An Editorial, by Me

Okay, this article (http://theodysseyonline.com/wku/it-is-okay-to-not-be-feminist/344023) bothered me for several reasons and I can’t just ignore it, so here we go.

First of all, yes, the current movement is referred to as Fourth Wave Feminism. However, this definition was given mainly because of the interconnectivity of global feminism that has been brought around by social media. It does combine “Politics, psychology, and spirituality in an overarching vision of change.” (Diamond, 4), but overall Kira Cochrane defines it as a movement connected by technology. So, the “things” these feminists are fighting for equal representation in politics, and establishing that women are psychologically equal to men. That’s not to say that our brains work exactly the same, but it is saying that mentally, we are in no way inferior to men. Personally, I don’t understand why Sankey would not want those things, but onward.

The next section deals with the question, “Why are women considered the more domestic and nurturing ones?” And she makes some fair points. Women are the ones who carry children and it does create a bond. And I agree when she says that wanting to care for your family is okay. I however, do not agree when she says that feminists do not want you to believe these things. As a feminist, if you want to be a homemaker, I completely support that. What I do not support is the belief that women are supposed to be the homemaker and any other mold than that is odd. I don’t believe that any woman should be forced into a role she doesn’t want simply because it’s what society says she should be doing, and that is what feminists would have you believe.

Sankey also states that she believes that the only man you submit to should be your husband. I agree with the implication that women should not submit to a boss, brother, etc. But I also do not believe that I must submit to my husband. Will I respect him, both as a human and as a person in my relationship? Yes. Am I going to live my life as if he is someone that I must submit and subjugate myself to? No.  Sankey says that one of the pros of marriage is having a weight lifted off of you and having a husband to lean on so that you are no longer independent. I do not believe that these two are mutually exclusive. I am in a relationship where I do really depend on my significant other for many things, and having him to lean on has made my life so much better, but I still retain my independence. I do not have to run my entire life by him for his approval, and I never will. Even after I’m married, I won’t have to let him be over every part of my life. Am I going to share every part of my life with him and not keep secrets from him? Yes, but I will do it because I respect our partnership and not because the relationship has taken away my independence. You can have openness and respect in a relationship without having to lose your independence.

It is perfecting okay to “be a mom who takes care of her children and doesn’t miss out on their lives”, as Sankey says, but that is not what you, as a woman, must do with your life. Yes, it is okay to believe in God, but God taught us that we are all precious children to him, do you really think a loving creator like that would want women to think themselves inferior? And if the answer to that question is yes, then should we really continue to refer to him as a loving god?

References:

Original article: http://theodysseyonline.com/wku/it-is-okay-to-not-be-feminist/344023

Cochrane, Kira. The Fourth Wave of Feminism: Meet the Rebel Women. Published in The Guardian, 10 December, 2013

Diamonds, Diana. The Fourth Wave of Feminism: Psychoanalytic Perspectives. Studies in Gender and Sexuality 10. 213-223. Print