International Women's Day ❤

Today (March 8th) is International Women's Day. It's a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. In this post, I will be talking about why this day is important and what people can do to help.

What is feminism?

Despite it being the 21st century, people are still confused about what 'feminism' actually is. Many people think it's a group of women that think they're better than men. That is not true. Being a feminist means that you want all genders to be treated as equals. A man can be a feminist. It is not a 'girl' thing. By saying you aren't a feminist, you are basically saying that you don't think everyone should get equal rights. Feminism is still a taboo subject and it shouldn't be. There are too many people who are judgemental towards someone who is an feminist. It shouldn't be like that. When someone says they're a feminist, people should respond with, 'Really? That's great! Me too!'. 

History of Feminism

For years, men have always been seen as the superior gender. Women were seen as 'weak'. I have always been confused with this opinion. Why are women seen as weak? I think it's because, in history, women were always seen as 'wives' and 'mothers' that do all the cleaning and cooking and not much else. They weren't treated as equals. 

Over a hundred years ago, women were refused jobs because of their gender. Fortunately, we have now come a long way since then. Many women have jobs. However, sexism is still a massive problem. During the Victorian times in the late 1800s and early 1900s, women would cover up the majority of their skin, as showing 'too much' skin was deemed sexual. Even if a woman showed her ankle in public, she was shamed. Now, women are allowed to wear what they want. Unfortunately, they're still shamed. Even young teenage girls are still discriminated against for what they wear. To this day, many girls are being sent home from school as their 'skirts are too short' or because 'she was showing her shoulder'. This is wrong. Legs and shoulders aren't meant to be 'sexual' in any way. If someone says they feel 'uncomfortable' with what a person is wearing, they're in the wrong. Women should be able to wear whatever they want without being judged. 

Why We Still Need Feminism

A lot of people still question why we still need feminism. To that question, I respond to the example above. Here are more examples why we still need feminism.

• Status - This is one of the main reasons why we still need feminism. In many countries, women aren't treated as equals, legally or socially. Women are still having to fight for equality on a daily basis. It shouldn't be like this.
• Equal Pay - Like I said earlier, women didn't even have jobs in the early 1900s. Fortunately, we've come a long way since then. Women are now working. However, they're not getting paid as much as men. Academy Award-winning actor, Jennifer Lawrence, spoke out about not getting paid as much as her male castmates on the set of American Hustle. I respect Jennifer for opening up about this and I agree. I think people should be paid based on how many hours they work, not based on their gender. The fact that many companies and businesses pay men more simply because of their gender is atrocious. It's unfair and there should be a change.
• Women As Objects - In the media, women are unfairly treated as objects. In the UK, many gossip magazines call out female celebrities for their body. If you walk into a shop and pick up a random magazine, there is almost a certain chance that one of the headlines will be about a female celebrities weight loss/gain. And inside these magazines contains many various interviews with different celebrities. They're constantly asking women about their 'diets' and their 'weight'. Women should be embracing their bodies not being shamed. I think people forget that women in the media are still people and still have feelings. 
• Representation - In the US, 20% of senators are women. In the House of Representatives, it's 18%. The UK has 22$ female MPs, Canada and Australia have 24%. Iraq has more than the US, at 25%. Rwanda has the highest at 56%. Just think about how many have little or no representation by women. I'm not saying women should be elected on their gender but judging by these numbers, they're clearly off in many countries. Also think about countries that have had no female leader.
• Sterotypes - Many women are told that they should study more 'feminine' subjects and that subjects like maths and physics 'aren't for them'. This is still a problem in the 21st century. And it isn't just women that are being stereotyped. Men are also being stereotyped into certain jobs. We need to challenge these outdated stereotypes.
• Girls Worry - Women begin worrying about their body from the moment they start puberty. We should be teaching them as early as possible that looks aren't the most important attributes and that what makes them beautiful is their personality and outlook on life. We need to teach them that they don't need to be slim and that they aren't there to please others. Women have achieved a lot and fought really hard for equality but there is still a lot of work to be done. If women are still growing up thinking that they need cosmetic surgery and having the perfect body is desirable, then, yes, we still need feminism.

How You Can Help
There are many ways people can help feminism. These include:

• Explaining what 'feminism' means - Like I said earlier, many people are still confused about what 'feminism' actually means. However, this can be helped by explaining to people about feminism and why it is important. This will help bring awareness.
• Follow 'feminist' pages on social media - By following social media accounts that are based on feminism, you'll learn more about why being a feminist is important. Most feminist accounts post daily feminist quotes and positive affirmations. A perfect example of this is @AnastasiaAmour on Instagram, who is a feminist and a body image/self-esteem coach. I've followed her account for only a few months but already I feel more positive in myself. She uses her experiences to help others to feel better about themselves. She is a true feminist as she believes in equality between the genders. 
• Open up about your opinions - Many women struggle to open up to their partners, mainly boyfriends, as they believe that, because of their gender, they will be ignored. They shouldn't be feeling this way. Don't let who you are stop you from opening up and talking about your opinions. 
• Be proud of who you are - Don't let who you are stop you from doing what you want. Your gender isn't important. What is more important is the person you are on the inside. It's your personality that defies who you are not your gender. You should be proud of who you are. By embracing your true self, you are one step closer to leading a positive life. It's important for a feminist to accept themselves as this means it's easier for them to accept others.

So those are all the reasons why feminism is still important 

and why we still need it.

Hopefully, by spreading the message about 

why feminism is important, 

women will one day be treated as equals. 

Thank you for reading my post, it means a lot.

Happy International Women's Day ❤