First, I’d like to say that I’m so excited your here reading my first official post of the blog! Today I’d like to dive into the meaning behind a word that has all too often been misconstrued – “feminism.” The amount of times I can recall having conversations about whether someone considered themselves a feminist and the assumption that it equated to female superiority is honestly unbelievable. So let’s clear this up!
“Feminism” is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as:
“belief in and advocacy of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes expressed especially through organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests.”
(emphasis on *equality of the sexes*) This is because, historically, men have had a dominant role in society in all facets of life. Today, men, and many women, tend to shy away from this word. Honestly, I understand that. Turning on the TV or going online and seeing a bombardment of information can be overwhelming and can often make us feel uneasy. That’s why it has never been more important to start these kinds of conversations with friends and family in a loving way. And to those that may assume it’s 2021 and women are already considered “equal”:
In 2021, women are still earning $0.81 for every $1 a man earns. (and the gap is even wider for Black and Hispanic women!)
In 2021, women are 3 times as likely as men to experience sexual harrassement in the workplace.
In 2021, women’s bodies, reproductive rights, and healthcare are still up for debate.
In 2021, women are still most at-risk of being human trafficked.
These are just a few of the countless challenges that women face. While we women and society has come a long way over the past few decades, we still have strides to make and it’s up to us to step up to the challenge! With this said, I’m looking forward to highlighting the stories of women past and present who have made/are making an impact for women all over the globe. Stay tuned!
Woman Up 
Hi Olivia! First of all, the topic of your blog is extremely important. As a feminist myself, the more people are educated and knowledgeable about feminism and powerful women, the better. I have had countless conversations and debates with people over what feminism truly is, and it can get frustrating when people assume that feminists hate men and similar thoughts. The facts you put above weren’t surprising to read, but the fact that it’s 2021 and women still are not equal saddens and disgusts me. I am really looking forward to reading and learning more about powerful women and seeing more posts from your blog!
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Hi Olivia! This is Waleed. I took a look at your post and I’d like to say that this post was extremely well done. I really enjoy the fact that you are covering feminism and women’s leadership and think that the advocacy that you are bringing to the table is definitely relevant to the times we live in and have been relevant for a long time. Great topic.
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First of all, already super intrigued by your blog title and direction your page seems to be headed in! The post title is clever, good play on words, and of course made me want to read what the “F” word is all about. You did a fantastic job of noting both sides of the argument about the use of feminism and hinted towards the importance of having discussions about it. Following the definition you gave are some shocking statistics that I assume you are going to expand on in future posts, which I look forward to reading! Our blog topics share a similar field of interest so I am sure we will be able to learn and feed off each others posts!
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Hi Olivia, great blog post! I agree with what you said about the word feminism. I feel like the word bears some sort of negative connotation too many people. For whatever reason it seems like some people have gotten the idea that the word implies the superiority of women in some way, which of course it does not. I also think it is important that you pointed out all the things women are still dealing with in 2021. As a society we have surely made strides, but we can’t forget that women are still fighting for equality just because things have gotten marginally better.
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