Feminists, because we are well worth it
Inevitably at some point, the question comes up - "Are you a feminist?" I say "yes" without skipping a beat.
Then, as the dinner conversation drifts to something else, I pause and think - "What does it mean to be a feminist?
My parents used to reinvent the Maria song from The Sound of Music to sing: "How to you solve a problem like Gloria?" - and then jokingly whisper between themselves: "Marry her off !"
My parents have been incredibly supportive of my career and lifestyle choices, which could hardly be considered conservative or even comprehensible to them half the time.
But growing up there are expectations of being a woman that you soak up simply by being in the present.
You have to have your own career because you can't just depend on a man. Yet don't forget to be coy and pretty so that you can find a man. But don't just go for any man because you would be called a slut. That's fine if you are a man though, because they would call you a player and that is cool.
The ideal image of a woman in the 21st century is a lean one in a sleek power suit, baby on one arm and Hermes Birkin bag loaded with A4-size business documents in the other - proudly smiling husband in the background. If she had a third arm she would be holding a frying spatula. Boom - the face of feminism.
But there are many faces of feminism the world often fails to point out to us: the mother, the housewife trying to raise her kids as the feminists of tomorrow, the struggling artist who paints by day and waits tables by night, the teacher, and so on.
To me, there is nothing more noble than being a truly inspiring and open-minded teacher. That could naturally apply to a man as well - but that is the point of being a feminist to me.
It is not about valuing one gender over the other, but about equal rights for both. And also, simply the drive to pursue the life one envisions and not be hamstrung by gender expectations.
I believe that women should be able to have the same opportunities as men, perhaps even more so.
I believe that women should believe in their right to have the same opportunities as men, that they should not be afraid to speak up against gender bias, stereotypes and situations where they are disadvantaged.
Question expectations, question establishments and, most importantly, question our worth. Because, more often than not, we are worth more than that.- Art student Gloria Yu is a designer, writer and a citizen of the world.
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=142708&sid=41620125&con_type=1&d_str=20140220
My parents used to reinvent the Maria song from The Sound of Music to sing: "How to you solve a problem like Gloria?" - and then jokingly whisper between themselves: "Marry her off !"
My parents have been incredibly supportive of my career and lifestyle choices, which could hardly be considered conservative or even comprehensible to them half the time.
But growing up there are expectations of being a woman that you soak up simply by being in the present.
You have to have your own career because you can't just depend on a man. Yet don't forget to be coy and pretty so that you can find a man. But don't just go for any man because you would be called a slut. That's fine if you are a man though, because they would call you a player and that is cool.
The ideal image of a woman in the 21st century is a lean one in a sleek power suit, baby on one arm and Hermes Birkin bag loaded with A4-size business documents in the other - proudly smiling husband in the background. If she had a third arm she would be holding a frying spatula. Boom - the face of feminism.
But there are many faces of feminism the world often fails to point out to us: the mother, the housewife trying to raise her kids as the feminists of tomorrow, the struggling artist who paints by day and waits tables by night, the teacher, and so on.
To me, there is nothing more noble than being a truly inspiring and open-minded teacher. That could naturally apply to a man as well - but that is the point of being a feminist to me.
It is not about valuing one gender over the other, but about equal rights for both. And also, simply the drive to pursue the life one envisions and not be hamstrung by gender expectations.
I believe that women should be able to have the same opportunities as men, perhaps even more so.
I believe that women should believe in their right to have the same opportunities as men, that they should not be afraid to speak up against gender bias, stereotypes and situations where they are disadvantaged.
Question expectations, question establishments and, most importantly, question our worth. Because, more often than not, we are worth more than that.- Art student Gloria Yu is a designer, writer and a citizen of the world.
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=142708&sid=41620125&con_type=1&d_str=20140220
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