Just because I like the colour pink doesn’t mean I’m not a feminist

Equality doesn’t dictate hairy armpits


In its most simple state, feminism is the simple idea that you don’t want to be treated like shit for being a woman. It’s hard to remember this in a society where feminism is associated with the third-wave, angry army that supposedly have hairy armpits and demonise men. To be a feminist, you don’t need to furiously shout your opinion like some coffee-fanatic demanding their venti cappuccino in Starbucks.

I recently finished reading Roxane Gay’s Bad Feminist : the book is a collection of short inspiring essays which explore modern feminism and our society as a whole. She concedes several things which make her feel like a “bad” feminist, but she concludes that she’d rather be a bad feminist than not a feminist at all. Gay has made me realise a few things.

A recommended read

Feminism shouldn’t be essentialised

I’m getting tired of the way we have an ever-narrowing understanding of feminism: there’s supposedly ‘good’ feminism and ‘bad’ feminism. To be a ‘good’ feminist suggests you have to be humourless, to hate men, to not shave, and to detest a male’s gaze. This is not feminism in my eyes, and it’s exactly this militance which means, when you say you’re a feminist, people often shy away.

It’s okay to not conform to the typical ‘feminist’

So, you pluck your eyebrows and feel as if you have to wear mascara every day; you maybe sang All About That Bass a few too many times or bought Blurred Lines; you say ‘Be a man!’ a bit too often; you read Cosmopolitan religiously; and even secretly adore the colour pink. That’s all okay. Hey, I’m partial to silky-smooth legs and only in extreme circumstances will I miss the opportunity to be the little spoon. But, that doesn’t mean I don’t get angry when I think about all the ways in which society is slacking in terms of gender equality.

Wearing heels doesn’t mean that I agree with gender inequality

Yes, there’s a long way to go

Just because I do some of these things (soz I am not a fan of Megan Trainor), does not mean I don’t find the state of gender inequality in the world pretty shocking; it doesn’t mean that I’m not disgusted by the fact that, in the UK, women only hold 29 per cent of parliamentary seats or that men in full-time work earn over 14 per cent more than women and at the current rate, that the gap would take 54 years to disappear.

It doesn’t mean I can’t resent the fact that every year, three million girls are at risk from female genital mutilation or that globally only 12 per cent of girls and women have access to sanitary towels. It doesn’t mean that I will accept how women are commonly subjected to sexual and misogynistic abuse.

Something needs to change

We are human beings and full of contradictions; maybe I conform to the stereotype of a ‘bad feminist’ (if that even exists), but that doesn’t mean I don’t believe in women’s rights or gender equality any less than a ‘good feminist’. It’s time for this essential feminism to be dismantled and for us to realise that all feminists are striving for parity, whether they’ve waxed their legs or not.

It’s really quite simple

Fundamentally, feminism is about gender equality and that’s what matters. In the words of Gloria Steinem: “A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.” There’s no need to undermine my stance just because I wear make up from time to time.

International Women’s Day is celebrated on Tuesday 8th March.