What is feminism? According to Google it is “the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.” To many people however, it means something completely different. They think of the word “feminist” and imagine women burning their bras in the 1970’s or spouting off mantras against the patriarchy. What they probably don’t think about are men. Yes, men can be feminists too. In fact, there is currently a solidarity movement for gender equality, called He for She, presented by Emma Watson at the United Nations this past month. It asks for men to fight for women’s rights too, one half of humanity standing up for the other. For young women in today’s society, there are plenty of issues we have to face. Between the ways we dress, rape culture, gender roles, unequal pay, and for some, the right to an education, the world isn’t as fair as it’s made out to be.

In light of current events like this, a group of female students have pushed for and started the Gender Equality Club. The name, as it suggests, is for the equal representation of genders at Darlington and the world we live in. It’s open to anyone who is interested, regardless of personal or political beliefs. Being one of the founders of this club, I’ve been asked some different questions as to why I think this is an important cause. Several people tried to dissuade me, saying they thought it was silly and not a real issue, especially in a country like America. I heard things like “It’s the 21^st century, this isn’t really a problem anymore,” and “People are going to think you hate guys.” But there’s also been so much positive feedback, from girls and guys, who want to be a part of this club. So in reality, it doesn’t matter too much what I think personally. What matters is that everyone else has an opinion of some form or fashion, and this is a place to express it.

The first meeting is Thursday, October 9 at 7:50 a.m. in the Chorus room.

Image by: Rob Stott / Jul 10, 2013 (iStockphoto/Thinkstock)