By Danielle Wisdom

Contributor

Growing up, I was blessed to be surrounded by strong, incredible, educated women who showed me at a young age what it looks like to be successful as a woman in the world. Looking back now, I realize that my sisters and my mother were showing me what it looks like to be a feminist.

Working in childcare, I have always worked with predominantly women (and still do). What baffles me is how many women in today’s society refuse to call themselves feminists. Moreover, I’ve notice that a lot of the women I work with have a tendency to perpetuate gender inequalities through their words and actions. Not only are these women continuing a cycle of oppression for themselves, but they are teaching these behaviors to children, who will bring them into the next generation.

My biggest question is, when did feminism become a bad thing? And why do these women fall victims to male power even when there aren’t any males around? The simple answer is that humans can only act on what they know. An educated woman with positive female role models might be more equipped to see that feminism isn’t about “man hating.” It is about equality between people regardless of gender. So if the concept of feminism is such a simple one, why do grown women have such a hard time accepting it?

In my opinion, women such as my co-workers have a hard time accepting feminism because, even in an entirely female environment, male power dictates how we as women view ourselves and how we act on those views. For example, many of my co-workers are currently in school for child development. One of them recently got her degree but was afraid to ask for a raise from our boss. She was complacent staying as an assistant teacher when, in comparison, the only male employee in the center has received several raises and has no degree. These stories, unfortunately, are not uncommon. Women do not see themselves as valuable assets to the workplace so they are less likely to go for that next big promotion.

While these beliefs about gender are deeply rooted and difficult to change, I don’t think that it is impossible. It is everybody’s job to change the way that we view power and success and it is every woman’s job to be a role model for others. With these efforts, future generations may never have to worry about gender inequality again.