Humanity Hallows Issue 5 Out Now
Pick up your copy on campus or read online
By Joanna Shaw
I haven’t really planned this article, as I felt I should just say it straight from the heart.
When I was 16, I picked up Caitlin Moran’s bestselling autobiography and humorous guide How to be a Woman. In the book, Moran encouraged her readers to stand up and shout out loudly, “I am a feminist!” After reading the whole book in one train journey, I decided that the whole feminist thing sounded like a really good idea!
I opened myself up and began buying and researching feminist writers, critics and documentaries: from Caitlin Moran’s other works, and the infamous Laura Bates’ Everyday Sexism website, to the older influences, like Maya Angelou, Germaine Greer and Mary Wollstonecraft. I realised that some of the issues that affected the women’s liberation movement in the turn of the century and 1960s were still just as relevant today. I began to research the gender pay gap, the fact that some women still lack the basic right to vote in their countries, and that certain job roles are placed into masculine and feminine boxes.
It became clear that, even though society has advanced in many ways, we still have a long way to go when it comes to equality. I applauded the women marching across the world who proudly demonstrated their resilience in the face of the notorious new President Donald Trump. However, some of the comments under the many photos and videos of these events included, “Why are these women complaining? They are living quite a cushy life, unlike women in other countries.” Some of these comments, quite shockingly, came from women. I can somehow understand their argument of some people being “better off” than others, but who is to say that the men and women protesting against Trump in their own countries, aren’t also signing petitions and campaigning for the banning of female genital mutilation in Africa? Or contributing towards the support of women’s education in war torn countries?
If I am asked, “Why are you a feminist?” I simply reply, “Well, I just am!” If it’s ever questioned, I simply quote Maya Angelou: “I’ve been a female for a long time now, it’d be stupid not to be on my own side.”
Get involved and tell us why you’re a feminist. To submit a contribution, email HumanityHallows.Editor@gmail.com
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