I Am A Feminist

Lately I have been compelled to write a post about the experience of being a woman in modern society. First and foremost, I believe that everyone should be a feminist, and that everyone should read the You Should be a Feminist blog. Second, I think people are confused about what it really means to be a feminist. I know what you are thinking - feminists are crazy people who think they are better than men and burn their bras- WRONG! According to google, the definition of a feminism is "The advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men." 

Do I believe that women are better than men? no. Do I believe that men are better than women? no. I believe that women and men should both be able to vote- which they now have the right to do but that was not always the case. I believe that men and women should have equal opportunity to run and hold political office, which is technically true, but not in practice. Do I think Sarah Palin would have been a good person to have in office? No. Is there any reason that Hillary Clinton can't serve as president? Nope. Hillary would probably be doing a great job. What about Michelle Obama, can you see her as the President of the United States? I sure can. Anyway, this blog post is not meant to be political, so I will move on. 

If I can perform the same job at the same level as a man, I believe that we should be receiving equal pay. In America, the average man makes $8,100 more than women on an annual basis. That's just not fair. I'm not saying that women should make more money than men, I just think there should be equal pay for equal work. 

Moving on. As you know, I have recently moved to New York. What you don't know is that every single Tuesday of my senior year of college was spent in the TV room of the sorority house watching Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.  This was probably the worst idea I could have ever had knowing that I would be moving to New York. While I know how unlikely it is to be randomly assaulted by a stranger on the street, I know that it can happen. So sorry men on the street, I automatically fear you because society has taught me to do so. Also, I live in a very safe neighborhood in Manhattan and only have to walk two blocks to the subway. Why must I pass a group of older men on the street thanking me for getting dressed up that day because they like to look at me? I didn't get dressed up for you, creepy old men! I'm just wearing jeans and a t-shirt to go to work - if I look good, it's for me! 

I guess what I am trying to say is that being a woman is hard. We are expected to be perfect - beyond perfect. We are expected to always look nice, which includes but is not limited to: hair, makeup, facial hair grooming, total body hair removal, clothes, and completely nonsensical shoes. Later in life, women are also expected to manage work, child-rearing, and housework while still looking nice. WE ARE NOT SUPERHEROES. Although, I do fancy my mom and my grandma superheroes. Maybe that's the secret. Maybe women ARE superheroes. Women find ways to take care of themselves and their families and make it look so easy. I personally think that my mom can do anything. Now, I know that's crazy and my mom is not actually a superhero and that kind of thought puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on her, but I still think it's true. Now think - are men superheroes? I don't think so. 

One of my favorite shows on television right now is NBC's Parenthood. I think it is a very realistic family dramedy that literally melts my heart every time I see it. Anyway, this last episode one of the main characters, Julia, had a total meltdown because she realized that she couldn't be a superhero. Let me fill you in: Julia and her husband have one biological daughter. They wanted to have more kids, were unable to get pregnant, so they adopted an older boy. Julia is a prominent lawyer at a respected law firm who was on the partner track. That's a lot of pressure, right? This week Julia realized that she needed more time to be a mom and take care of her family, which made her fail at work, which led her to quit her job. Now, Julia is lucky because she has an incredibly supportive husband who is a stay-at-home dad, but still, I can appreciate the panic attacks she had on Tuesday night. 

So anyway, all I am trying to say is that being a woman is hard. We all want to do everything ourselves and be perfect, but perfection is impossible. Striving for perfection is unrealistic and will lead to panic attacks, thanks Parenthood for that lesson! So think about it - what do YOU think the hardest part about being a woman is? Feel free to post comments!