of violence, but the information that is registered in this register is really just horrible. It also reveals lack of knowledge within the police force about the whole situation of violence against women."

[365reasonstobeafeminist]

#357 Because of shapewear.

Because we haven't come that far from the 19th century corset. Because in girl world, dieting and working out will never be enough. Because shapewear for women can be found in any shop that sells women's underwear, while shapewear for men is somewhat of an oddity. A niche market. 

Because plus size models have to wear it to create an impossible ideal plus size body (Small wrists, face, waist, big bust, big hips. Sound familiar?)

Photo: Kristina Wilson

Photo: Kristina Wilson

[365reasonstobeafeminist]

#356 Because of decision-making in the EU.

[365reasonstobeafeminist]

#355 Because of silhouettes.

These images are screen shots from Google searches of the words woman silhouette and man silhouette. They've generated very different images. These images  are an example of how we see women vs how we see men, but also how we like to see women vs how we like to see men. In order words, it's an excellent example of everyday gender stereoytping and double standards.

Woman silhouette produces images of silhouttes that are:

Nude

Seductive

Passive

Submissive

Man silhouette produces images of silhouettes that are:

Dressed

Active

Assertive

Professional

Images: lindsayjodesigns

[365reasonstobeafeminist]

#354 Because of the Princeton Mom.

Susan Patton, commonly known as The Princeton Mom, first came into the public eye with her letter Advice for the young women of Princeton: the daughters I never had in The Daily Princetonian.

What was her advice?

Stop worrying about your studies and your career and start looking for a husband! (Your life has no meaning unless you marry a man! And you can't marry unless you marry NOW! NOW! YOU HEARD ME, NOW!)

Patton has since become a controversial public figure, written two books (Marry Smart: Advice for Finding THE ONE & Marry by Choice, Not by Chance: Advice for Finding the Right One at the Right Time) and become the poster girl of internalised misogyny. 

Let's take a look at some statements she's made in interviews and in her writing:

On marriage and 'finding Mr Right': 

“[U]ntil you find a spouse, I would advise you invest your effort and energy at least 75% in searching for a partner and 25% in professional development.”

“You’re in your twenties, you’re no longer a student, and you are hoping to find a husband in a nonacademic setting. Good luck! You’ll need it.”  

“To avoid a life of unwanted spinsterhood — with cats!  — you have to smarten up about what’s important to you, and keep your head in the game.”

“When I say, ‘Find a man,’ what I really mean is, ‘Find a man who will respect you.’ And when I say, ‘Find a husband in college,’ what I’m really saying is, ‘It’s never too early to start planning for your personal happiness and looking for a husband who will respect you.’ It’s never too early, and it’s never too late. (Well, that’s not really true, but we’ll discuss that later.)”

“Men regularly marry women who are younger, less intelligent, less educated.” 

On rape:

"The definition of rape is no longer when a woman is violated at the point of a gun or a knife. We're now identifying as rape what really is a clumsy hookup melodrama or a fumbled attempt at a kiss or caress." "Why don't women get up and leave?"

"Sex can’t be unwanted after the fact. You can’t say it was unwanted after the fact. That is what is problematic. Sometimes when women find themselves in situation where again they have been overserved, they should have walked away, but they just didn’t. It’s easier not to. Then they wake up and say, ‘My God look at where I am. I didn’t mean to.’ It can’t be unwanted after the fact. That’s not assault. It’s bad, but it’s not assault. And I’ve said this many times, it’s the most horrific of all crimes, perhaps with the exception of child abduction. I don’t like the idea of diluting the horror, the true crime of rape with mistake sex. ‘I didn’t mean to. I didn’t want it and I didn’t mean to.’ Those are two very different things and then shouldn’t be convoluted. Again, I am advocating for women to take control of themselves, take responsibility for themselves, don’t put themselves in harms way, ever. It’s only your job to keep yourself safe, always."

On feminism: 

"Feminists 'have over-corrected' for past inequalities. Women now have become so emboldened by these antagonistic feminists that they have lost sight of the fact that this is the man you married."

Apparently  marital dissatisfaction is caused by feminism.... 

On her books: 

“There are very few statistics in this book, and my research has been limited to talking with people I know, like and trust.” 

And watch this clip about the importance of having plastic surgery before you go of to university. (It will increase your chances of meeting Mr Right.)

Susan Patton is divorced. 

[365reasonstobeafeminist]

#353 Because of body image.

[365reasonstobeafeminist]

#352 Because of women in colour in the U.S.

[365reasonstobeafeminist]

#351 Because of Saudi Arabia - part 2.

Women's rights in Saudi Arabia were briefly mentioned in this post. And though they have been allowed to vote since 2011, they won't actually vote until 2015. 2015. 2015. Women voting for the first time in 2015.

And while we celebrate that late, but big, step towards equality, we must also examine other aspects of women's lives in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi women are not allowed to:

- Attend a football match.(A woman was recently arrested in Riyadh for doing this.)

- Try on clothes when shopping.

- Go for a swim.

- Enter a cemetery.

- Read an uncensored fashion magazine.

- Travel without permission from their male guardian.

- Drive. (Though this may soon change!)

We are far from living in a gender equal world, but we'll get there! Women's rights are slowly improving in Saudi Arabia. The appearance of new technology and social media allow the citizens to discuss women's rights and protest against gender inequality in a way that they couldn't do before. 

[365reasonstobeafeminist]

#350 Because of women in the Caucasus and Commonwealth of Independent States.