Posted by on July 10, 2010

“Man hater. You’re just another f***ing feminist.”
To many, women who hate men are feminists. To me, they are among the uneducated and the ones I am trying to change. Feminism is not man-hating. Feminism is equality. But don’t get me wrong… There are a lot of women who think that because they hate men they are also allowed to title themselves as feminists. Not true.
As some of you may know I am a Women and Gender Studies minor. People often look at me funny when they find this out about me. “It’s just a waste of time, Jacy.” Is it? Tell that to the bitter feminist generation that fought for women to obtain the right to vote. Tell that to the women in developing countries that are fighting for rights for themselves and their children.
Sometimes I sit and wonder how we got to be so far imbalanced that we treat women like they don’t even exist. It’s not like Americans can hold their heads high and pretend they are better. It hasn’t been that long that women we legally free from belonging to men. I say “legally” because in some places women are still considered property of men and things have not progressed.
On July 2, the United Nations took a step in a new direction for women by creating an organization focused on progression. The new organization won’t be fully operational until January 2011 but its a step in the right direction. According to unwomen.org:

“Grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the UN Charter, UN Women will, among other issues, work for the:

* elimination of discrimination against women and girls
* empowerment of women
* achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.”

I’m anxious to see the progress of this organization for many reasons. On a global scale they are up against a huge competitor: thousands and thousands of years of religious ideologies that prohibits women from existing beyond a belief system. How does one (or many) change this? And how many thousands of years will it take to change?
Kudos to you, United Nations, for dedicating efforts to empower women and girls around the globe. But most of all, thank you for not labeling it “The United Nations Feminist Movement.”

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