The Problem with Modern Day Feminism

DISCLAIMER: I AM A FEMINIST! I LOVE FEMINISM! I BELIEVE THAT FEMINISM HAS EMPOWERED ME AND HAS PLAYED A HUGE PART IN MAKING ME WHO I AM! I BELIEVE IN FEMINISM! I THINK FEMINISM IS AWESOME! (This is basically a disclaimer stating I am not anti-feminist.)

In an article posted by the Washington Post, it showed that 60% of women and 33% of men identify as feminists, 32% of women and 55% of men don't identify as feminists, and 7% of women and 12% of men have no opinion. Considering how far this movement has come these numbers seem great. But I am not concerned with who is and who is not a feminist. I am concerned with why people don't consider themselves feminists.

So why don't women identify as feminists?

For some women it's about the radicalism that is associated with the movement. "I have in the past felt empowered by it. Unfortunately, much of this is now coupled with mindless male-bashing, female entitlement, over-labelling everything as rape (among other things), while at the same time dismissing very real issues faced by men, 'because privilege'" (Lait, 20). The general association of feminists as man-hating women who want to destroy the patriarchy, and try to make themselves less feminine isn't appealing to a lot of women. In fact some women don't have a problem with men and would prefer that the movement try to achieve equality without subsequently attacking the biological differences that separate women from men. Some women find empowerment in their femininity, which is a verdict that doesn't always fit what is considered feminism today.

Another problem with feminism is that it claims to be intersectional, but excludes conservative women. Some conservative women identify with the definitive version of feminism: the belief that women and men are equal. But they do not agree with the association that feminists have to be liberal. Not all feminists believe in the glass ceiling or that guns are one of the problems in America.

Future Female Leaders is an organization for conservative women who's mission is to empower women who identify as conservatives and to help women get engaged in conservative politics in order to appeal to more millennial women. They believe "It seems that to be a feminist, you have to aspire to be the CEO of a company you founded in your twenties and if you want to be a stay-at-home mom, you’re doing something wrong. This kind of feminism ignores the fact that women are much more complex than that,"(You Can Be A Conservative AND A Feminist). Feminism needs to be more inclusive of women who don't necessarily support liberal politics. It needs to include conservatives and libertarians and moderate women.

Feminism needs to be a movement for all kinds of women. As feminists we can't say that we want to stand as a movement to empower women, but only if they are liberal social justice warriors (SJWs). We need to open conversations to women who want to feel like they are apart of feminism. Everyone needs to have a voice in feminism.