Because I
can now count 4 women I know personally who've been raped. It's like a
disease that continues to spread in our society. It needs to stop.
“Why Society Still Needs Feminism
Because to men, a key is a
device to open something. For women, it’s a weapon we hold between our
fingers when we’re walking alone at night.
Because the biggest
insult for a guy is to be called a “pussy,” a “little bitch” or a
“girl.” From here on out, being called a “pussy” is an effing badge of
honor.
Because last month, my politics professor asked the class
if women should have equal representation in the Supreme Court, and only
three out of 42 people raised their hands.
Because rape jokes are still a thing.
Because despite being equally broke college kids, guys are still expected to pay for dates, drinks and flowers.
Because
as a legit student group, Campus Fellowship does not allow women to
lead anything involving men. Look, I know Eve was dumb about the whole
apple and snake thing, but I think we can agree having a vagina does not
directly impact your ability to lead a
college organization.
Because
it’s assumed that if you are nice to a girl, she owes you sex —
therefore, if she turns you down, she’s a bitch who’s put you in the
“friend zone.” Sorry, bro, women are not machines you put kindness coins
into until sex falls out.
Because only 29 percent of American
women identify as feminist, and in the words of author Caitlin Moran,
“What part of ‘liberation for women’ is not for you? Is it freedom to
vote? The right not to be owned by the man you marry? The campaign for
equal pay? Did all that good shit get on your nerves? Or were you just
drunk at the time
of the survey?”
Because when people hear the
term feminist, they honestly think of women burning bras. Dude, have
you ever bought a bra? No one would burn them because they’re freaking
expensive.
Because Rush Limbaugh.
Because
we now have a record number of women in the Senate … which is a measly
20 out of 100. Congrats, USA, we’ve gone up to 78th place for women’s
political representation, still below China, Rwanda and Iraq.
Because
recently I had a discussion with a couple of well-meaning Drake
University guys, and they literally could not fathom how catcalling a
woman walking down University Avenue is creepy and sexist.
Could. Not. Fathom.
Because on average, the tenured male professors at Drake make more than the tenured female professors.
Because
more people on campus complain about chalked statistics regarding
sexual assault than complain about the existence of sexual assault.
Priorities? Have them.
Because 138 House Republicans voted
against the Violence Against Women Act. All 138 felt it shouldn’t
provide support for Native women, LGBT people or immigrant women. I’m
kind of confused by this, because I thought LGBT people and women of
color were also human beings.
Weird, right?
Because a girl was
roofied last semester at a local campus bar, and I heard someone say
they think she should have been more careful. Being drugged is her
fault, not the fault of the person who put drugs in her drink?
Because
Chris Brown beat Rihanna so badly she was hospitalized, yet he still
has fans and bestselling songs and a tattoo of an abused woman on his
neck.
Because out of 7 billion people on the planet, more than 1
billion women will be raped or beaten in their lifetimes. Women and
girls have their clitorises cut out, acid thrown on them and broken
bottles shoved up them as an act of war. Every second of every day.
Every corner of the Earth.
Because the other day, another friend
of mine told me she was raped, and I can no longer count on both my
hands the number of friends who have told me they’ve been sexually
assaulted. Words can’t express how scared I am that I’m getting used to
this.
Because a brief survey of reality will tell you that we do
not live in a world that values all people equally and that sucks in
real, very scary ways. Because you know we live in a sexist world when
an awesome thing with the name “feminism” has a weird connotation.
Because if I have kids someday, I want my son to be able to have
emotions and play dress up, and I want my daughter to climb trees and
care more about what’s in her head than what’s on it. Because I don’t
want her to carry keys between her fingers at night to
protect herself.
Because feminism is for everybody, and this is your official invitation.”
— Caitlin O’Donnell, Drake University
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