Many women have talked to me about their doubts… “Am I still a feminist if I…
-…wear high heels?”
-…cook dinner for my boyfriend?”
-…decide to stay home to take care of the kids?”
and also “Are people going to judge me for it?”.
I think it’s time to take into account modern feminism, this new way of understanding gender fights in our modern society, because although there are still many gender issues, it’s not the 1950’s anymore.
Feminism at its core aims at giving women the right to do exactly what they want to do. It’s ok to want to look nice, not because it’s our duty to look good for men, but because you should do whatever makes you feel good, healthy, strong… if you like it, wear it! It doesn’t matter since our looks aren’t (or shouldn’t) our only attributes, they don’t define ourselves as a person. High heels especially, they’re not a symbol of male domination anymore, they’re just a matter of fashion.
The difference is that now it goes both ways: men also take care of their looks, they cook, they take care of their kids… So go make a sandwich for your boyfriend! This oh so charming phrase doesn’t go with the sexist context anymore, since your boyfriend will probably cook the day after and wash the dishes…
As Hannah Woit explains here, feminism gives us the right to do what makes us truely happy.
Not doing certain things because it might trigger male reactions is also a kind of dependence, so do whatever the f*** you want! As long as it’s respectful to yourself and the others.
