feminism
At its core, feminism is the simple conviction that women are equal to men in every regard, and should be treated as such.
Women Respecting Women
“What are you doing?” “What are you wearing?” “Don’t you have any respect for yourself?” Whether these questions have been directed at us or a woman we know, many women have learned, through the patriarchal society, that if we are participating in any activity deemed inappropriate or not "respectable," we are not worthy of respect. Women are often monitored on their clothing choices, sexual activities, drinking, or late night habits. Society polices women's clothing and bodies on a daily basis. These views are extremely misogynistic and lead to people, men and women alike, judging women's behavior in order to determine whether or not they deserve respect.
Emma PinderaPublished 7 years ago in Viva#MeToo
I don't think that my story is unique in any way what so ever. Every day on the bus I have to put my head phones in to avoid getting hit on by old men who reek of vodka. If they do catch me with my headphones out, I have to say I'm not interested, or if that doesn't work, that I am a lesbian.
Toni RiojasPublished 7 years ago in VivaDo I Deserve to Say "Me Too?"
Last week, we saw the emergence of a movement. Famous actress Alyssa Milano (whom I know best for her role on the TV sitcom Who's The Boss?) recently started a movement that encourages women to speak out about sexual harassment.
Kendra Felicity WheelerPublished 7 years ago in VivaIn the Wake of #Metoo
It’s been years now, two decades to be exact, that a poised mentor told me I would never be a writer, I was high school quality at best, and that I was mediocre at it on a good day. After twenty years you think I would have forgotten those cruel words. I did not. Instead, at twenty-one, I remember how much I was mortified and crushed. It was college, and I sat in my advisor’s office and cried. He was young, non-tenured, and had to play the political balance. When I told him what occurred, after pulling his jaw from the desk it had just fallen on, he bluntly said: “You’ll never see that bastard again.”
Annessa BabicPublished 7 years ago in VivaMy #MeToo Story
Trigger warning. Trigger warning. Trigger warning! If you are triggered by talk of rape, sexual abuse, underage drinking, underage smoking, mentions of drug use, allusions of parental abuse, victim blaming, vulgar language, etc. then do not read this story. This is your warning.
Nikki JonesPublished 7 years ago in VivaYou'll Be Okay. I Promise.
At nineteen I began dating "him." You know. The charismatic, fun-loving, happy-go-lucky guy that makes friends with every person he meets? The one that's obnoxiously friendly yet somehow wins you over? He was that guy... until he wasn't.
Erin ColónPublished 7 years ago in VivaRape Apologists List that Needs to Be More Heard
This is a rape apologists list that needs to be more heard. "Well what was she wearing?" A women's clothing should NOT give you the urge to force yourself onto her. It's her body and her clothing should not be a distraction to you. Men are topless quite a lot but you don't see a woman forcing herself onto him and saying "He was topless what did you expect?" So what's the difference if a girl wore a crop top or a low shirt?
soph laurenPublished 7 years ago in VivaWe Are Girls, Not Your Toys
December 16, 2012, would have probably been just another day for the 23-year-old paramedical student returning after watching a movie with a friend if Delhi had a safe public transport system. She would have lived to turn 28 on May 10 this year had the police reined in rogues in a white private bus that had no business to be on the road that night.
Anmol DhaliwalPublished 7 years ago in VivaWhat Is a Feminist?
Right now, less than one third of all women in America are willing to say that they are feminists. Even fewer men do, possibly because a lot of guys don't believe men can be feminists. Considering that we're supposed to be in a civilized, normal society, this is pretty appalling.
Ossiana TepfenhartPublished 7 years ago in Viva#MeToo
My #metoo stories are nowhere near as bad as what many, many people had to endure. I simply have thousands of paper cuts of occasions when I was made to feel unsafe and degraded because of my gender.
Fabia Scali-WarnerPublished 7 years ago in VivaExperiences Being a Female in a Perverted Society
Imagine this: you’re a 13-year-old female. You’re wearing simple clothing, just a t-shirt and jeans. Nothing sexy about that, right? It’s a plain-Jane outfit. You’re doing something simple; you’re with your mom at the grocery store getting some groceries. In the aisle comes four men, each one doing a double-take as they pass by you, some of them giving you the "elevator eyes." You know those eyes—the eyes that look you up and down like you’re something tasty. You stare right back at them, wondering what they’re looking at. At first, you’re in denial—they couldn’t possibly be looking at you like that, right? They were in their 50s, you in your first year as a teenager. Thirteen-year-old me didn’t know why they were staring. I thought maybe I had some leftover chocolate on my lip, but, alas, my mom told me it was because they were perverts. She told me that some men don’t have control, and that they stare and think horrendous thoughts, all at the expense of a little girl. This day was the pivotal moment when I knew that the world wasn’t what I thought it was.
Lena GonzalesPublished 7 years ago in VivaMe Too
You may have heard about or seen the hashtag, #MeToo spreading around recently on social media. If not, then you probably aren't on social media too much. Either way, I'll make a quick recap about the social media campaign. The most recent trending hashtag caught on after Alyssa Milano sent out a tweet encouraging victims of sexual assault and harassment to use the hashtag. Some simply said, me too, while others shared some or all of their story. These brave words and stories spread across Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for many to see. People bared their scars for everyone in the hopes of making some change. People cut open their wounds to show other victims that they are not alone and that sexual abuse and harassment are an epidemic. Before I get any further, I want to note that the Me Too movement was started by Tarana Burke over ten years ago. There is a great article about how the movement was started and her activism work, click here to read it.