On the 8th of June 1913, one of the most amazing women known to man died. The cause of this death was an incident at the Epsom Derby – 4th June 1913 – when this woman threw herself in front of a horse. This woman was called Emily Davison, and she was a Suffragette. 

Even though the title was originally used negatively, I’m sure there are many women like myself who would have been honoured to have been called a suffragette, or just one of the less notable members of the woman’s suffrage movement – the suffragists. These women fought for the rights that we now hold today. Without honourable women like Davison or Billinghurst, women today would be missing the vote, work opportunities etc. However, when I hear someone call themselves a ‘feminist’, I can’t help but roll my eyes. So what happened? 

I remember my only feminist-ist moment. Well, I should, since it was only two years ago. It was three of us gathered around a computer. Even the other two would admit that it was possibly the worst attempt at feminism in the world. If you’re wondering how bad it could get, here’s an example: 

I would like to say that at least Friend¹ was a strong influence, but it only took a short amount of time before she was telling us to back off, because ‘he’ was hers. But I think it was when we were considering Raining Men for our list of feminist songs that we realised that perhaps we weren’t quite on the right track here. 

Now, we obviously weren’t the representatives for all feminists, but this is where I’m getting at. It’s all great saying, ‘I’m a feminist,’ but are you really? Most people who claimed that they’re feminists don’t even know what they’re fighting for anymore. 

1. The vote? …………… Got it.
2. Women in the work place? …………… Got it.
3. Rights in marriage etc? …………… Got it.

The list goes on. Since the first wave of feminism, women have been winning it. People complain about how the fight isn’t over, but how far have we got to go? Women burst out when we hear men claim that women aren’t as strong, but it’s acceptable for us to laugh at a boy who has feminine qualities, and that it’s alright for us to still expect chivalry? Don’t get me wrong – I’m all for the chivalry. If it wasn’t for it, I probably would have died carrying a piece of equipment yonks ago. What I’m trying to say is that feminists back in the day has done so much, and I find it insulting to hear people calling themselves feminists because they proved they were better at sports than some of the blokes. 

And there’s how far people are going. Some radical feminist groups are claiming that we don’t need men at all in our society. What happened to human rights? Last I heard, the point of the woman’s suffrage movement was for equality. Demanding that women get higher priority in the workforce doesn’t sound like equality to me. I’m not saying that I’m a huge fan of men right now, because they do have a tendency to piss us all off – no offence – but I’m just saying that I refuse to believe that feminism is pushing it a little. 

I’m sorry if this is a little serious, but it winds me up. People storm around the place and try to use feminism or other radical ideas to make them seem ‘special’. It would be like saying that sharing a packet of crisps and bitching about the teachers makes you a communist. Sounds ridiculous, yes? So why is it not ridiculous to do this with feminism? Answer: none, whatsoever. Ladies, appreciate what those who did not have your rights did for you – be happy with what you have today. But if I hear one of you claiming you’re a feminist without decent evidence, I will slap you, in the name of Emily Davison. 

Aim For Next Week: Don’t just talk the talk. Don’t say anything you won’t follow through with. I’m not including threats etc on this one. What I mean is that, pretending/claiming to be something you’re not is a waste of time. 

Stay young, people! x