It is a common misconception in today’s world that feminism is the belief that women are superior to men. In reality, feminism is the belief that men and women should be treated as equals in every aspect.
Recently, Emma Watson, of Harry Potter fame and UN Goodwill Ambassador, spoke at the United Nations to launch a new campaign for gender equality around the world called “HeForShe.”
In her speech, Watson referenced a speech Hilary Clinton made in Beijing about women’s rights in 1995. “Sadly many of the things she [Clinton] wanted to change are still a reality today. But what stood out for me was that only 30 percent of her audience were male. How can we affect change in the world when only half of it is invited or feel welcome to participate in the conversation?”
While there are many men who are advocates for feminism, many more feel uncomfortable with the movement because of various gender stereotypes and because they don’t feel welcome to participate. Like any other issue, we at The Pacer believe that gender equality requires both sides to work together in order for society to improve. Men should feel just as welcome to participate as women.
“Gender equality is your[males] issue too. Because to date, I’ve seen my father’s role as a parent being valued less by society despite my needing his presence as a child as much as my mother’s. I’ve seen young men suffering from mental illness unable to ask for help for fear it would make them less “macho” – in fact in the UK suicide is the biggest killer of men between 20-49 years of age; eclipsing road accidents, cancer and coronary heart disease. I’ve seen men made fragile and insecure by a distorted sense of what constitutes male success. Men don’t have the benefits of equality either,” Watson states. “If we stop defining each other by what we are not and start defining each other by what we are – we can all be freer and this is what HeForShe is about. It’s about freedom.”
Many men think of the word feminism, and to them it sounds like nails running across a chalkboard. Feminism is a term that, like many others, over time has been misconstrued and misinterpreted into the same meaning as misandry. This is a common misconception that many males have made, and still make. Even a few of us males on the staff here at, The Pacer didn’t have a full understanding until we begin our research for this very editorial.
By Meriam-Webster definition, Feminism is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities; the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes. Misandry, on the other hand, by Meriam-Webster definition, is the hatred of men or boys. To a portion of males, misandry and feminism are synonymous. That is not the case at all. Feminism has nothing to do with the hatred of the Y-chromosome.
Feminism isn’t about women having more rights, or control than men. It’s about both sides, both sexes being 100% equals. Equal pay, equal rights, and equal opportunities. Women only make up 18.5% of congress. That is 99 members out of the total 535. 20 women serve in the U.S. senate, and 79 women hold seats in the House of Representatives. With such a drastic percentage difference, it is an obvious representation of an unequal share in power.
We believe that in order for gender inequality to end, men have to take a stand just as much as women. Women have had to fight for every right that they have been given from voting and employment, to rights about what they can and cannot do to their bodies.
In order to achieve true gender equality, we must get rid of gender stereotypes. When someone of the opposite sex does the same job as you do, as well as you do, they deserve the same treatment and benefits as you do. The ideas of someone should not be any more or less valuable because of their physical being. We are all a part of the human condition. We must work together in order to make this world a better place to live in.
