feminism
At its core, feminism is the simple conviction that women are equal to men in every regard, and should be treated as such.
It's Not Okay for Men to Behave That Way
Scenario One: A 17 year-old-girl is learning to drive. Her driving instructor takes her to a country road to practise stopping and starting the car. His arm is stretched behind her, slung round the back of her seat. It makes the girl uncomfortable, but she tells herself it's okay. Her instructor asks her to pull up at the side of the road. She's getting bored doing this, and wonders when she's going to start doing some proper driving. Her instructor moves a little closer, then purses his lips and heads towards her cheek as if to kiss her. The girl blushes as she pulls away. "Oh, I didn't think you were shy," says her instructor. The lesson continues.
By Dorothy Massey8 years ago in Viva
Something I Feel Strongly About
Despite the right sort of movement towards equality & progressive attitudes toward stereotypes and systems that oppress people on a daily basis- it is still hard for a woman to be taken seriously as a player in the world of both work and play! Now my piece today is not tainted in aggressive feminism because that can be just as damaging as patriarchal and Misogynist underpinnings in society. What I am looking at is the idea of women empowering other women.
By Amber Goddard8 years ago in Viva
More Than We Were Taught...
Where do I even begin? I am 11 weeks pregnant, so I am ever so slightly chunkier compared to three months ago because I am doing all I possibly can to ensure my little raspberry has everything it needs to grow to be full of nutrients. Off I went to my midwife appointment, pure elation as I start my journey to meet a tiny, little me. All was well for the first 15/20 minutes, and then, these three letters 'BMI' caused my heart to sink, and question the entire health care system.
By Alice Fisher8 years ago in Viva
Why Women Need to Stop Tearing Down Other Women. Top Story - August 2018.
We are in a scary and exciting time right now for women. With all the movements and people coming out to tell their story, it feels as if women are taking steps in the right direction. It is not like we are asking for anything crazy, either. We merely want to be looked at as equal, to be able to wear what we want, and to not have a fear of being molested or sexually harassed everywhere we turn. The only problem I have with all of this is that, while we are asking for others to treat us better, we are still tearing down other women.
By Ashlyn Harper8 years ago in Viva
Facebook, Trauma, and the 'Men Are Trash' Narrative
About a year ago, one of my favorite people blocked me on Facebook because I say “men are trash” a lot. This man—who is a friend of mine in real life, who gets it right like 90 percent of the time, who genuinely works hard to be a good man—just couldn’t handle seeing my constant critique of toxic masculinity.
By Cylest Nichole8 years ago in Viva
A Call to Action
In December of 2015, Sweden gave every sixteen year old in the country a copy of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's feminist manifesto, We Should All Be Feminists. Why? Because we should all be feminists, especially by the age of sixteen. Gender roles and social expectations of femininity and masculinity are ingrained in young people’s minds as soon as they are born. Not only does society normalize violence and disregard inequalities, but it also continues to encourage the continuation of the patriarchy through young people who just do not know any better. We should all be feminists in order to acquire a critical consciousness of the intersecting injustices of the world so that society can be changed for the better.
By Sarah Treaster8 years ago in Viva
Men Have Periods Too
Due to my previous job, I am in a lot of Facebook groups. So many Facebook groups, in fact, that it's easier just to let them fill up my Newsfeed rather than attempt the mammoth task of removing myself from them. Most of the groups are centred around environmentalism and the topic of periods, and the best way to reduce waste on your period comes up regularly. These posts are often accompanied by some quip warning men against reading it because it's a 'lady problem'. What might seem like a harmless yet deeply unfeminist comment is actually a real cause for concern. This sort of language needs to be examined closely and it's time we started realising that men can get periods too.
By Ziggy Moth8 years ago in Viva
Why We All Need Feminism
Feminism. A word that contrary to popular belief, does not signify a movement of man-hating, angry white women complaining about a lack of female traffic light signals. Instead, feminism has a rather simple meaning. In its truest sense, feminism is about the uplifting of all women, regardless of their race, sexuality, socio-economic background, or any other factor.
By Gabriel Oben8 years ago in Viva
Forgiveness During the #MeToo Movement
Over the past ten months, I have watched countless women come forward and tell their truths about sexual assault and harassment. From celebrities to laywomen around the world, the #MeToo Movement has never failed to inspire me. I, too, am a survivor. I am approximately one month away from marking five years of a rape that I still don’t know how to process, and this global coming together has often been painful as it has revealed festering wounds that I had once thought were scabbed over. But, it has been therapeutic. To have a world full of women come together, in a sisterhood that none of us wanted, and lift each other up and say, “I see you,” is far more beneficial than I could have ever imagined.
By Angel Morton8 years ago in Viva
