I know what you're thinking. No one is born believing anything right from the womb. No one is born with the knowledge of good and evil, equality and inequality, hatred and love. Children are taught these things. Children grow up into adults with convictions and beliefs. Only then can you call yourself any type of label. Only when you reach the age of reasoning (whatever that age may be . . . for me, it probably was around 14 or so) can you decide what you are.
Except that I was born a feminist.
Oh, I didn't know anything about first wave or second wave or third wave feminism. I didn't know Gloria Steinem's name. I didn't know that women fought for the vote in the early 1900s, burned bras in the 60s, or fought rape culture for as long as I've been alive. I didn't know any of these things. And I didn't care.
But I was born a feminist.
Feminism isn't just about women's rights. Feminism is the idea that women are equal to men. It goes beyond simply elevating women in the world. It's about making sure that people of both sexes can feel equal in the eyes of the workplace, of society.
It's about celebrating our differences and curating our strengths. It's about being able to say to our daughters, "You can be a scientist" and to our boys, "You can be a stay at home dad." It's about dropping the words "cunt" and "pussy" and "pansy" from our vocabulary because they make being emotional or scared or gay feminine things, and feminine equals bad.
Feminism is about remembering that all women deserve a chance to do what men can do. Feminism means that we should get paid equal pay for equal work. It's about the fact that women who are victims of rape are not to blame for what happened to them.
It's about remembering that we need to teach men to remember these things, too. It's about recognizing our privilege over our sisters who may be of colour, disabled, or queer. It's about helping them to achieve the things that we take for granted and that feminism doesn't just stop at white women who have loud voices.
Feminism recognizes the strengths and talents of women around the world. It recognizes that men have the ability to grow up to be people that support equality for their own mothers, sisters, daughters and friends. It's about teaching everyone that they have worth in society. It's about celebrating different body types. It's about not having to smile to be pretty. It's about being unconventional, or being conventional, because that's your choice. It's about raising your children the way you see fit with the tools you have. It's about supporting each other and remembering that at the core, we all have double Xs in our chromosomes, and the women that don't and weren't born in bodies like ours are still women who need to be heard, loved, and supported.
Feminism is about equality. I was born a feminist.
Children are born not knowing the difference between women and men, black and white, straight and gay. Children are born knowing that their neighbour is their neighbour, that everyone can be a friend, and that everyone deserves a cookie when the plate is passed around. Children are taught the differences in society. Children are given cues to follow. But when they are born, all children know is that the people around them are people.
So, I was born a feminist. I was born not knowing the differences society wants to force on me, on everyone. And now that I do know the differences, I fight against them.
I am a feminist because I believe our world should have equal opportunities for women and men alike. I am a feminist because I believe that women are not inferior to men.
I am a feminist because I believe in mutual respect, equality, and love for all.
