feminism

At its core, feminism is the simple conviction that women are equal to men in every regard, and should be treated as such.

Yes, I Am a Feminist
In honor of Women's History Month... Yes, I am a feminist. But no, I don't hate men. I try not to hate anybody. Okay no, that's a lie, I hate a lot of people. I should probably work on that.
By Madison Rheam, B.A.7 years ago in Viva
A Feminist Mantra
One day, in a fictional narrative after a (much needed) sexual revolution takes place in Egypt, a woman finally becomes the first female President of Egypt; women are viewed as the persons that they are.
By Yasmeen Ramadan7 years ago in Viva
Feminism Defined
Today, in university classes it is hard to not take an English class and not hear the word "feminism." The word "feminism" is sometimes associated with "man-hating" or "misanthropist women." This is not so, this is a misconception. If you look up the word "man-hating" in the thesaurus feminism is nowhere near the word. Feminism by definition is "the advocacy of women's rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes" this is what Oxford dictionary defines it. Lately, feminism has been seen as a negative issue because of undereducated people and for men who look down on women and spread their ego. However, the negativity of the word can stem from a term I like to call "misandrist feminism." These are the women that look at feminism as man-hating, others may call this extreme feminism, but extreme feminism for me refers to the woman standing on the street holding up signs saying "I want to get paid the same amount that men do," signing petitions about equality is what I call extreme feminism. Misandrist feminism, for me, refers to the women who hold up signs saying "Men are the cause to our misfortune," or "Men suck because I am a woman," those women are only looking to blame someone.
By Ada Zuba7 years ago in Viva
Things Feminists Want You to Know
I am a feminist. I hate men, I am offended by everything and anything, and I am disgusted by the thought of wearing pink/dresses/high heels/makeup/anything remotely feminine that the patriarchy forced on me. If you read that sentence and understood I was being sarcastic, from all feminists worldwide, thank you. You know your stuff. If you read that and didn't think I was being sarcastic, this article is for you. I hope I can change your mind. It gets tiring, trying to justify that yes, I'm not out to make female supremacy a thing, and yes, I'm allowed to shave my armpits and wear skirts. If I can make my life a little easier, and the lives of many other feminists a little easier, then I've succeeded.
By E.W Hemmings7 years ago in Viva
I Am a Feminist
To those of you who have continued to read past the intro title, a big thumbs up to you, you’re a beautiful fucking person. A lot of people will have switched off as soon as they saw the “F word” because still, too many people, it’s a dirty word that inspires little more than an eye roll.
By Francesca Meyrick7 years ago in Viva
What You're Really Saying When You Say You're Not a Feminist
I can’t tell you how many times well-meaning folks have started a discussion with me by saying “I’m not a feminist, BUT…” followed by describing their very feminist beliefs and thinly veiled reasons for not identifying as feminist.
By Anya Overmann7 years ago in Viva
Opinion: Why Gillette's 'We Believe: The Best Men Can Be' Film Is Greatly Needed
Traditionally, shaving as a male has always been a rite of passage, the first step towards manhood. I remember, as a young lad myself, wanting to be able to shave so I could tell myself and others that I was a man. Raised in the early 90s by working class parents this young lad was brash, liked the colour blue, played contact sports and fancied girls. We were also told that we didn't necessarily have to work hard for what we wanted—as men. In We Believe: The Best a Man Can Get, the company providing us the tools to become men were telling us we simply get the best. Even though Gillette sells men's and women's products it was clear who their target audience were.
By Gavin Spoors7 years ago in Viva
10 Signs He's Mansplaining to You
Every owner of a vagina has had this moment happen at least once in their lives: a guy who has absolutely no idea about anything deciding that he knows more than you, and talks down to you. Sad, but true.
By Mackenzie Z. Kennedy7 years ago in Viva
10 Reasons Why It Pays to Be a Feminist
Manny people think feminism is a dirty word reserved for angry women with armpit hair. Whether you take this stance or believe that it should be shouted in the streets and celebrated as the equality amongst sexes it stands for, there are multiple reasons why it pays to be a feminist. Male or female, feminism bridges the gap, and liberates all people from tainted beliefs and false narratives. Men are expected to act a certain way, and women are expected to do the same. Meanwhile, we are all stuck pointing fingers and accusing one another when all we need to do is open the floor to conversation on acceptance and understanding. Shattering false narratives and building new ones for the benefit of all is what it's all about. We are all equal—regardless of our sex, gender, or race. Failing to recognize this is what has gotten us in a lot of the trouble we experience today.
By Michelle Estevez7 years ago in Viva
Baby It’s Lame Outside
A year ago I was sitting at a friends house for a “Friendsgiving” celebration. At a certain point one friend said, I want to sing Christmas carols. She pulled out her phone and started belting out “Baby It’s Cold Outside." Me being the idiot I am joined to sing the male part. I use the word sing lightly, because as she was sounding like Mariah Carey, I sounded like a dog in heat. There’s a video of it somewhere that needs to be destroyed, but anyway.
By Vincent Graziano7 years ago in Viva
Signs You're Dealing with Internalized Misogyny
Women all over the world are dealing with internalized misogyny that puts them in opposition with other women and themselves. Some of them think less of women as a whole and place their faith in the opinions of men. Others have been raised to believe that men are superior and women are inferior. Women receive misogynistic messages from all fronts, so battling against it is constant. The fight never ends. You can excise your misogyny, but first, you have to admit that you have it so that you can pinpoint the toxic behaviors and belief systems that created it in the first place.
By Patty Ramsen7 years ago in Viva
'Shrinking Women'
This particular video really spoke to me on multiple levels. In order to fully unpack the meaning of this video, and to not do a disservice to the woman who wrote it, I feel the need to discuss it with respect to both the literal and figurative meanings behind this video and connect it to my experiences.
By Abby W7 years ago in Viva