Why Fight the Feminist Fight in 2016?

Screen Shot 2015-10-09 at 8.20.03 PM (1)Written by Ellecha Thorp – Country To Canberra Teen Blogger

All too often, when meeting people in settings that require the discussion of ideological values, the question arises: “are you a feminist?”.

I am a strong believer in equality across genders, so of course I am a feminist. Unfortunately however, we’re not all there yet. The word feminist is still spat off tongues and stamped on by many and it is not until we come to a relatively collective realisation that feminism is the way to go and that equal treatment regardless of gender, is a necessity in order for society to progress.

So, in 2016, why fight the feminist fight?

  1. Gender Pay Gap:  As much as we have progressed, the gender pay gap is still going strong with the average woman (in Australia) earning $277.70 per week less than the average male.
  2. Gender Stereotypes: The presence of rigid gender role stereotypes still exist strongly amongst society.  Stay-at-home Dads are questioned over their choices, women in STEM fields aren’t taken as seriously as men.
  3. Unequal distribution of positions in power:

The cycle of majority males in top employment positions has not yet been broken with only 5% of CEO’s being females.

It’s important to note that to fight the feminist fight does not involve bringing males down. Feminism is about empowering women and lifting them until the equalisation of playing fields is achieved. Imagine raising our next few generations of girls, to aspire to work in any field they like, without having to be paid less than their male colleagues. What if they could live without the fear of being told they weren’t ‘acting like a proper woman’ or that males aren’t told they’re being a ‘pussy’ if they talk about their feelings.

The certainly winding road to gender equality is progressing well, and society is driving forward along that path. However our journey still has a long way to go, but hopefully if everyone jumps on board to fight the feminist fight, we will turn a corner and our destination will be in sight.

Gender equality is the way to go. It is a very pressing and important issue, and that’s why I will continue to fight the feminist fight.