One of the most talked about designs from Maria Grazia Chiuri’s first collection for Dior SS17, was the "We Should All Be Feminists" t-shirt inspired by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED talk. The tee has been spotted on the likes of Rihanna and Natalie Portman at the Women’s March as well as everywhere on the street style scene. I call myself a feminist. Am I though? If I am then I must accept that in reality I am a bad feminist.
The feminist label isn’t just for the rich and it isn’t just for the Taylor Swifts and their squads. It’s also for us, the women fighting to be recognised in the workplace, the mother struggling to build a career whilst looking after her family. We still need feminism because women are still not equal. There are girls who still can’t access education, and women still being forced into marriage. It is important that we do our bit. Being a modern feminist can be full of contradictions.
Yes, I believe in the deeper issues. I want equality for all but on a day to day basis *whispers* I want Mr C to take the rubbish out. Yes, I am a bad feminist or am I even worse? Am I a faking feminist? No, because I believe that women have the right to be free, equal and respected. Yet as I have already proven, I am full of contradictions.
Therefore, I thought that I would celebrate why I am a bad feminist. This is also how The Guilty Feminists start their podcasts. If you haven’t listened to them then you really should, they are brilliant.
Here are my 16 reasons why I am a bad feminist:
1. I’m a feminist but most of the time Mr C takes the bins out.
2. I’m a feminist but after Ryan Gosling made that feminist speech at the Golden Globes I have been having inappropriate dreams about playing with Ryan’s globes and he is not allowed to speak. I use him for his body. I treat him like a piece of meat.
3. I’m a feminist but when I say to Mr C that "I’m fine, everything is absolutely fine" I’m really not and instead of saying it how it is, I expect Mr C to decipher the code. *Hangs head in shame*
4. I’m a feminist but I love hip-hop and rap music. The type of music where the singer refers to women in general as b&tches. One of my favourite songs might also be Private Dancer by Tina Turner.
5. I’m a feminist but I will always claim that I can’t read a map. I just can’t be bothered.
6. I’m a feminist but I have been known to ask Mr C "Does my bum look big in this?"
7. I’m a feminist but I declared that I was going to share my Moonwalk training it all its glory and I haven’t! I haven’t shared any photos of me post-exercise because I look like an angry beetroot. I am vain.
8. I’m a feminist but I binge watch Sex and the City and I fantasise about being Carrie, having that walk in wardrobe full of shoes and having a Mr Big who showers me with material possessions.
9. I’m a feminist but when I was forced off the road and punctured my tyre I freaked out as I didn’t know what to do. I had to ring Mr C. In my defence I had just been forced off the road.
10. I’m a feminist but I love Dirty Dancing, especially the part where Baby is rescued by Jonny "No one puts Baby in a corner" Swoons! I might also still daydream about being lifted high-up in the air by the very strong Jonny.
11. I’m a bad feminist because all of my life I declared that I would never get married and then I met Mr C…….Yep, look how that one panned out.
12. I’m a bad feminist because I declared that I would have it all. That I would have my career and my children. Then I had my second child and I left behind my career in the blink of an eye.
13. I’m a bad feminist because if the house is a mess then I will apologise to Mr C and claim that I have been very busy, instead of owning it and admitting that really I have been watching This Morning.
14. I’m a bad feminist because I claim that I read the Daily Mail online so that I can understand how we ended up in a world with Brexit and Trump for president. Really it is so I can peruse the toolbar of shame and catch-up on what the Kardashians are doing.
15. I’m a bad feminist because I spent the whole of the last week organising all of the drawers in the house. I was then so proud of what I had achieved that I took a picture of one of the drawers and sent it to Mr C.
16. I’m a bad feminist because ever since I organised the drawers Mr C is not allowed to put anything away. I have to do it all. I’m one step away from wearing a maid’s uniform.
Despite these 16 reasons proving that I am a bad feminist, feminism is still something that I am embracing. When I first moved to Jersey and became a stay-at-home mum, I felt trapped. Feminism gave me back my freedom. My feminism might be flawed but I will continue to use my voice, I will continue to raise my voice because we should all be embracing our feminism, flaws and all. I am a flawed feminist. Who is with me?
