what is a feminist?

Question

I have heard some bad/good things about them. I am just not sure what/who they are or what they believe in. Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminist

Feminism is a collection of social theories, political movements, and moral philosophies largely motivated by or concerned with the liberation of women.

Feminism is the belief in social, political and economic equality of the sexes, and a movement organized around the belief that gender should not be the pre-determinant factor shaping a person's social identity or socio-political or economic rights.

A large portion of feminists are especially concerned with what they perceive to be the social, political and economic inequality between the sexes which favours the male gender; some have argued that gendered and sexed identities, such as "man" and "woman", are socially constructed.

Feminists disagree over the sources of inequality, how to attain equality, and the extent to which gender and gender-based identities should be questioned and critiqued.

Answer 2

A feminist today is probably a lot different than what a feminist was in the '70's. There are endless interpretations of what it means to be a feminist. I think that any person - male or female - who believes in equal rights, equal pay, equal treatment is a feminist. The word has had a lot of negative connotations, as you can tell from your replies to the question, but it's really a matter of whether or not you believe that each individual should be judged for their merits rather than assumptions made about their gender. Being outraged at the exploitation of women's bodies by mainstream media makes you a feminist; not cooking and cleaning because it's assumed that you would makes you a feminist; wanting to get paid dollar for dollar as the guy next to you for the same work makes you a feminist. Choosing to have babies and stay at home because that's what you want to do makes you a feminist; choosing daycare and going to work to further your career makes you a feminist.

Answer 3

A feminist is someone who believes in women and thinks they should be equal to men. Some people think feminists hate men. Some radical feminists probably do. I feel like I'm a feminist because I see myself as just as good as any man, but I love men. My son is a man and I love him of course. So I think there are all kinds of feminists, but their beliefs vary.

Answer 4

There is a famous quote (I can't remember who said it), "I'm not sure what a feminist is, I just know that someone calls me that every time I differentiate myself from a doormat." I would say feminism is a belief that women and men should have equal rights, and that being a woman is not a reason for someone to be demeaned or relegated to the sidelines in life.

Answer 5

i saw a lot of good answers, and the wikipedia site has a good explanation!
i consider myself a feminist, as i want women to have equal respect and rights as men. some people say 'respect must be earned, and men worked hard for what they have' in a way that is true, but that implies women have not worked hard! women deserve respect not only as human beings, but also for what they do (and have been doing forever: motherhood, home-maker, etc AND what they can now do career-wise) they deserve equal chances to work toward their goals, be what they may. women have worked hard for what we have now, and we worked hard when there was no choice in what we were allowed to do. that deserves respect!

btw- i am not only feminist, but feminine--i shave, wear a bit of makeup and the occassional skirt, am married to a great guy, do middle eastern (aka belly) dancing, cook well, shower daily, plan to be a mom someday (soon i hope!). but i also have two bachelor's degrees, work as an engineer, vote, work on my car & house, and open jars ;-P

oh, and i HATE the color pink! no flowers, & no 'strawberry apricot' anything in my house, unless it's in the fridge.

Answer 6

By definition, a feminist is someone who believes in the social, political, legal, and economic equality of the sexes. Unfortunately, the media and the Right have turned it into a culture of angry, man-eating lesbians. (Actually, I am a man-eater, although I'm straight and relatively happy.)

Answer 7

Well, I think by now my post just means overkill, but a feminist is anyone who believes in equal rights for all women to men, and across all social classes, and globally.

Answer 8

Since so much has been achieved, and some time has passed since there was something called feminism, the definition has changed a lot. I think that today, there's too much feminism in the home. Since a lot has already been achieved in the legal and employment arenas, too many women are deciding to manifest their feminism in the home....."against" their man. I'm about to ask a question that will detail what I mean by this.

Answer 9

feminism is the support of equal rights for women.
people who have negative opinions on them usually get them from bad experiences and/or misd education on what they are.

feminism has taken many turns in the past. Feminism in the USA started mainly with the right for women to vote and go to school as long as men do.( in other words, a college education for a woman was a waste of time, he duties was in the home with children and her husband).

fast forward to now, many feminist movements focus on rape prevention, health care, and domestic violence against women.
I say I'm a feminist because I support efforts to eliminate violence against women, and also help women who want better economic opportunities for themselves and their children.

I shave and wear bra's!
=D

Answer 10

It is, usually, a woman who feels strong about women's rights.


fem·i·nism –noun

1. the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men.

2. (sometimes initial capital letter) an organized movement for the attainment of such rights for women.

3. feminine character.