First things first,
What is feminism? The dictionary definition of feminism is:
"the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social and economic equality to men."
Am I a feminist?
Yes, absolutely! Although, my faith contradicts with a few unspoken qualities of feminism, which I will specify later.
Is feminist a bad word?
Society has made the word feminism a dirty word, but in all actually feminism really isn't that striking. The stereotypical feminist is what makes feminism "dirty". In todays society, a feminist is an unmarried man hater, with lack of physical hygiene and deep despise towards pink ruffles. As a matter of fact, most feminist willingly wear dresses, marry men, and brush their hair. If you know me, there is nothing I love more then a good girls night, and cute wedges, oh and I'm also a feminist!
Here is why I agree with feminism:
1. I believe that women are a powerful force to be reckoned with. Women were made with creative, innovative, and smart minds. Some women were made to be graphic designers, others firefighters, and even CEOs. Each women designed for ministry in the position that God has called them to. Therefore serving Jesus, in there own special way. A woman has the ability to perform whatever occupation that a man upholds, with EQUAL (no more, no less) pay. In my opinion there is an expectation to this statement and that is executive church leadership. Why? keep reading..
2. I believe that as the years pass women's wear evolves with it.
I am very passionate about fashion and have gone through multiple stages in regards to my wardrobe. About a year ago, I attempted a month of wearing only skirts (that touched right above the knee) to test the hypothesis that wearing skirts is the only way to ensure modesty and womanhood. During this experiment it was crazy to notice how wearing skirts made me feel differently about myself. I did feel girly, but I also felt timid and unsure of myself! Wearing skirts every day made me feel like I was limited, I couldn't exercise well and perform daily tasks easily because I was restricted. I felt like society looked at me in a way that made me scared to speak up. Therefore, I do think it is okay for women to wear pants, all in modesty! The bible does not tell women to only wear skirts, it asks women to dress modestly.
"I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes." - 1 Timothy 2:9
I do love the Duggar family, and wearing only skirts may work for some!
3. I believe that women are equal to men in worth.
Okay, so maybe you have been believing that when the scriptures say something along the lines of "wives submit to your husbands" it is interpreted as women are less important then men. This is incorrect! The act of submitting that Jesus instructs is not in obedience, but in understanding and support. Women are no less important then men. Women are so awesome, that they are given the role of lifting up and standing besides their husbands. We are to uphold this in regards to scripture, we are not obligated to be bossed around by men in any sense. Ladies, that goes both ways, you don't have the right to treat men as less then equal to you. For another reference in scripture read Galatians 3:28 and Ephesians 5:21.
Here are my exceptions to unspoken feminist beliefs:
I DO NOT believe...
1. That women should be paid more then men. We should be paid equal, why are we not? Equality is feminism, dominance is pride.
2. That any women running for office should be elected because of her gender and the need for a female president. Absolutely not! Politics are not gender dependent, we should seek Christ above presidential preference.
3. That women should lead and make all decisions in regards of her family. Scripture alert! Several scriptures refer to this: Ephesians 5:22, Colossians 3:18... Men were created to steward there families towards Jesus, and aren't we lucky as women, that we don't carry that responsibility? We are privileged to support the man that walks into our life and admire him as he leads you nearer to the heart of God.
4. That women should dress and/or act in compromising ways to their femininity. To me this is the opposite of what I understand to be feminism, why would we pursue manliness in our quest for equality in womanhood? We as women just as we are, are powerful.
I hope that this was informative to you, and helps you to form your own opinion on feminism and in relation to scripture. In the end my identity lies in Christ alone, not as a feminist.