Finding my Feminism

If you read my first post, you would know that up until that point I did not refer to myself as a feminist. Up until that point, I had done volunteer work, but mostly with animals. I generally didn’t volunteer with or consider donating to what I called "people" charities. I felt like animals were in far greater need of my time and, in future, money because they didn’t ask to be here and people were hurting them. When I see or hear about a suffering animal, I cry.  Agree or disagree with my approach, that was my stance. Since "coming out" as a feminist, I think that I have grow immensely as a person and I believe that I am a better person for it.

 

If people ask me what issues I deem important, I now always cite women’s issues. It is a very vague term, but that is on purpose. It allows me to encompass anything that I think affects women. Funnily enough, this can include animals because men who find it easy to abuse animals, often find it easy to abuse women and children. Pets are also often used by abusive men to control women. 

 

Identifying as a feminist has become important for me in my day to day life. I truly embrace the label now, and I take it as my job to educate others about why feminism is important, and to point out the misogynistic aspects of society. My brother often hears the brunt of these things, but he’s pretty supportive, if a little baffled. I care about the issues, even if they do not affect my life. I support a national day care program, even though I never want children. Anything that will make the life of women better and more equal, I support. 

 

I realize that I am in an incredibly privileged position, and not just because I am a white woman. My mother is insanely supportive of everything I do. She shunned gender stereotypes and never told me I couldn’t do something because I was a girl. She supports me in everything and anything I do, including my activism. If I need money, I know I can turn to her. Last summer when I was recovering from an injury, she worked from home for weeks to nurse me. I am very lucky and very, very privileged. It is my duty as a privileged woman to fight for the underprivileged women. If nothing else, I have the luxury of free time. I have always advocated for social programs and have said on more than one occasion that I look forward to paying taxes because I know that very few people are as privileged as me. I will likely always have a job that would pay for health insurance, but I still support public health care 100%. For every person that is lucky enough to live a privileged life, there are many who do not. That is why it is my duty as a feminist to fight for the people who have no voice. I am involved in politics, already fighting for change. Next week I will have the ear of a major politician for a short period of time and I’ve been asked to come up with a topic of discussion. I will be pushing for women’s issues. Our current government has slashed funding to women’s groups and I want this politician to promise to fix that.

 

Finding my feminism has made me a better, more compassionate person. It has opened my eyes to the injustices in the world and the effect my government has on those injustices. I do not need "god" to do good deeds. I believe that I am a better person for being an atheist. I do all my good works because I know it is right, not because I think I’m going to paradise when I die. I do it because helping my fellow human beings is the right thing to do. I am very glad I found my feminism.