I AM A FEMINIST! Woohoo!

So I'm awake here at 4:45 am and as I was just dreaming about feminism (hahaha), I had a deep urge to come online and rant about it.

I am a feminist. And for all those women out there who I continually hear saying "I hate feminists", you can bite me. I'm frustrated by the fact that modern women have very little appreciation for the rights and freedoms we enjoy today, given to us by... FEMINISTS! Yes, it was the feminists who gave us the right to vote in the 1920s, and the feminists who allowed us to have greater rights outside of the home in the 1960s. If you want to thank someone for being accepted into university, thanks the feminists of the 1960s, who fought for women's rights to be recognized as more than a housewife or a mother - to be seen as an individual, capable of contributing to the society around her.

I might add that the definition of feminism is the belief that men and women should be equal. So if you aren't a feminist, I'm going to say that you are somewhat... chauvinistic, unless you're a women, in which case, you are just sad. I'm not finishing my argument here though, because some people when I mention this definition, will go on to say, "Oh. Well, I agree. But I don't agree with RADICAL feminism - We've gotten all the rights we need right now and can't go any farther."

HALT! Did you know that women earn 70% of men in CANADA?? Yes, right here! And not based on labour differences, this is 70% of men for the same job. We needn't look any further than our own homes (most of the time-mine's pretty radical, although I'm still trying to convince my dad he's a feminist. figures.) to see the entrenched gender roles of our own society. Did your mom do the cooking and cleaning for you (most likely, all the while also managing a job and picking up the kids) while Dad brought home the bacon? Normal, right. WHY? Why is that normal?? Why can't the Dad be the one cooking? Why can't Dad be the one cleaning? And don't you dare venture to say that men can't cook or clean. I have one of the finest fathers who does both. I could also mention that Emeril, Mario Battali, Michael Smith, and Jamie Oliver would be quite offended by that statement.

This past Valentine's Day, 5 000 people gathered in Vancouver (during the Olympics I might add, although I certainly don't remember hearing about this) for the 19th annual memorial of Canada's 3 000 missing Aboriginal women. Some lost due to targeted ethnic and gender violence, some to domestic violence, this day attempts to bring forward this unaccounted for issue to the government. Although perhaps it has finally heard their cries, for it was mentioned in the Throne Speech last Wednesday.

I could go on and on, telling you about women's issues all over the world, and the importance of feminism today, but I will stop here as I think I will attempt to sleep some more before my 8:30 class. Hahaha. In the end, all I want people to know is that there is nothing wrong with being a feminist, or admitting that you ARE one. I'm proud to be a feminist and defend my stance with great passion because I know that women's issues are important and I am grateful to those women who helped me achieve the things I was able to today.

So thank-you to my feminist predecessors. And good night.