Feminism has been a really debated issue for as long as the idea of it has been around- and it’s not a recent thing. Did you know that feminism was a movement as far back at the 1960s? Recently, social media has been a big part of the movement becoming more popular than it ever has been, but this also means that it’s been misunderstood by a lot more people than before. So here are a few things to know, to remind you what feminism is really about.

It’s not about hating men

In fact, a part of feminism is actually about encouraging men to deal with their emotions in a healthier way. Men have been taught that being a man is about showing your physical strength and that showing emotions is a sign of weakness – which is sometimes what leads some men to use violence when they are upset instead of looking for support. But men are human beings who go through different emotions, just like women, and it’s time that they feel safe enough to express their emotions without being labelled as “less of a man”.

It’s not just about being angry

It’s normal to feel angry when you learn about all the things that make life unfair for women. But the point of feminism is to learn to use that anger, and turn it into positive action – calling for society to change the way it treats women.

Men can be feminists too

There are so many men around the world who believe that women and men should have the same rights as women. The world definitely needs more men to stand up and fight for women’s rights too. This doesn’t mean that men should be seen as “less” than women, or have their rights taken away, it only means that we should all be equal.

Feminism is about gender equality

Simply put, feminism is about gender equality. One of my favourite definitions of feminism is a quote by Chimamanda Adichie that says a feminist is “a person who believes in the social, economic and political equality of the sexes”, and I think that’s so powerful – don’t you?

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