The Future is Intersectional.

“I had gone from believing that women's issues were a distraction, mere ancillary problems to be addressed after everything else had been taken care of, to the realisation that women are the issue, the core issue. We will fail to solve any problem — poverty, peace, sustainable development, environment, health — unless we look at it through a gender lens and make sure the solution will be good for women.” – Jane Fonda

Feminism: you’re either with it or you're not. I find it hard to understand why anyone wouldn’t support it. After all, we all have mothers, grandmothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, wives, or female friends.

Feminism should be embraced by everyone and should not be considered a “dirty” word. It stands for equality, yet we are still far from achieving it. It's important to remember that supporting women’s rights is not anti-men—let’s not let fragile masculinity obstruct this progress!

Reflecting on Jane Fonda’s quote, I’m reminded of a famous Chinese proverb: “women hold up half the sky.” This highlights the vital role women play in society. As Fonda suggests, if we don’t address issues through a gendered lens, we risk neglecting significant societal and developmental problems.

Currently, women make up approximately 70% of the world’s 1.2 billion people living on less than one dollar a day. Without a strong feminist focus, societal benefits will remain limited to a privileged few. Poverty isn’t gender-neutral; under patriarchal systems, it exacerbates development and social issues, particularly for vulnerable populations. Yet, when advocating for feminism, there's a risk of overlooking those most affected by patriarchal domination.

Indeed, fighting for equal representation and closing the pay gap is crucial. But when women cannot safely manage menstruation or exercise basic human rights, it's clear we need to broaden our definition of feminism.

Kimberlé Crenshaw’s concept of intersectional feminism offers a way to redefine our understanding of feminism beyond the Western-centric perspective. Intersectionality, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is "the complex, cumulative manner in which the effects of different forms of discrimination combine, overlap, or intersect." This means that discrimination is multifaceted and cannot be reduced to simple categories. To truly represent all women, feminism must embrace this broader, more inclusive approach.

Today's feminist movement risks stagnation if it fails to recognise that not all women are straight, white, cisgender, able-bodied, or middle-class. It's crucial to acknowledge how various forms of prejudice compound gender-based discrimination.

While researching, I encountered a quote from the Dalai Lama that initially shocked me: “The world will be saved by Western women.” This comment conjured images of privileged Western women rescuing others, but with a different perspective, it becomes clear that Western women have a responsibility to use their privilege to amplify the voices of less represented women globally.

Western women can indeed "save" the world by advocating for the rights of all women, not just those in the West. This is not to diminish the challenges women face in Western contexts, but rather to broaden the discussion to include women from all backgrounds. Feminism should encompass every woman's rights and issues, not just those affecting the West.

Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn's book, Half the Sky: How to Change the World, provides sobering insights into the struggles women face in vulnerable communities.

Here are some startling facts from the Half the Sky Movement that underscore the need for a broader perspective and acknowledgment of our privilege:

• More girls have been killed in the last 50 years simply because they were girls than men killed in all the wars of the 20th century.

  
  

• The equivalent of five jumbo jets of women die in childbirth each day, with maternal death risk being 1000 times higher in developing countries compared to the West.

  
  

• An estimated 60 million girls are "missing" due to selective abortion and neglect.

  
  

• Approximately 5,000 women are murdered annually in honor killings, though the true number may be much higher.

  
  

• There are about 27 million slaves today, with 56% being women.

  
  

• The typical age for entering prostitution is 13 to 14, with many starting through family connections. Estimates suggest between 300,000 to 1.2 million children are in prostitution.

  
  

• Trafficking of women and girls occurs in 85% of the world's conflict zones.

  
  

• Around 51 million girls are married before the age of consent, often for economic reasons.

  
  

• Between 800 and 1,500 women die daily from preventable pregnancy-related causes.

  
  

• More than 1 million children are left motherless annually due to maternal

  deaths, and these children are 3 to 10 times more likely to die within two years.

  
  

• An estimated 135 million girls have undergone female genital mutilation, with 2 million more at risk each year.

  
  

For more information, visit the Half the Sky Movement: https://b.3cdn.net/halfsky/98e4b2ac55567cdb4b_mlbrs696w.pdf

Additionally, the documentary It’s a Girl: The Three Deadliest Words in the World addresses critical gender-based issues.

As International Women’s Day approaches, it’s crucial to remember what this day should represent and what feminism should encompass. It’s not just about the benefits for some but for all women, from all walks of life, facing various forms of discrimination.

In closing, I leave you with a powerful quote from Half the Sky:

“Women aren’t the problem but the solution. The plight of girls is no more a tragedy than an opportunity.”

Intersectional feminism is the way forward.

Are you apart of the movement? Or are you just wearing feminism?

It's time to make your choice.