If you’re a Rosie reader, you may already consider yourself a feminist, or think you might be one. But what does ‘feminism’ actually mean?
According to the dictionary, feminism refers to “the advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes”. However — the dictionary isn’t always the best place to turn to because feminism is about so much more than simply ‘the equality of the sexes’.
Feminism is about equality for all and standing up against sexist oppression, where people are subject to prejudice and discrimination on the basis of their sex or gender.
As celebrated feminist scholar bell hooks says:
“Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression”. Living a feminist life involves working towards this by applying values such as justice, fairness, and empathy.”
It’s important to recognise that the feminism discussed in this article is rooted in a Western perspective, encompassing North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. This framework may not be applicable or relevant in every socio-cultural or local context. While women’s rights are universally important, the values of the West do not always take precedence over the culturally specific needs of different communities.
Why do we need feminism?
The patriarchy is a major reason that sexism exists and is something feminists are working hard to fight against. ‘Patriarchy’ refers to a social system where positions of power and privilege are primarily held by men. Learn more about patriarchy here.
Intersectionality
Another important feminist term to know is ‘intersectionality’. True feminism is always intersectional, and advocates for the rights of women and gender-diverse folk from all backgrounds.
Intersectionality was a term coined by Dr Kimberle Crenshaw, which refers to how different forms of discrimination overlap. A person could experience discrimination due to a range of factors, like gender, race, class, sexuality, and ability, which all combine to create a unique experience of discrimination. Intersectional feminism recognises that people in the feminist movement experience varying levels of privilege as a result of this, and works to uplift everyone. Learn more about intersectionality here.
Check out this great reel, which explains what feminism is all about: What is feminism? – reel from Feminist
Definitions of feminism
As you can see, ‘feminism’ can be a difficult word to define as it encompasses so much! This is why it can be useful to look at some definitions from feminist thinkers, activists, and artists across history. Many feminists have their own unique definition of what feminism means to them. Here are some more of our favourites:
“Feminism is about… moving outside of roles and moving outside of expectations of who and what you’re supposed to be to live a more authentic life.” — Laverne Cox (Actress and LGBTQIA+ advocate)
“To be ‘feminist’ in any authentic sense of the term is to want for all people, female and male, liberation from sexist role patterns, domination, and oppression.” — bell hooks (writer and academic)
“Feminism isn’t about making women stronger. Women are already strong, it’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.”
— G.D. Anderson (writer and founder of charity, The Cova Project)
“Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.” — Maya Angelou (Writer and civil rights activist)
“Feminism has never been about getting a job for one woman. It’s about making life more fair for women everywhere. It’s not about a piece of the existing pie; there are too many of us for that. It’s about baking a new pie.” – Gloria Steinem (Journalist and social-political activist)
Now that you’ve had a look at some different definitions of feminism, maybe you can think about what it means to you. You could even write down your own definition!
Who can be a feminist?
You might already know some famous feminists from the quotes we’ve listed above. Some more feminist icons you might know include Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Beyonce, Malala Yousafzai, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and many more!
But feminism isn’t just about famous people. As bell hooks said, “feminism is for everybody”. Anyone who believes in feminist causes such as ending oppression and achieving gender equality can identify as a feminist! Feminism is an inclusive, global movement that demands alternatives to the patriarchal, racist, classist, and homophobic societies we live in, and seeks to build a better future.
A common misconception is that to be a feminist you have to be a woman. But people of all genders can be feminists, be it men, women, non-binary people or other gender-diverse folk.
Some men believe that they can’t be feminists, but this isn’t true. Maintaining unhealthy standards of masculinity is another way the patriarchal system stays in power. Therefore, men are also disenfranchised by the patriarchy and can use feminism to make a more inclusive world. So, men play an important role in spreading awareness about feminism and contributing towards dismantling the patriarchy.
Check out author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s speech We should all be feminists which is also available in print.
What does it mean to be a ‘woman’?
When you’re learning and reading up about feminism, you’ll hear the word ‘woman’ a lot. It might seem like a simple word that we all know, but there can actually be debate around what it means to be a ‘woman’. For example, misogynists and transphobes sadly have false and narrow ideas about what it means to be a ‘real woman’.
It’s important to challenge this by recognising that womanhood is really diverse. Anyone who identifies as a ‘woman’ is a woman, regardless of how they look. There are many stereotypes associated with womanhood, like the idea that women should have long hair, wear makeup, wear dresses, marry men and have children, and more. But these are just societal expectations and they don’t affect our gender in any way.
Some people think the word ‘woman’ only applies to cisgender women. But this is false! Gender identity is all about the gender we feel we are on the inside, and has nothing to do with our body parts. This means that transgender women are women, and cisgender women are women.
Recognising that each woman expresses her own unique version of womanhood is a core feminist value. Feminism is about inclusivity, not narrow-mindedness. Perceiving womanhood as being complex and multifaceted benefits all women. An expansive definition of ‘woman’ gives all women the freedom to be themselves. Remember that every single version of womanhood is valid!
Learn more about how womanhood is diverse by checking out this great reel: Womanhood is diverse – Feminist
Where to from here?
Now that you’re all clued up on feminism, it might be useful to learn about how we got to where we are today. Check out our brief history of feminism to learn about the journey feminists have taken over the years! We also recommend checking out our articles on intersectionality and patriarchy to get your head around these key feminist terms.
