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amine_eyesNo, we're not treated equally.
Things have progressed a great deal - in many countries we have the same legal rights, there are a lot of opportunities that we have now that we could only dream of even fifty years ago, and there is a greater awareness of the need for equality.
But that doesn't solve everything.
Across the world, many women's options are limited to marry and have children. In many countries women don't get the chance to be educated. In many countries women do not get the chance to make their own decisions about their lives. Even in Britain, there is still a difference in what women earn compared to men, it's still newspaper worthy when a women takes charge of a company, there's still the view that women can only be angels or whores, there's still the backlash of the sixties where women think that they HAVE to do everything and be successful at everything and reject choices that don't fit with that view, and the usage of the word feminist is equated with either being a strident man-hater or being undesirable.
What I want, is a world where women and men can make their own choices about their lives, without being harassed or put down or treated differently because of it. I want a world where a woman can decide, "Yes, I want to run a country or a company or a business, I want to not have children, I don't want to get married, and I want to break every glass ceiling and fight for my rights" and not get treated differently for it. I want a world where a woman can also decide, "I want to marry and have children, be a stay at home wife and only get a job if I have to" and not get put down or treated differently for it.
I want a world where women get to choose what they want to do, and get the chance to follow through with their choice, no matter what background they're from. I want a world where a woman be shown as comfortable in her own image without people tearing her down.
I want a world where strong female characters - no matter what role they play in a story - are treated as strong characters, not singled out because they're female. I want people to see a strong female character and not find it out of place or in need of special recognition.
I want a world where people - no matter what gender they are - get to choose, and no one give a shit about their choice unless it directly affects them. I want a world where a woman can say "Yeh, I slept with three people last night" without people putting her down for being a slut, and a woman can say "I didn't sleep with anyone last night" without people putting her down for being frigid.
And we can solve this.
We can promote education for everyone so that everyone gets to be informed, we can promote sex education so that people learn that everyone is different and it's okay, we can promote businesses that give equal opportunities so that people rise up the ranks because of their talent, not because they're male or female. We can write petitions to governments saying that we want more advances in how women and men across the world are treated, and we can support the women and men who fight for those options. We can stop harassing people because of their choices because it doesn't matter whether you marry or not, have children or not, go for a job or not, all that matters is that you feel comfortable in making the choice that is right for you.
We can continue to write strong characters, real characters that don't airbrush flaws, and that are able to draw you into a story regardless of their gender. We can write characters having sex with whoever they wish and people not giving a shit unless it directly affects the story. We can shout from the rooftops and show people when we do find those stories so that they get the recognition they deserve and so that little by little, we can change how women are treated and perceived.
On a personal note, I want to be treated as though I am not a second-class citizen because of my gender, or superior because of it. I want to say to people that I want to join the RAF without people giving me the side-eye because of it. I want to fuck up without people drawing special attention to it, and I want to succeed without people raising me on a pedestal because I'm a woman. I want to change my dream and not get yelled at for doing so, and I want to do what I want without eyebrows being raised. I want people to not give a shit when I tell them I haven't had sex, and if or when I do, I don't want it treated as though I'm finally a woman. I want to be able to call myself a feminist without being degraded for it, and I want to be able to call myself a feminist and not be singled out for believing and wanting something that should be happening.
So I'm going to keep writing strong characters. I'm going to keep shutting down anyone who thinks that because I'm a woman, I can/can't do or say or like or hate or believe or don't believe in something. I'm going to keep educating myself, I'm going to keep making sure that when people think of me they think of a person unafraid to say what they think, unafraid to do what they want to do, and I'm not going to stop.
So yes, there are great positives - women are finally being treated as people and not an inferior part of mankind.
But there's a long way to go.
Things have progressed a great deal - in many countries we have the same legal rights, there are a lot of opportunities that we have now that we could only dream of even fifty years ago, and there is a greater awareness of the need for equality.
But that doesn't solve everything.
Across the world, many women's options are limited to marry and have children. In many countries women don't get the chance to be educated. In many countries women do not get the chance to make their own decisions about their lives. Even in Britain, there is still a difference in what women earn compared to men, it's still newspaper worthy when a women takes charge of a company, there's still the view that women can only be angels or whores, there's still the backlash of the sixties where women think that they HAVE to do everything and be successful at everything and reject choices that don't fit with that view, and the usage of the word feminist is equated with either being a strident man-hater or being undesirable.
What I want, is a world where women and men can make their own choices about their lives, without being harassed or put down or treated differently because of it. I want a world where a woman can decide, "Yes, I want to run a country or a company or a business, I want to not have children, I don't want to get married, and I want to break every glass ceiling and fight for my rights" and not get treated differently for it. I want a world where a woman can also decide, "I want to marry and have children, be a stay at home wife and only get a job if I have to" and not get put down or treated differently for it.
