Why are you a feminist?

[Jessica85]

I've only very recently realised why feminism is so important. Not quite sure why it has taken me 29 years to get to this point, but hey ho. The thing that tipped me over the edge was the CE rape case - it opened my eyes to how many people don't actually consider women to be as worthy of autonomy and respect as men.

I'm now wondering how other people decided feminism is important, and if I'm just a bit dense in taking so long to realise. Anyone care to share?

[BrokenCircleBreakdown]

It helped me forgive myself, and realise a lot of what had happened to me was not my fault

Absolutely this for me too

[PuffinsAreFictitious]

Hubert... today, you win the internet. Love your nickname.

[HubertCumberdale]

Because I have a vagina, and fully intend to be the only one who can dictate its use.
Because I want equal rights and opportunities for all humans.
Because I want everyone to have a choice and follow their own path in life without ridicule or punishment.

[HazleNutt]

Because even when you might believe that in our western society we are doing fine and it's all equal and we are judged on merits, all experiments and studies that this is not the case. Just a few examples, which I'm sure most of you are familiar with.

• when exactly the same CV was sent out, one with the name John and one as Jennifer, Jennifer was significantly less likely to be hired, considered less competent and she was offered on average 13% lower salary.
• when blind auditions are used for orchestras (player behind a screen), women are suddenly 50% more likely to advance to finals.
• if school maths exams were graded anonymously, girls actually outscored boys. If the teachers knew the names, boys outscored girls.
• it's always said that it's our own fault if women earn less, because studies have shown that we also ask less from the start and ask less raises and promotions. But if we do ask, we are seen as aggressive and less likely to be hired. So damned if you do, damned if you don't.

In this day and age. Fuck that.

[GuiltyAsAGirlCanBe]

When I got pregnant. I went from being a single girl studying for a good career to essentially a womb with no rights.

It opened my eyes to a lot of what happened to me in the past - being raped by a stranger and subsequently being in an emotionally and physically abusive relationship by an evil man in my teens, then realising an adult relationship with a supposedly "nice" man was actually also emotionally abusive.

It helped me forgive myself, and realise a lot of what had happened to me was not my fault.

[ErrolTheDragon]

I'm a feminist for the same reason I'm against racism and homophobia - because I believe in equality and we haven't achieved that yet. I want it for myself and my daughter, and also for her future DH/DP if she has one.

[trickleupeffect]

I am a feminist because I want a fairer world for my ds and dd. I want a fairer world, where both children are free to be themselves and are treated equally. Fighting horrible and damaging gender stereotypes is as important as fighting racism and homophobia.

[slug]

Because it never occurred to me that the lack of a penis meant I am any less human.

I've met plenty of penis owners who are profoundly hard of thinking but I don't attribute that to the appendage between their legs.

[MaJ2b]

Because I believe in equality.

At 18 I joined the Army and encountered sexism on a daily basis, often extreme. Thankfully the Army has changed considerably (that's not to say the sexism has totally gone). These experiences and the fact that I now have a Dd (and Ds) have no doubt contributed.

[PuffinsAreFictitious]

Because there are people in the world like 42 who think they know everything, when they know nothing, and yet, their voices are the ones that are listened to.

Oh, and 42. I don't want equality, thanks. I want women's liberation from the oppression of patriarchy. I'm sure someone will explain the long words to you, if you ask them to.

[down2earthwithabump]

Because I am a woman.

Because I didn't get the opportunities, however trivial, because I am female. I was not allowed in the chess club at school, I was not allowed to play football at school, I was not allowed to do work experience (back in the day) with my father (a vicar) as I was female, I was told by friends that I needed to dress more femininely if I was to ever hope to get married (a long-term committed relationship should not be down to footwear), because if I am upset I am classed as hormonal or hysterical but my husband and other males are justifiably upset if they behave or react in a similar way. Because I should receive the respect regardless of a part-time or full-time job in a place of work or at home and have the opportunity to choose what is best for me and my family.
Because as a SAHM I do still have a brain and drive and it doesn't mean I contribute any more or less to society than those pursuing a career. Because men and women should share responsibilities opportunities and respect for each other.

