Gettyimages.com/Living is England is a privilege for young people from all around the world. This beautiful African descent female student living her dream in London, exploring the city and enjoying being on different places. Woman is wearing modern red sweater on sunny autumn day.
The official definition of feminism, according to Dictionary.com, is “The advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes.” Advocacy is the operative word there. It doesn’t say anything about taking anyone down, about attacking anyone, or about minimalizing the rights of other groups. I’m aware that this is a very sensitive subject and one for which I might be chastised for even discussing but, being a feminist does not mean hating men. They are not one and the same, but it seems that many women believe they are. I realize that in a lot of ways, men earned their rights by explicitly oppressing women so, to some women, it may seem only fair that we oppress men. But I’ve also noticed that when those same women talk about how all men are this way or that way, they don’t tend to look the men in the eyes who are standing around them as they make these accusations. And, I’m sure they don’t think those things about their romantic partners, close male friends, or even male family members. Because the truth is, hate is only something we manage to do when we dehumanize people, and that’s not what feminism is about—quite the opposite actually. Feminism and man-hating are two different things, here’s how.
Gettyimages.com/Group of colleagues on business meeting in high end restaurant. Focus on African – American businesswoman
Wanting to be heard
Feminism means wanting a seat at the table—it means wanting a voice and representation in important subjects. It even means wanting those things in topics that don’t necessarily have political or national significance. It just means wanting people to value the opinions and insight of women equally as they do those of men.
