"Feminism" is a Misnomer

If you Google "feminism," you'll find it defined as “a social and political movement that seeks to achieve gender equality.” But it's a complex, nuanced concept that goes far deeper than a simple definition. At its core, feminism is about creating a world where opportunities and rights are equally accessible to all genders.

The Concrete Goals of Feminist Activism

Feminist activists strive for equality in many different areas. For example:

- Wage equity across genders

- Reproductive rights and personal autonomy

- Protection from sexual harassment and assault

- Challenging deeply ingrained gender stereotypes  

However, feminism is not a static concept. 80 years ago, feminists were fighting for basic rights like voting and property ownership. Today, we're pushing for workplace equality, bodily autonomy, and challenging deeply rooted societal norms.

Exploring Feminist Approaches

Similarly, feminism isn't monolithic. Different branches approach gender equality through various lenses:

Liberal Feminism (Mainstream Feminism):

- Emphasizes political and legal system reforms

- Adapts to changing social understanding of equality

- Responsive to evolving societal dynamics

Liberal feminism is what most people think of when they hear the term “feminism.” It is the more mainstream and “pop culture” based feminism. This branch focuses on achieving equality of the sexes through political and legal reform. Because this branch is so mainstream and influenced by pop culture, it is the most changing branch of feminism.

Cultural Feminism:

- Critically examines and challenges traditional gender norms

- Seeks to redefine cultural perceptions of gender characteristics

Cultural Feminism, on the other hand, is one of the most stable branches as it always strives for the same thing. This branch began in the 1970’s and has changed very little since then. Their main purpose is to critique societal gender norms. They attempt to redefine the cultural attributes that are marked as feminine.

Why Feminism is a Misnomer

Feminism is often misunderstood. Many people think that feminism is the campaigning of women. Others believe it is simply “man-hating.” But it's not about women gaining power over men, but about creating genuine equality. Each of the examples given above show that the final goal is achieving evenness. Because our society has historically been structured to benefit men, the movement has had to be female oriented, hence the name feminism. But feminism just aims to balance things out - not flip the script. In its truest form, feminism is an equality movement not a women’s movement.

The ultimate objective is comprehensive equality for all individuals, regardless of gender.