[AmandaEsther]

I disagree. In order to be feminist you need to have been predominantly perceived as female from the start. If you haven't had lived past experience, with the emphasis on "past", as female in terms of your culture or subculture, your intuitions as to what is best for women won't be informed by authentic understanding of the givens of the situation. Otherwise you could end up in a situation where feminism is dominated by men and perhaps transwomen because we have been conditioned to behave oppressively towards you.

[andiewithanie]

42: many feminists are look for equality- that's true. but many others are looking for liberation from men.

now be a good lad and go read some books
www.xyonline.net/sites/default/files/Stoltenberg,%20Refusing%20to%20Be%20a%20Man.pdf

[SardineQueen]

Right.

I look around the world and I don't see all that many men striving for equal rights for women TBH.

I do see plenty of shit like the taleban and saudi and swat women and girls trying to stand up to them though.

[Forty2]

but women are just as guilty of sexism as men. the very fact this website is called MUMSnet is proof of this. (men are just as good at being a parent and women).

what we should be doing is striving as one body of people looking for equality between men and women.

As a feminist you have already started on the wrong foot by calling it FEMenism.

[fanjodisfunction]

I've always had a strong feeling since very young that everyone is equal. Feminism is the same to me as racial equality etc.

There is a misconception that feminists are anti men, I've even heard them referred to as lesbians. This is so wrong.

I will say though I am proudly married to a feminist, he feels very strongly about it too.

[Lweji]

If you are in favour of feminism you are a feminist.
Feminists don't need a card or anything. :)

[AmandaEsther]

I'm not personally feminist, so I can't tell you why I'm feminist, but I can tell you why I'm in favour of feminism. I'm in favour of feminism because people socialised as female are the underclass of the male oppressor bourgeoisie and if this situation continues it will cause the extinction of the species. Everyone suffers a massive hit in quality of life because of the existence of the patriarchy and it's imperative that it be overthrown in order to heal the species and the planet. On a more personal level it's about the existence of objectification and everything which follows from that.

[Hazchem]

I'm a feminist because I'm not an arsehole. I know that is flippant but really if you know what feminism and you not a feminist it's because you are an arsehole. Feminism in it's simplest form is realizing that women are people, actual people, who have bodies, minds and souls that they should have the ultimate say over. If you don't believe that to be true your just an arsehole.

[anothernumberone]

I admire all the parents from the last generation who operated an equal household. Their offspring are incredibly lucky.

Boys were definitely favoured in our house growing up. Over the years my parents have mellowed a lot but this has caused some resentment particularly from my sister who had it worse than I did.

My own worst example was my first day home from secondary school and my mother shushing me because it was more important to hear about my brother who was 5 years in. My sister and I also get shushed still, by our mother, in heated family debates when the boys need to speak because they obviously have more important things to say. I have learned to annilate them when this happens now.

[andiewithanie]

do you have a choice? for me, once i began to realise how shittily women were treated i had no choice but to support feminism

[MoominKoalaAndMiniMoom]

MN opened my eyes to the real extent of Sexism and oppression. I had been conditioned by the media and society to accept this treatment as normal.

Because I don't want to continue living in a world that has anything resembling a rape culture.

Because I don't want to just accept that a man will always be treated favourably.

Because I don't want a world where it's socially or legally acceptable to rape a woman because of what she was wearing, hoe she was acting or how much she'd had to drink.

And if nothing can change in my lifetime, being a feminist is the only way of laying down the foundations fot change to happen in my daughter's lifetime. For her sake I hope to god it changes.

[SardineQueen]

No-ones going to flame you :D

Do you know I didn't even notice all the casual derogatory comments until fairly recently - they are so ubiquitous that I just didn't process them. The stuff you mention about women being shit at stuff / irrational / etc.

[Comito]

Slight toe-dipping because although I consider myself a feminist I'd rather not get flamed on here for phasing something in an incorrect manner.

Because women are equal to men.

Because I am tired of women being written off as 'mental', 'PMT', 'difficult'.

Because I am tired of men thinking women are all crazy and they are the sane ones.

Because I am tired of 'fucking women drivers' comments.

Because I abhor the vague contempt in which so many men seem to hold women in general.

[SardineQueen]

Because when I was a child/teen my appearance made people make assumptions about me that were totally at odds with how I was

And because of street harrassment / lechy men out and about

Those things made me angry and I have identified as a feminists since a teen, the inequality was always very obvious to me.

Since then finding out more about the situation for women around the world has simply reinforced my ideas.