By Anne Snyder. This article was first published by www.statepress.com
Strong women have been advocating for women’s rights under the title of “feminism” for centuries. The modern feminist movement is credited with meaningful accomplishments, such as giving women the right to vote, working toward equal pay between men and women and making birth control more accessible and affordable.
Violence against women, social and racial inequality and an oppressive patriarchal society are important injustices to acknowledge. However, these matters are often overlooked due to mainstream feminism’s divided reputation, skewed priorities, and outlandish antics.
In many ways, mainstream feminism has turned into more of a brand than a movement.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced not only that he was a feminist, but that he was going to keep calling himself a feminist until it was “met with a shrug“, his audience cheered. Whiles Ghana’s President Nana Akufo Addo was
awarded for championing gender equality by AU Commission
Some of these issues are prevalent in our own backyard. Women and girls around the globe are suffering from lack of education, child marriage, genital mutilation, sexual assault, poor maternal health and much more.
If the mainstream feminist movement focused more on real-world issues, college students would be more than eager to be a part of it.
Griping about minute problems, such as the desire for a female crosswalk figure and manspreading, is not productive in the movement toward female equality. The feminist movement needs new prioritization toward more pressing issues.
Radical feminists across the country have taken ahold of the feminist movement and made it toxic. What was once a meaningful movement is now plagued by individuals who prioritize political correctness and female superiority over progress. This way of thinking prevents more women from joining the movement. A 2015 poll by Vox showed that only 85 percent of people believe in the equality of sexes, a lower number than what should be acceptable. That same poll found, however, that only 18 percent of people identify themselves as feminists.
This could be because of the increasingly hateful rhetoric that has been promoted by female leaders under the guise of “feminism.”
This new wave of feminism can be oppressive by ostracizing Republican women, stay-at-home mothers, and women who do not wish to be a part of the movement. However, college students have the power to take this movement back, making it more productive for women across the globe.
However, if modern feminists continue to bash men and promote female superiority, the movement will be left with nothing but sexism and a tasteless reputation.
Modern feminism has seen significant progress but often resorts to promoting an ideology that is not beneficial to the vast majority of women. If more celebrities and leaders in the feminist movement focused more on helping women from around the world rather than turning feminism into a brand, the world could finally tap into its unlocked potential.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
