F********

(Feminism)

I don’t have a unibrow.

I shower quite frequently.

I don’t hate men.

I shave my armpits.

I am a Catholic woman.

And I am a feminist who is seeking to redefine our society’s perception of the concept.

You probably looked at the title of this blog post and thought one of two things — you were curious enough to read on, or you rolled your eyes. I get it — feminism is a serious “f-word” in our society. A lot of people hear the word “feminist” and immediately call to mind the stereotypes I addressed at the beginning of this blog post. I’m here to ask you to reconsider.

The ignorance in our world can often stem from situations where we characterize the majority by the minority. For example, many people decide to hate and discriminate against all members of the Islamic faith for the actions of ISIL. People despise the entirety of the Catholic Church because they were wronged by a single member. Similarly, people generally despise feminists because of the minority that elevates woman over man and glorifies the female sex at the same time it degrades the male one.

Feminism, in its pure form, is the belief that men and women should be equal. Period.

There is nothing in that definition to suggest that men should be second-class to women. There is nothing to suggest that the ideology must be shoved down peoples’ throats. Feminism is purely equality, and I’m here to tell you why I discovered and believe that we need desperately to put it into practice, both as a country and as a global community.

I spent eight days within the confines of Greece and Sweden as part of a gender and leadership study a few of my schoolmates and I were conducting. Our goal was (and still is) to discover ways to increase the retention rates of women in the military and public sectors, as well as ways to begin to change the way society perceives gender roles. This trip was the most eye-opening one of my entire life, and it completely redefined the way I see myself and the world around me.

We began our travels in Athens, Greece. As we drove through the city, I couldn’t help but marvel at the city herself. Ruins of the ancients were sandwiched next to 70’s era dive bars. Cab drivers completely disregarded the speed limit (I would call it a suggestion, quite frankly) as Mercedes and motorbikes weaved in and out of the narrow side-streets and open alleys. The city was unapologetically alive, and I loved it. We ate at sidewalk cafes, interviewed collegiate directors, met our counterparts at the Hellenic Naval Academy, and interviewed countless citizens, municipal leaders, and champions for change in Greece. We visited Greece first to try to understand why a gender gap really exists, seeing as the disparity between men and women there is one of the largest in the world. As we met with leading academics and people from all around Athens, we understood that if we took what we were told at face value, it would seem like Greece didn’t really have a problem. The statistics showed that the gender gap in pay and opportunity was decreasing, but the truth was revealed to me in conversation with a professor at one of the universities. As we discussed the root of the gender divide in Greece and neared the conclusion of our discussion, he laughed and said “we can legislate all we want, but the culture is what it is — you can’t “fix” that.”

Bingo. The culture was the source of the inequality for their country. In their culture, it is deemed acceptable and equal for a woman in a heterosexual relationship to stay home and take care of the children while the man goes to work. A social worker we met and spoke with at the Ministry for Gender Equality said that this perceived inequality of opportunity is remedied (in the Greek mind) by saying that since the woman has utter control over life at home, the man must have an equal amount of power outside the home. This is the “balance” that many there use to justify the glorification of the role of men and the “practicality” of women staying at home.

All that being said, I have a great amount respect for the culture of the Greeks and in no way seek to undermine them. It is not my place to attempt to correct their ways of life, for I have no business doing so — this realization simply opened my eyes to the fact that the struggle for gender equality is not always waged through legislation and rulings. In order to change the way a society operates, one must change its culture.

Our next stop was Stockholm, Sweden. In sharp juxtaposition with Greece, it was a neat, orderly city that oozed elegance and style. Everyone we passed dressed with an air of self-confidence and well-tailored elegance. The avenues bustled with life and activity, and there was more of a metropolitan feel to the scene. Upon realizing that the equality I so desire within the United States will be reached by changing the mindsets of my fellow citizens, I soaked in everything I could to find out just how the Swedes had led the charge with regards to that same equality. It became evident that this was done through legislation.

Weird, right? Didn’t I just say that culture was the path to equality? Hang on a moment, dear reader.

In the year 1250, laws were passed in Sweden that made rape and abduction illegal — for both genders. In 1845, men and women of Sweden were given equal rights to inheritance and land ownership. Throughout the 1900s, sweeping reforms were made in order to to force equality. The Swedes established quotas and rulings that forced businesses and the government itself to ensure equality, and it worked. We talked to men and women all over Stockholm — when asked if they were feminists, they responded with a sharp “yes.” No hesitation or questioning. It was almost as if we had asked them if the sky was blue. These quotas that once existed to make government representation and daily life fair for all genders and races changed the mindset of an entire nation.

Wait a minute, Jackie. You watch your conservative mouth. Did you just say that quotas are a good thing?

Yes. In all my experiences abroad, I found that culture can be changed through legislation. It will take time, but it is possible. To achieve equality, we should encourage our legislators to help establish laws that will hold open avenues for minorities to enter every once-closed portion of our society and economy. Once more of an equilibrium is achieved between the sexes, the quotas can be removed — a societal norm of gender equality will be established, and will hold firm with the support of an accepting society.

I know this theory is imperfect, and I can already see flaws as I write down my thoughts on the matter. I’m nineteen years old — I am a work in progress, as are my opinions and ideas.

Legislation and rulings can only do so much, however. As a feminist in the truest sense of the word, I want a fair shake for both genders, and that fairness begins with the people we interact with every day. It’s about encouraging your sons and daughters to follow their own dreams, to treat everyone with the utmost dignity and respect (regardless of whether or not it is deserved), and to remember their worth. It’s not about what genitalia you’re born with — honestly, I could care less about what bathroom you use. It’s all about what you can bring to the table — if you are the best candidate to complete the job that needs to be done, you should be the one to do it. And America needs to be okay with that.

I don’t know how to end this thought piece, quite honestly. There is so much work left to be done in breaking down barriers and changing our attitudes about how we see gender. It should be okay to be sensitive. It should be okay to be tough. You can be a female truck driver or a male ballerina. If you can name it, you should have a shot at working towards it. History rarely remembers those conform to their expectations or societal norms — will history remember our nation as a nation that resisted true equality, or will we be remembered as the nation who took a stand and decided that everyone willing to work toward their dreams should be given a chance at achieving them?

It’s up to us. Who’s in?

(Please feel free to comment or debate this issue with me or people you know — it was my intent to incite discussion, so I welcome any criticism or ideas you may have)

Disclaimer: The opinions contained within this piece are in no way, shape, or form representative of the opinions of the United States of America, the US Military, and the U.S. Navy. The opinions herewithin are the author’s alone.