By: Rawan Elshiwy
Feminism is best defined as a movement that aims for equality across the globe, in the sake of both sexes. It includes various aspects in consideration of the two genders and it’s not overrated. Unless the shaming and blaming stops, we will not settle for less than equal. Women are oppressed on a daily basis, verbally and physically. This article is to address the tiniest and most noticeable traditions of our society that force women out of their comfort zones. Why are men permitted to do things women are forbidden to do? And when we speak up about it we’re labeled radicals.
First of all, labeling. Humans have shown tendencies that they cannot experience a situation, person, or action without giving it a name. When a lady chooses to keep her body hair, a natural happening that practically every creature goes through, she is called man-like or disgusting and that a lady should always be “clean”. If a woman chooses to shave it all off, for whatever reason, then so be it. The message here is to stop trying to control what women do with their bodies. Society acts as if it owns women, and shockingly other women take a considerable role in judging their sisters.
When a girl is proud of her body and chooses to share that publicly, she is shamed for doing so, or often given comments on how obvious her stretch marks are and how she needs to lose weight. If a woman has dated multiple guys, she is slut-shamed for it. Since when is any person’s love life of interest to anyone? Why can’t women just live their lives the way they want to without being reprimanded for every single breath?
If a woman is comfortable living her life as single, she is thought of as hard to handle and is looked down upon by her family and friends. Some women plan to enroll specific fields in college but are told to apply to other fields because they are “manly.” Young girls are afraid to admit their feelings to a boy first because society set that boys should always make the first move, and the list goes on.
Not all feminists are extremists, maybe you’re a patriarchal, sexiest person who does not wish for his/her sister to be treated with respect while walking down the street. All we demand is to be left alone and restore our dignities that society has claimed to. Women make their decisions by themselves, for themselves.
