By Olivia Woods – Contributor

            Despite what the media and misinformed individuals want to tell you, feminism is not a scary word. In my opinion, social media, the internet and the rise of more right-leaning politics across the country have led to a substantial misunderstanding of what feminism means and its ideologies. 

So what is feminism? A textbook definition of feminism is the advocacy of political, economic and social equality of the sexes to dismantle systems of oppression to achieve gender equality. 

But what does this mean? To me, it means the ability to make educated choices about your life. All of the choices! Choices about your appearance, your career path, your sexual and reproductive health, your mental health, your home, your friends, your hobbies, your hygiene, your life. Absolutely everything. To me, it means standing up and advocating for a world where everyone can live without patriarchal norms, without worrying about societal expectations and just be themselves without repercussions. I never want anyone to make a decision in their life because they are scared, are misinformed or feel like they have to do a certain thing. In the most inspirational way, I can say it, You Only Live Once, make the most of it! 

However, in today’s society, women are judged heavily for their actions and are made to feel as though they have to behave a certain way, mainly to appease the male gaze. But this fact is exacerbated for women of colour, women with disabilities, queer women and many different social identities such as religion, socioeconomic status, age, and location. This refers to the term intersectional feminism created by Kimberlé Crenshaw. Specifically, it means that all different aspects of a person’s identity interact to create different levels of privilege and oppression to make the feminist movement more inclusive. If your feminism is not intersectional, then it is not feminism. If you are not here to uplift and support all voices in the fight for equality, then it is not equality you are fighting. 

When I talk about gender equality, I commonly hear, “But that stuff doesn’t really happen anymore Liv,” or “Liv, you dummy! Women already have equal rights.” Well no worries at all, I am happy to explain why you’re wrong! First and foremost, you are not looking very hard.  I invite you to start following feminist social media accounts and start looking up feminism to help fight these harmful ideas. Collective change starts with individual action. 

But also, let’s talk about the studies coming out that are showing that young girls – as young as three years old – are associating actions and words, such as making yourself smaller, being nice and polite, and being weaker and less adventurous with being female. Our society is set up to teach women and young girls how to act. 

Another breaking headline this week has been the removal of the Minister of Women, Gender Equality and Youth, right in the middle of the United Nations Conference on the Status of Women. During the largest movement to advocate for women, Canada which sent hundreds of delegates removed the highest position to make federal change for women and gender equality. This is a clear sign that women and gender equality are not at the forefront of the agenda for Canada. What does this mean as far as implications? It means that in Canada’s highest decision-making body there is no one advocating for or is responsible for these voices that are consistently overlooked. 

Although this may be a temporary action, its effects are felt deeply within various Canadian advocacy groups, non-profit organizations and individuals. Gender-based violence, gender pay gaps, sexism, racism, homophobia, Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Girls and 2-Spirit People (MMIWG2s), the disproportion within care work, underfunding in female-dominated fields, lack of representation, harmful stereotypes, and hundreds more. These are all current feminist issues across Canada that now lack a clear representative within the Canadian federal cabinet. Enough is enough. The change our society needs to see has to start with individuals. Take five minutes out of your day to look into feminism, to understand why it exists, and I promise you, it is not as scary as it seems.