Have you ever been told that you can’t throw a football or do something a certain way because you’re a girl? Or that it’s shameful for a woman to stay out late? Those things would be considered as misogyny. Misogyny’s direct definition is “meaning having prejudice or being against women.” Even though women have been able to vote for more than 96 years, it seems as if they still feel like they are being held back from many things.
Feminism is a belief in the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. Contrary to what some might believe, feminism isn’t about giving more rights to women that men don’t have, but simply giving everybody the equality they deserve.
“Feminism should be considered as something important in today’s society because it’s able to advance with us if only it didn’t take so long for us to realize that.” Observed Haneen Alaouie, a student at STEM Middle School.
It’s not just women though fighting for their rights, men also want to see to it that girls can be treated as fairly as them. “I think it’s unfair that someone would get paid less just because of who they are,” announced Omar Salim, who considers himself as a feminist.
“It’s annoying how guys get to go out late at night and have a late curfew when I would get in trouble for doing the exact same thing,” complains Zeinab Jouni. Other things she’s noticed as a girl is how she’s treated about sports. “I usually hear mean comments about me like ‘you can’t play basketball because you’re short and a girl’ or ‘Wow, you play good for a girl’. Why should those comments even cross people’s minds?”
It’s the little things that girls can get attacked for something as simple as how they dress. Haneen makes a valid point when saying “A girl should be able to wear whatever she wants without being shamed or called a prude. As long as it makes her feel good and powerful, society shouldn’t see anything wrong with it.”
Another thing that comes to mind is how women have to be cautious of stereotypes that can really affect young girls and women. “When I was younger I was always afraid of not looking girly enough or having enough frills in my dress. I am glad that I realized how stupid that all seemed as I got older.” recalled Jouni.
People who believe that women enough with what they have even though it is less are considered as misogynistic and sexist. A message that Jouni would like to get across to those people is “Yes, we can play basketball, and yes we can be body builders. Just because we’re different doesn’t mean we’re less.”
Unis Middle School Journalist
Zainab Alnajim
