Feminism plays role in contemporary social discussions
This is a continuation of a story published in the fourth edition of The Lion’s Tale newspaper (Feb. 10, 2017). Students discuss their view of feminism today, including various social impacts.
Political climate
Because of rising media coverage, such as recent women’s rallies, feminism has become more prevalent than ever.
In of the most recent events, the presidential election of 2016 Hillary Clinton became the first woman in history to clinch a major party nomination.
Junior Olivia Turnbull said that Clinton’s progress broke many barriers.
“One of their slogans was ‘breaking through the glass ceiling,'” Turnbull said. “That’s essentially what it is, she broke through all these barriers and if you look at the popular vote a women won the election. She didn’t get into the office, but it’s really spectacular that she got the majority of the votes; that shows that America is okay with a woman being president.”
Another public figure who has demonstrated support of the feminist movement is the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau.
Since his inauguration of Prime Minister, Trudeau has stated many times that he is a feminist because of his belief in the equality of men and women. He has received deep discrimination for his viewpoint, mainly because of his gender, according to
Although counter-arguments work to put down Trudeau, many feminists rally around him in support.
“Justin Trudeau’s announcement that he is a feminist is inspiring; I hope that it will teach boys that they can support gender rights,” said senior Kameela Noah. “I think that it is important to have male allies who stand for the rights of women [as well as] support male feminist. Boys face prejudice based on their gender, too. For example, one in five young men will be incarcerated in their lifetimes. This disparity reflects a deeper issue of violence and aggression that is encouraged by men in society.”
In regards to differences between men and women, Noah believes naivety between the two genders stems from a difference in life experience.
“Men may be unaware of the sexism women and other genders face, just as women may be unaware of sexism men face, purely because they haven’t experienced them,” Noah said. “It is important to share with others what discrimination, sexism, and ignorance looks like and why it is harmful. That way, experiences can be shared to better understand the problems we face across genders.”
Though many people believe feminism focus solely on the shortcomings, it also recognizes and celebrates women’s strength.
Feminism in media
In recent movies, such as The Force Awakens, Hidden Figures, Rogue One, and Ghostbusters, society has seen a shift from a highly male dominated field, to one that is more inclusive towards women.
Although they have different genres, storylines and plot twists all four movies have one thing in common: female main characters.
“I think it’s really great because they aren’t being portrayed as just a beautiful woman like in the Avengers Black Widow,” Turnbull said. “She’s still highly sexualized but recently that’s beginning to change. We haven’t seen that as much anymore; I think that’s really good to see.
Although Noah believes Hollywood’s influence is one leap forward for achieving society’s understanding, she stated there is still a fight in other aspects of society that need to be addressed.
“It is naïve to believe that more women in Hollywood will eradicate most of the problems women face in the world; movies can change societal expectations of women, but the most difficult work will need to be done in government, industry and healthcare,” Noah said.
Plan of action
Because she sees much room for improvement, Noah plans to remain active in order to become a better activist by supporting more rallies, parades and nonprofit organizations that better the feminism movement as well as positive improvements within society.
“I see a future where more women are prevalent across all industries,” Noah said. “I hope to see more women in government and private economic sectors. I want to see prenatal care and birth control covered by insurance companies. I want the police to better work with victims of rape, domestic abuse and sexual violence to achieve justice. I want boys to be comfortable embracing ‘non-masculine’ behaviors or actions. I want the rights of racial minorities and the LGBTQ to go protected. Most importantly, I want to see knowledge and compassion defeat the ignorance the threatens an inclusive society.”
Turnbull also hopes for similar renovations to occur to better both the movement and societal views.
“We all have the same capacity to be great and we all have the same capacity to do great things, as well as to do bad things,” Turnbull said. “We should be recognized as equal because everyone has their own ambition. How far you get in life shouldn’t have to do with your gender.”
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