Say it out Loud: feminism part one
December 3, 2025
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk at Pexels
Sibylla St. Germain and Grace Trent challenge everyday patriarchy
Feminism
/ˈfɛmɪnɪz(ə)m/ noun: the advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes.
Feminism is equality. Yet for many, the word sparks anger or man-hating. Society has chosen to misunderstand it, and stereotypes make the conversation difficult before it even begins.
By Google’s definition to be a feminist is to advocate for the social, political and economic equality of all sexes. Surely that’s something everyone should be in favour of right? WRONG.
The term feminist is one that is surrounded by negative connotations and seen as taboo by many, both male and female. This is because it’s too often become synonymous with the idea of man-hating.
The feminist movement has been around for nearly two centuries. Since then, women have made undeniable strides, addressing and conquering issues such as discrimination in the workplace, equal access to education, right to vote and reproductive rights.
However, despite the positive impact of past movements, we cannot deny patriarchal systems still run deep within our society, with their invading nature allowing it to permeate even the smallest of interactions. Patriarchy is so ingrained within our society that it often goes unnoticed. Male friendships strengthen misogynistic ideals: terms such as ‘slut’ and ‘whore’ are used between men, and even women, to degrade women for engaging in sexual acts, while men are praised for the same behaviour.
Boys are often praised for the bare minimum while girls are expected to excel and be hard workers
The double standards don’t end there. Within the classroom boys are praised for the bare minimum while girls are expected to excel and be hard workers. These stereotypes are damaging to both genders and directly affect the way we view and treat men and woman.
Traditional structures, such as religion, further perpetuate ideas of male superiority and female subordination, with men being depicted as powerful leaders while women are literally blamed for the biblical fall of humanity (the story of Adam and Eve) and told to submit to their husbands in silence: ‘wives submit yourselves to your husbands’.
Many religions ask women to veil themselves, which is not an expectation placed on men. Additionally, menstruation is often deemed as ‘dirty’, with women being denied access to places regarded as ‘holy’ due to their natural, supposedly God-given bodily process.
God’s maleness can also be seen as problematic because it supports the idea of male dominance and men being the worthier sex. These messages subconsciously shape how we think about authority and power without us even realising it, creating a cycle of female oppression.
The stigma around the word ‘feminism’ makes it difficult to talk about without being labelled as ‘crazy’ or a ‘man hater’. Feminism is equality, and we have a voice to make it known. The truth is that patriarchy doesn’t just disadvantage girls; it’s also harmful towards men. It ties masculinity to strength, labels emotional expression as weakness, and teaches boys to suppress their feelings from an early age.
Beneath new-age feminism and sexual liberation, old power structures endure
This affects not only their mental health, but their relationships with friends, making it harder to connect with peers honestly, for fear of being judged if they were to truly express themselves. This leads to feelings of loneliness, isolation and even depression. According to the UK Office for National Statistics, the male suicide rate is three times higher than the female suicide rate. It also effects their relationships with women as anger can become a substitute for sadness, breeding a culture of toxic and abusive relationships in which women often become the victims.
Underneath the new age feminism and talk of sexual liberation, the old power structures are still alive. They have simply taken on a more sinister form, masking and relabelling the evident misogyny within our society as ‘empowerment’. Figures such as Bonnie Blue promote harmful ideas around sex and promote male objectification of women.
The rise in young boys and men consuming pornographic content such as Only Fans, reflects a wider issue within society. Men’s searches involving rough or non-consensual sex, fuel rape culture and spread misinformation, creating unrealistic expectations about sex and intimacy.
Feminism isn’t about hating men. It’s about making life fair for everyone. If we want women to be safe and men to feel without pressure, we need to say the word feminism out loud, without fear, without apology!
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