Intro to Women's Studies: is Feminism for Me

Introduction

Feminism is the equality of full humanity for women and men. This definition of feminism is backed up by Gloria Steinem, a writer, speaker, activist, and feminist organizer. At the age of 8, her parents divorced. Those next several years, Steinem lived in poverty with her mother. Her mother suffered from severe depression so bad that Gloria Steinem, as a young child, took care of her. At the age of 15, she lived with her sister and later on, she entered Smith College (Encyclopedia of World Biography, n.d.). Steinem experienced India and became aware of human suffering.

Career and Activism

Next in her career, she became a journalist for magazine companies and a television show. She moved from journalism to politics, which made her more concerned with feminist issues. Her commitment to political movements paved her way to becoming a feminist leader. In 1960, Steinem grabbed the attention of others as a leader of the women’s liberation movement. By 1972, she achieved national attention as a feminist leader and is a delegate to women's rights (National Women’s History Museum, 2023). Gloria Steinem is a feminist, journalist, and activist, who makes me wonder if I am a feminist too.

Personal Reflection

While growing up as a child, I was surrounded by mostly males. Most of my cousins are males, and only two of them are female. I also have an older brother who is about a year older than myself. Because I was around a male-dominated family, I always wanted to do what they did or join in on their activities as a kid. I never understood why my older brother wouldn't let me play with him or why I wasn't allowed to play “rough”; I just wanted to play. Now I see that females are not supposed to play rough; we, as females, are seen as delicate. Looking back on this memory, the want and need to be like my sibling and cousins sparked a realization. At a young age, I was fighting to be equal. I wanted to be equal to them and be able to do whatever they did.

In similarity to my previous point about myself at a young age wanting equality amongst me and my male family members, I recall many times in my life where I took and still take things as an insult to women. My family is a traditional one that occasionally acts less traditional. My father and mother both have good incomes, but my father earns more. To some extent, I feel he believes that because he gains more income, he has more power. He is the one to do all the hard labor; Mom does all the feeding and cleaning. My parents work as a team, but then again, my mom becomes trapped into thinking my father has the last say in decision-making, no matter how big or small. The word "no" rarely comes out of her mouth when it comes to him. I see the struggle to put her foot down. Having a male feel like they have power over me because I’m a woman is not the way I want to live.

Conclusion

For this reason, I am a feminist. Feminism speaks out for equality of women and men. That is all I would want to see in the near future for others. Because of a primitive society that is stuck in old traditional ways of life, we have many issues. What is the reason for this wage gap between women and men? Why are there only a small number of women in high-level positions? Because women are taken as a joke. It is crucial for society to acknowledge the value and capabilities of women equally to men, so that future generations can live in a world where gender equality is the norm.

References

Encyclopedia of World Biography. (n.d.). Gloria Steinem. Retrieved from https://www.notablebiographies.com/St-Tr/Steinem-Gloria.html

National Women’s History Museum. (2023). Gloria Steinem. Retrieved from https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/gloria-steinem