I want a world where women get to choose what they want to do, and get the chance to follow through with their choice, no matter what background they're from. I want a world where a woman be shown as comfortable in her own image without people tearing her down.
I want a world where strong female characters - no matter what role they play in a story - are treated as strong characters, not singled out because they're female. I want people to see a strong female character and not find it out of place or in need of special recognition.
I want a world where people - no matter what gender they are - get to choose, and no one give a shit about their choice unless it directly affects them. I want a world where a woman can say "Yeh, I slept with three people last night" without people putting her down for being a slut, and a woman can say "I didn't sleep with anyone last night" without people putting her down for being frigid.
And we can solve this.
We can promote education for everyone so that everyone gets to be informed, we can promote sex education so that people learn that everyone is different and it's okay, we can promote businesses that give equal opportunities so that people rise up the ranks because of their talent, not because they're male or female. We can write petitions to governments saying that we want more advances in how women and men across the world are treated, and we can support the women and men who fight for those options. We can stop harassing people because of their choices because it doesn't matter whether you marry or not, have children or not, go for a job or not, all that matters is that you feel comfortable in making the choice that is right for you.
We can continue to write strong characters, real characters that don't airbrush flaws, and that are able to draw you into a story regardless of their gender. We can write characters having sex with whoever they wish and people not giving a shit unless it directly affects the story. We can shout from the rooftops and show people when we do find those stories so that they get the recognition they deserve and so that little by little, we can change how women are treated and perceived.
On a personal note, I want to be treated as though I am not a second-class citizen because of my gender, or superior because of it. I want to say to people that I want to join the RAF without people giving me the side-eye because of it. I want to fuck up without people drawing special attention to it, and I want to succeed without people raising me on a pedestal because I'm a woman. I want to change my dream and not get yelled at for doing so, and I want to do what I want without eyebrows being raised. I want people to not give a shit when I tell them I haven't had sex, and if or when I do, I don't want it treated as though I'm finally a woman. I want to be able to call myself a feminist without being degraded for it, and I want to be able to call myself a feminist and not be singled out for believing and wanting something that should be happening.
So I'm going to keep writing strong characters. I'm going to keep shutting down anyone who thinks that because I'm a woman, I can/can't do or say or like or hate or believe or don't believe in something. I'm going to keep educating myself, I'm going to keep making sure that when people think of me they think of a person unafraid to say what they think, unafraid to do what they want to do, and I'm not going to stop.
So yes, there are great positives - women are finally being treated as people and not an inferior part of mankind.
But there's a long way to go.
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no subject
Date: 2011-08-26 10:51 am (UTC)Amen. No matter who you are, from what social class, what country, what ethnicity, what gender, whatever you are, it should always be your choice what you want to do with your life, and nobody should have the right to stop you. (Unless, of course, you want to do something nefarious with your life, say, kill all kittens. Then you should be stopped. Because kittens are adorable. But I ramble.)
I want a world where we don't need to talk about issues with women's rights, because it's obvious that everybody is equal.
It's our choices in life that make us the people we are, not gender or ethnicity or anything like that.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-26 10:58 am (UTC):D
no subject
Date: 2011-08-26 10:06 pm (UTC)I completely agree - I hate the fact that we as women are treated so differently. People, ie. Men, joke about it a lot - and that makes me angry, and sad. Even the little jokes, like 'A womans place is in the kitchen, make me a sandwich'. Yeah, might be funny the first time, but not funny at all nowadays, because of the amount that those sort of jokes are used.
I am proud to say I am a feminist, but it saddens and annoys me when people assume things just because you're a femist. Especially when they say "Femist? Lesbian!" Just because I'm a femist does not mean that I am a homosexual. I want to finish being a teenager, meet a man and fall in love. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against homosexuals, in fact I sort of admirw them, because they're not afraid to be who they want to be and they won't hide away from people, even though some people laugh and joke about them, or abuse them with verbal hate.
I want to become an adult and make a difference in the world, and I don't want those men, and they are out there, those men who think that women are second to them, I don't want them to stop me. And believe me, even if they try to knock me down, or you, or any other women, they will not succeed. Because we are strong, and we know that we are not second best, that we are just as important. And we will stand together.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-26 10:18 pm (UTC)And that is another thing - no one should stop you from doing what you want because of your gender! And they won't succeed - the sheer fact that we're ready to tell them straight back that we're not going away, and we'll manage :)
*hugs*
no subject
Date: 2011-08-27 12:24 pm (UTC)No they won't succeed! I can't wait to get out into the world and prove that I can be just as good as men at what I want to do! :) *hugs*
no subject
Date: 2011-08-27 05:30 pm (UTC)AMEN!!!!!
And that my dear is why I think you are awesome!
I want a world where I can talk about having children without a man and not get this look like I announced that I was going to skydive off the planet.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-27 07:20 pm (UTC)And THIS - if you want to do that, people shouldn't get on your case!!
(And OT - YOUR ICON :DDDDDDD)