What does feminism mean exactly?
It's a question that regularly unsettles my mind and it was the first thing I thought when I heard about SABC2's
It's a Feminist Thing.
It airs on Sundays at 18h30 with
eps on YouTube afterwards and describes itself as a feminist talk show.
It made me realise that the word feminist doesn't fill me with the sense of empowerment I feel it should, for a variety of reasons but especially because of a run-in I had with a self-proclaimed feminist.
She was in my tutorial class at university and we were having a discussion about feminism as a group.
She was the centre of the conversation because she was supposedly more feminist than anyone else, I made a comment - can't remember what I said - and she turned to look at me, and said: "Well,
you aren't a feminist because you wear make-up."
I had a heavy-black-eyeliner thing going on at the time and wanted to disappear because the way she said it was so demeaning I could hardly breathe as everyone went quiet.
The craziest thing about it is that she always got the top marks of our group
and she just so happened to spend lunchtimes getting personal tuition from our tutor, who was a man.
I'd see them sitting talking, eating, laughing and yet she had such a go at me for not being a strong enough woman.
Or whatever it was she meant by feminism.
I know it shouldn't have had such a dramatic impact on me and yet it did because it made me suspicious of a word that could be used to make you feel so unworthy.
With the arrival of the show I decided it's time to get to the bottom of what feminism means once and for all so I set a challenge for myself and Kgomotso Matsunyane who co-hosts the series.
To share what feminism means to us in
under 100 words.
These are our answers:
Kgomotso:
Feminism means me being myself, without having to be a watered down version. It means a right for me to have the same privileges that are extended to men.
It means walking alone at night with no fear. It means calling men out on their BS and not being rewarded with physical violence.
And feminism means me loving and respecting myself so fiercely and selfishly that I reject any notion that men might be superior to women. Because they are NOT. Period.
Me:
Feminism means embracing and celebrating everything that makes me a woman without fear of judgement from men OR women. The right to absolute equal opportunity to men.
To be boss lady. To stand up to anyone who's a Pig. To not be abused physically, emotionally or verbally.
It means looking out for women and assisting them when they need me. Ensuring the things I do are because of who I am and not because I've been influenced by anyone else. To be addressed as Ms and never Miss or Mrs.
You:
Take the challenge! Let's hear.