Over the past weeks the topic of feminism has been going around in my house. My two lovely ladies even suggested that I am a feminist, a suggestion which made me extremely skeptical but I have since listened to Emma Watson's UN HeForShe speech and by her definition I am a man who is indeed a feminist.
Emma Watson suggested in her speech that a feminist is someone who believes in equality between the sexes.
I have spent my adult life promoting equality, equality between the able bodied and those with disabilities, the equality between men and women, the equality between races, rich and poor and even equality between humanity and our environment.
I have known ever since my work with the Global Poverty Project that equality is the fast forward button that makes our world better.
I know sometimes it is easy to get caught up in stereotypes in fact Emma talks about this in her speech. I myself am guilty of falling into the stereotype trap. Even though I now have a new definition of feminism my natural instinct is to protect a woman in a situation of conflict. Even though I know intellectually women are able to take care of themselves.
I believe that equality can be achieved if we focus not on the gender of a person but a person's skill level. If a woman has the same skills as a man then she should be treated equally.
Living my life in a wheelchair I can understand why at first glance someone might think I am inferior because of my physical limitations but what I can't understand is how someone can look at a woman and think they are inferior just because they are a woman.
I have listened, thought, and I now agree I am a feminist because my whole adult life equals equality.
Emma Watson suggested in her speech that a feminist is someone who believes in equality between the sexes.
I have spent my adult life promoting equality, equality between the able bodied and those with disabilities, the equality between men and women, the equality between races, rich and poor and even equality between humanity and our environment.
I have known ever since my work with the Global Poverty Project that equality is the fast forward button that makes our world better.
I know sometimes it is easy to get caught up in stereotypes in fact Emma talks about this in her speech. I myself am guilty of falling into the stereotype trap. Even though I now have a new definition of feminism my natural instinct is to protect a woman in a situation of conflict. Even though I know intellectually women are able to take care of themselves.
I believe that equality can be achieved if we focus not on the gender of a person but a person's skill level. If a woman has the same skills as a man then she should be treated equally.
Living my life in a wheelchair I can understand why at first glance someone might think I am inferior because of my physical limitations but what I can't understand is how someone can look at a woman and think they are inferior just because they are a woman.
I have listened, thought, and I now agree I am a feminist because my whole adult life equals equality.
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