Feminism: let’s talk about it

As much as we owe feminism for fighting for women’s rights, the shift in messaging toward hierarchy over equality and loss of traditional values has made feminism too radical to support.

Feminism means “belief in and advocacy of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes expressed especially through organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests.” Feminism has welcomed three to four “waves.” In the late 1800s to early 1900s, women were considered “second-class citizens,” and lacked basic rights like voting, pursuing higher education and owning property. Around this time, anti-feminists argued against destroying family units, causing a push and pull in the movement. Additionally, early feminists formed a women’s suffrage movement which faced distortion and exclusion of African American women amidst the abolition reform. Although white women earned the right to vote for the first time in 1920, African American women only received their complete rights through the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It has only been 61 years since all women, of all races, have had the right to vote, one of our most important civic duties.

The next 15 years from 1965-1980 sparked conversations about financial freedom and the sexual revolution. Feminists during this era promoted the idea that women wanted a more masculine role in society, to become providers in a sense. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 was recently passed, making income equal for both genders. Still, women and men were drawn to respective feminine or masculine roles. Today, the gender pay gap is not necessarily because of gender, but preferences, for example job choice and part-time roles. We still see similar trends in women dominated fields like teaching, writing, health care and administration while men continue to dominate engineering, architecture, technology and skilled trades.

In a “perfect world,” jobs would be 50/50 with more perspectives and combinations of skills from both men and women. Apart from those who grew up with an inclination toward untraditional roles, human biology explains much of our behavior. The underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering and math roles is not equivalent to the lack of capability or intelligence of women. Instead, research shows hormonal differences which correlate with job choices. For example, the University of Chicago in 2009 studied about 500 Masters in Business Administration students and found men were more comfortable with high-risk financial careers due to higher testosterone levels. Women’s higher levels in estrogen have led to an inclination toward nurturing jobs and the production of oxytocin for pregnant women is another example of a woman’s natural maternal energy.

The resurgence of feminism began in the 1990s for the third stage, focusing on diversity, intersectionality, queer theory and sex positivity. Third and fourth waves of feminism have become more widespread through media channels and have gained traction by more individuals. Many people argue that the fourth wave of feminism began in 2012, with emphasis on addressing sexual harrassment, body shaming and rape culture. Unfortunately, many women (and supporters) have begun to disassociate with the feminist title due to messaging of overpowering men, using man-hating language, devaluing traditional gender roles, and a general sense of victimhood and anger.

Personally, I chose to detach from the feminist title when I noticed hatred toward men. Does this mean it is OK to support men who harass, devalue and harm women? Absolutely not.

As a society, we work in better unison when women and men respect each other fully and recognize each other’s weaknesses and pull our strengths to help one another. For women who have felt excluded from conversations because they chose to become a homemaker, know that you are seen, and you are doing important work. Tradition is not always meant to be discarded, but embraced.

Let’s discuss further! Message me: giselle@smdailyjournal.com

Giselle Espinoza is a longtime San Mateo resident with a bachelor’s degree in communications, working in health care administration. She brings a Gen Z perspective and slight coffee addiction.