During a recent assembly, Anna L (SVI) gave the following speech on feminism and its continued relevance today.
Hi, I’m Anna and I run the school's feminist society - PRETTI - and I’m here to discuss feminism and its relevance today. Right now it feels like it's a successful time for women: with films like Barbie becoming the highest grossing film directed by a woman, Michelle Yeoh being the first Asian woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress and Halle Bailey being the first black live action Disney princess. So, do we still need feminism?
I would like to start my speech off with a quote from feminist author Farida D:
“You don't become a feminist; you are born a feminist. No one is born believing that women deserve less rights than others- the patriarchy teaches us that. Everyone is born a feminist; and you either remain a feminist or you become a misogynist.”
Feminism isn’t just a movement; it represents justice and equality between all people; however, feminism doesn't just focus on “women's issues”. Instead it overlaps with issues faced by all minorities, such as racism, classism, and homophobia, not just sexism. The basic principle of feminism is recognizing the shared struggles of all marginalized communities and advocating for social change. It's about ensuring that every individual human in the world has the same rights, opportunities, and freedoms.
Let's talk about common misconceptions about feminism. Feminism is not about women seeking superiority over men. It's not about diminishing the value of men or disregarding their contributions to society. Instead, feminism is about challenging the systemic inequalities that have marginalized and oppressed women for centuries. It's about challenging the patriarchy.
The word patriarchy is derived from ancient Greek, and it literally means the rule of the father. It is used to describe a social system where men control a disproportionately large share of social, economic, political, and religious power.
A patriarchal society favours men, and even in well-developed countries like Scotland, we still live in a patriarchal society. For the half of this school that are female, we will encounter inequalities throughout our life, based on our gender. In economic terms this means for every one pound earned by a man, we will earn 90 pence for the same work, and although things are improving, it is estimated that it will take 137 years to close this gender pay gap.
We are less safe. The Equally Safe Strategy 2023 published by the Scottish Government reports that one in six women have experienced online violence including unwanted sharing of images. Nearly 40% of girls ages 16 to 21 receive unwanted attention when they go outside. One in four women in higher education will experience sexual assault and over half of these will occur on campus. Beyond education, many women experience discrimination in the workplace and, outwith employment, women have additional unrecorded labour as they bear a disproportionate share of childcare commitments and domestic chores.
On a global scale, poverty, hunger and the impact of climate change disproportionately affects women. Women make up two thirds of the world's illiterate population. This statistic worsens for women living in rural areas, with school attendance being much lower for girls than boys. Every year a girl attends primary school, increases her eventual wages by 10 to 20%, she will marry later, have fewer children, experience less violence and have a longer life expectancy. Globally one in five women are married before their eighteenth birthday.
Our generation has inspiring role models like Malala Yousafzai, who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban for advocating for women's right to education before going on to win a Nobel Peace Prize and study at Oxford, Greta Thunburg, a climate activist who started a global movement to limit the effects of climate change, and Tarana Burke, who kickstarted the #Me Too movement and forever changed the way that women and girls report and discuss sexual abuse and harassment culture in today's society.
Why is feminism important in the 21st century?
Feminism is a crucial movement because it benefits everyone. Gender equality isn't just a women's issue; it's a human rights issue. I said at the beginning of this speech that feminism overlaps with issues faced by all minorities, such as racism, classism, and homophobia, not just sexism. We can consider the impact of gender discrimination from our positions of privilege, but we must acknowledge that the women facing poverty, racism and homophobia have a heavier burden. Intersectionality is the word used to describe the multiple forms of oppression or disadvantages that people face. In the UK, there is an ethnic pay gap with UK born Black and Asian workers earning up to 16% less than their white counterparts. There is also a sexuality-based pay gap with lesbian women earning less than straight women. When all of this is translated into our lives, we have to look inwardly at our own biases and prejudices against gender, race, sexuality and disability, and we have to stand up and challenge the structures that allow these inequities to continue.
When we empower women, we uplift entire communities. Studies have shown that countries with greater gender equality have higher levels of economic growth, better health outcomes, and a greater sense of community.
Feminism is about challenging harmful gender stereotypes and expectations that limit both men and women. It's about promoting a world where individuals are free to express themselves regardless of societal norms or expectations.
In conclusion, feminism is not a radical idea; it's a fundamental principle of justice and equality. It's about creating a world where every individual, regardless of gender, can thrive and fulfil their potential. I’d like to end this assembly by quoting Shirley Chisholm who was the first Black woman to be elected to the United States congress
“If they don’t give you a seat at the table. Bring a folding chair.”