You go girl!

I must admit, the title of this post is a phrase I dislike. It makes me cringe to hear someone cheer, "You go girl!" I think it's just silly and I usually feel quite embarrassed for the recipient.

That said, I thought it was an appropriate title because my topic today is feminism. Girls rock. I love to see empowered women taking control of their lives. We have come so far from the days when women were expected to be housewives and mothers regardless of their true goals and dreams. Women can achieve so many amazing things and actively contribute to our society. I think most people would agree that empowered women are an extremely great asset to our country and our world.

However, many people are also quite uncomfortable with the word feminism. The immediate assumption is often something along the lines of bra-burning, women-only power and a hatred for stay-at-home moms. That is not, in my opinion, feminism, and the self-proclaimed feminists I know agree.

Feminism is about gender equality. Feminism is about freedom of choice. Feminism is about a community in which all individuals can contribute equally to society without fear of discrimination. Along these lines, it is perfectly acceptable to be a feminist and a stay-at-home mom, as long as you are not forced into it. It is such a shame when women openly declare that they are not feminists because they have misconceptions of what feminism truly is. I don't think any woman desires to be discriminated against based on their gender. I certainly do not.

In a very basic example, I was out to dinner with a couple of friends and the waitress came over to get our drink orders. She stated, "We do have specials tonight, but they're only for beer, sorry." She didn't even tell us about the specials. She just assumed that since we were women, we didn't drink beer. What is that? As a woman, isn't she irritated when she is pigeonholed into a stereotype? I know that some women just don't think about or care that there is still discrimination and inequality against women, but when they actively encourage those stereotypes, it reinforces our position as second to men. I am not saying women should be valued more than men, but rather than women should be equal to men. All I am asking for, all feminists are asking for, is equality and respect. That concept isn't so difficult to accept, is it?

-Jackie