“Women’s rights and feminism are too often synonymous with man-hating”
Yesenia Herrera | Staff Reporter
On Sept. 22, 2014 the United Nations Women’s Goodwill Ambassador and renowned actress Emma Watson, stood before multitudes and invited men, whom have long been involuntarily and voluntarily excluded from the feminist movement, into the fight for gender equality.
During her speech, Watson recalls her classmates calling her “bossy,” her girlfriends sacrificing their love of sports in favor of muscle-less arms because they didn’t want to seem too ‘masculine,’ her boyfriend’s internalizing emotions out of fear of emasculation, and the way the media started sexually objectifying her at the ripe age of fifteen.
As noted in Watson’s speech, women on a global scale are ill-treated, and that if men and women stand united gender equality will be a thing of the past. The actress later stresses how ‘feminism’ has become a dirty word, especially amongst men, who often feel like ferociously despised targets, often resulting in the infamous ‘sexually-frustrated-feminist’ jokes or, more tragically, antifeminist organizations comprised of men and women alike. Women are, on a daily basis, subject to domestic and sexual violence, are generally paid less then men for the same job (just to name a few) and yet many men stubbornly refuse to acknowledge the legitimacy of the issue, or even its existence.
So what do some of Menlo’s beloved feminists have to say on the subject? See for yourself. “Women get so engrossed in this movement that its becomes a means of isolating women as people who are extra vulnerable. Therefore it’s pretty important for women to realize where we are lacking and where we can go forward. Lets work with men, not try to outwit them,” senior Mira Diwan said. Senior Yasmine El-Hage also feels strongly about the issue. “It’s important to keep in mind what we’re striving towards: achieving equal rights for all genders. We should point out the flaws in our system, but find a way to work with not just other women, but also men to improve it. It’s a team effort,” she said.
