The advertisement "This is What a Feminist Looks Like", posted by the Feminist Majority Foundation, discusses the meaning of the word 'feminist', who feminists, are and what the mission of the feminist movement is. It brings the valid point that both men and women can be feminists and it annuls negative stereotypes of the word. The ad features celebrities as well as other people who speak about these issues. One of the women in the ad makes an intriguing assertion; she states that "acknowledging that you're a feminist is an act of gratitude for the people that went before you and fought for the rights that you're now enjoying". Is the belief in the social, political, and economic equality between men and women an 'act of gratitude'? Is it a reciprocation of the work of previous generations of women who battled tirelessly for the advancement of women and society?
Being a feminist is about belief- believing in social, political, and economic equality between men and women. It does not necessarily mean that you are grateful for the work of feminists of the past or are a feminist because of their work. However, the views that are accepted today would not have existed if it not had been for feminists of the past so it makes sense that a feminist would be grateful for the work of these (mostly) women and appreciate their struggle to achieve that which seemed impossible. The act of voicing feminist opinions and ideas is not, in the act, a way to thank the women that came before us, but it is a way to give a voice to their work.
Feminism, like other movements, such as the civil rights movement (of which feminism is a part), came out of oppression. It was a rebellion; they questioned oppressive norms of society and rebelled against them, paving the way for a more liberated world. Contemporary feminism is a continuation of the work of the feminist movement which did the same for women, as each wave before it.
I think the point that the person was trying to make is that identifying as a feminist and participating in the feminist movement is an act of gratitude by carrying on the work of others in the movement. I'm not sure if gratitude was the best word to use here (maybe respect or solidarity would have been better choices?).
I think the point that the person was trying to make is that identifying as a feminist and participating in the feminist movement is an act of gratitude by carrying on the work of others in the movement. I'm not sure if gratitude was the best word to use here (maybe respect or solidarity would have been better choices?).
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