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9 News Stories Proving That We Need Feminism
You hear it every once in a while, and it never fails to make you cringe. "We don't need feminism anymore," says some unsuspecting person. They may have their (flawed) reasoning, but to combat that, you unfortunately always have news stories showing that we really do need feminism. They always seem to be rolling in fast and furiously, from all corners of the globe.
Some are huge, like America electing a president who bragged about sexually assaulting women. Some manage to go under the radar, but they all prove the same point. Feminism has not achieved its goals. Women and men are not yet equal. It may be normal for women to have jobs, but it's also still pretty normal for them to suffer harassment at them. We still very much need feminism.
This isn't the most uplifting list you'll ever read, but it's a necessary one. It's helpful to remind yourself what you're up against, and why you have to keep fighting. If you've found yourself at the receiving end of some kind of misogyny, it's good to remind yourself that you're not alone. And, of course, it'll give you ammo for when you run into someone who, for some reason, can't see the ways in which the world fails to provide an equal playing field for men and women.
1Emma Watson's Photo
Emma Watson was photographed in Vanity Fair in a top that didn't entirely cover her chest, and she was immediately attacked as a "fake feminist". She shot back in an interview with Reuters, though, and it's hard not to see her point:
Feminism is about giving women choice. Feminism is not a stick with which to beat other women with. It's about freedom, it's about liberation, it's about equality. I really don't know what my tits have to do with it. It's very confusing.
2Susan Fowler's Claims From A Year At Uber
In a blog post that swiftly went viral, Susan J. Fowler recounted all of the sexism she alleges she ran into in her year as an engineer at Uber. Her post led to Travis Kalanick meeting with dozens of female Uber employees, who told him that there was a "systemic problem" at Uber when it comes to sexism, according to an audio recording obtained by BuzzFeed.
As it happens, here's a long list of allegations that have been directed at Uber.
3Institutionalized Sexism In Silicon Valley
Believe it or not, Uber isn't the only organization in Silicon Valley where sexism or workplace harassment is a problem! According to one study, 60 percent of women working in Silicon Valley have dealt with sexual harassment at the workplace.
4The Recent Oklahoma Abortion Bill
In case you didn't hear, Oklahoma is considering passing a bill which would force women to get their partner's permission before getting an abortion. You know, because the woman is only a "host" to the fetus — I'm not kidding. The guy whose idea this was literally said that.
5Casey Affleck's Oscar Win
In yet another slight to women who have been sexually harassed, Casey Affleck won the Oscar for Best Actor. Although he has denied all allegations leveled against him, the point remains that his career was able to reach the absolute pinnacle — whereas the women who accused him were merely brushed aside and ignored.
6Women Can't Choose Their Own Husbands In India
According to the Indian Human Development Survey, only 5 percent of Indian women can choose their husbands for themselves; 80 percent need permission to go to a healthcare center; and 58 percent need permission to go to the grocery store. They do, however, make 92 percent of the decisions concerning what will be eaten in their households on any given day.
7This Utah GOP Leader's Letter To The Editor
He has since apologized for his words, using one of the usual excuses about how the government shouldn't try to control private enterprises. Right.
8Russia Legalizing Domestic Violence
In one of his weirder moves — and that's really saying something — Vladimir Putin approved a new law that decriminalizes some forms of domestic violence in Russia. Because men who beat their wives and children should be punished less, apparently — but only if it's bruising and bleeding. A guy can still get into serious trouble for breaking his wife's bone, so that's nice.
9The Infamous Polish European Parliament Member
In many ways, Europe is a bastion of liberalism compared to the U.S. Polish European Parliament member Janusz Korwin-Mikke, however, would rather not have it that way. This is a good story to end on, though, because of the way his female colleague completely owns him.
Read these stories, and then be the Spanish EU parliament member you wish to see in the world. Next time you run into misogyny in your own life or see it happening to someone else, let her be your feminist spirit animal.