15 Ways Women Are Tougher, Luckier, And Smarter Than Men
We're Better At Recognizing A Pickup Line(01 of15)
Open Image ModalIn a 2008 study of heterosexual college students, guys who were shown images of platonic and sexually interested women had a harder time distinguishing between friendly and frisky cues. Men were slightly more likely than women to misidentify the friendly images as sexually interested. While women did mistake about a third of the sexually interested images for folks just being friendly, men did even worse, leading the researchers to deem them as the "perceptually insensitive" sex (feel free to use that line on a clueless date). (credit:Alamy)
We're Faster(02 of15)
Open Image ModalWell, at least our circadian rhythms are faster. Researchers at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital found that the cycle length of the daily biological clock in women was shorter than it was in men (six minutes, on average). This means that many of us tend to wake up earlier -- and this gives us an excuse to go to bed earlier than our partners. (credit:Alamy)
We Make More Effective Congresspeople (When We Manage To Get Elected)(03 of15)
Open Image ModalRegardless of party affiliation, congressional women deliver more federal projects to their home districts and sponsor and co-sponsor more legislation than their male colleagues. In a study that was recently published in The American Journal of Political Science, researchers from Stanford University and the University of Chicago attributed women's political success not to some innate political instinct but to the fact that it's really hard for us to get elected (there are currently 360 men and 75 women in the House; 83 men and 17 women in the Senate). They theorize that women feel immense pressure to measure up, so instead of meeting expectations, we surpass them. (credit:Alamy)
We're Better Educated(04 of15)
Open Image ModalWe've been hearing for decades that women earn more bachelor's degrees than men. But in the 2008-2009 academic year, women earned 60 percent of all master's degrees and finally caught up with men in earning 50.4 percent of doctoral degrees. Congratulations, graduates! (credit:Shutterstock)
We Have Stronger Immune Systems(05 of15)
Open Image ModalA 2009 study by scientists at McGill University indicated that women have a built-in mechanism to protect from infection. Estrogen naturally found in our bodies suppresses an enzyme that interferes with our defense system. These findings may inspire estrogen-based treatments to boost immunity in those (ahem, men) who don't already possess the hormone. (credit:Alamy)
We're More Likely To See A Doctor(06 of15)
Open Image ModalWomen reported in a national survey in June 2011 that we're three times more likely than men to see a physician on a regular basis. (credit:Shutterstock)
We Mature Into Healthier Eaters(07 of15)
Open Image ModalStudies show that while too many kids are eating junk food (20 to 33 percent eat it three times a week), girls are more likely than guys to lose the taste for it after adolescence. This may explain why you haven't been to a Taco Bell since your senior class trip. (credit:Shutterstock)
We're At Far Lower Risk For Blood Disease(08 of15)
Open Image ModalHemophilia is a disorder that prevents blood from clotting normally, and can lead to excessive and internal bleeding. It's caused by a gene defect located on the X chromosome. Women will not develop the disease unless both chromosomes are affected -- and that's extremely rare. Because men only have one X chromosome, they are much more susceptible to hemophilia. (credit:Shutterstock)
We Ensure The Continuation Of The Human Race(09 of15)
Open Image ModalAt least until that cloning technology gets sorted out. (credit:Alamy)
We Have The Power To Reassure(10 of15)
Open Image ModalParticipants in a 2010 study who were tapped on the shoulder by a female researcher invested significantly more money in a wager than those patted by a man, leading researchers to theorize that contact with a woman triggered a confidence boost similar to the one they received as children from their mother's touch. (credit:Alamy)
After Facial Surgery, We're Camera-Ready Sooner(11 of15)
Open Image ModalMen don't look as good after facial surgeries (like the removal of cancerous basal cells), and it's not just because women are more adept at applying concealer. "The hair follicles in men's faces require more blood vessels," explains Phil Haeck, MD, the president of the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, and a surgeon with a private practice in Seattle. "Because men's faces are more vascular, they tend to bruise more." (credit:Alamy)
Our Hearts Respond Better To Healthy Choices(12 of15)
Open Image ModalWhen it comes to heart disease, women can be more strongly impacted than men by risk factors like diabetes and cholesterol levels, according to the American Heart Association. The flip side is that making healthy lifestyle modifications -- getting more exercise and eating right to control blood sugar and cholesterol -- may yield greater benefits to women. (credit:Shutterstock)
We Hold The Record For A Heart Reboot(13 of15)
Open Image ModalThe longest-surviving open-heart surgery patient in the world is a British woman named Sadie Purdy. She was born with a hole in her heart in 1924, and when she was 17, she suffered complications that required one of the valves in her heart to be tied. Doctors weren't sure whether she'd survive the procedure, which was then still in the experimental stage. Ms. Purdy did, and entered Guinness World Records in 2004. At 86, she's living in a nursing home in England. (credit:Shutterstock)
Luck Is A Lady(14 of15)
Open Image ModalRight, Frank? (credit:Wikimedia)
... And Death Is A Woman(15 of15)
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