International Women's Day: We Asked Girls And Young Women What Feminism Means To Them | HuffPost Life

You're never too young to be a feminist.

By

Life editor at HuffPost UK

and

Senior Video Producer

|

Girls develop perceptions about gender and equality from a young age.

We may be more vocal about our drive for equal opportunities as we grow older, but that doesn’t mean young girls don’t have the same thoughts and feelings.

We asked 10 girls, who range in age from six to 25, to explain what feminism means to them – and the answers were inspiring.

If anything, it shows that you are never too young to call yourself a feminist.

HuffPost

Lola, 6, (left) and Holly, 12 (right).

Six-year-old Lola told HuffPost UK: “It means sharing, so if a lady has two and a man has four, we have to share it.

“So what we do is, we would have to take one from the man and give it to the lady, so they both have three.”

Holly, 12, told us that for her, feminism means women have the same rights as men.

“Feminism means for women and men to be equal, treated the same, and to be given the same things,” she said.

“I don’t understand why men shouldn’t be treated better or given more just because they are not a woman.”

Watch the full video above.

With thanks to: Emma Clarke and Ellie; Hattie Sleap (That Mum Blog) and Lola; Syreeta Johnson (founder of Indikidual) and Minnie; Tanees Abbas and Katherine Heidenreich from Rosa; Liddy from Girl Guiding; Clara Wilcox (The Balance Collective) and Grace; Sarah Robertson (Future MC) and Olivia; and Claire Murray and Lizzie and Holly.

Before You Go

9 Times Emma Watson Lived And Breathed Feminism

On objectification...(01 of09)

Watson didn't hold back when addressing the Vanity Fair outrage. She told Reuters: “It just always reveals to me how many misconceptions and what a misunderstanding there is about what feminism is.

"Feminism is about giving women choice. Feminism is not a stick with which to beat other women with. It’s about freedom, it’s about liberation, it’s about equality.

"I really don’t know what my tits have to do with it. It’s very confusing." (credit:Vanity Fair)

On beauty standards...(02 of09)

The actress has spoken out on numerous occasions about the beauty standards that women are held to and is a champion of 'being yourself'.

“I don’t have perfect teeth. I’m not stick thin. I want to be the person who feels great in her body and can say that she loves it and doesn’t want to change anything,” she said.

Working in the film industry, which is undeniably ageist when it comes to women, she said: "I’m excited about the ageing process. I’m more interested in women who aren’t perfect. They’re more compelling." (credit:Karwai Tang via Getty Images)

On involving men in the gender equality fight...(03 of09)

In 2014, Watson helped launch UN Women's #HeForShe campaign, which encourages men and boys to take action against negative inequalities faced by women and girls.

At the time Watson, who is UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, said: "I am reaching out to you because I need your help. We want to end gender inequality - and to do that we need everyone to be involved. This is the first campaign of its kind at the UN: we want to try and galvanise as many men and boys as possible to be advocates for gender equality. And we don’t just want to talk about it, but make sure it is tangible." (credit:Rob Kim via Getty Images)

On finding feminism...(04 of09)

Watson said she first started questioning gender-based assumptions when she was eight years old and hasn't looked back since.

"At eight I was confused at being called 'bossy', because I wanted to direct the plays we would put on for our parents - but the boys were not," she recalled in a #HeForShe speech.

She said that aged 14, she began to be "sexualised" by the media, and aged 15 her friends started dropping out of their sports teams because they didn’t want to appear "muscly".

"I decided I was a feminist and this seemed uncomplicated to me," she concluded. (credit:Jim Spellman via Getty Images)

On the gender pay gap...(05 of09)

Overall, women can expect to earn significantly less than men over their entire careers. According to The Fawcett Society, the current overall pay gap for full time workers is 13.9%.

Discussing this stat, Watson said: "The reality is that if we do nothing, it will take 75 years, or for me to be nearly 100, before women can expect to be paid the same as men, for the same work."

She added: “I think it is right I am paid the same as my male counterparts.” (credit:Pacific Press via Getty Images)

On playing Belle in 'Beauty And The Beast'...(06 of09)

When you think of feminism, Disney princesses aren't exactly the first (or indeed second) thing that spring to mind. But Watson hopes to change this.

Discussing her character in the remake of Disney classic 'Beauty And The Beast', Watson said that her character takes on the role of inventor, which was Belle's father's role in the original storyline.

She added that Belle is "absolutely a Disney princess, but she's not a passive character - she's in charge of her own destiny". (credit:Barcroft Media via Getty Images)

On battling stereotypes...(07 of09)

Watson is also a fierce opponent of the stereotypes that hold young women and girls back. She said: "I feel like young girls are told that they have to be a princess and fragile. It’s bullshit. I identify much more with being a warrior – a fighter. If I was going to be a princess, I’d be a warrior princess."

She also previously said that young girls should never 'dumb themselves down' with the aim of being attractive to a guy and added: "Girls should never be afraid to be smart." (credit:Rindoff/Dufour via Getty Images)

On her feminist book club...(08 of09)

In the spirit of promoting gender equality and championing strong women, Emma Watson launched a feminist book club called "Our Shared Shelf", which is conducted through a group on Goodreads and has more than 37,000 members. In true feminist fashion, the first book Watson chose was Gloria Steinem's memoir 'My Life on the Road'. (credit:VALERIE MACON via Getty Images)

On online misogynist abuse...(09 of09)

In 2014, Watson was targeted by hackers who threatened to leak nude images of her online. She said the threats were made “within 12 hours” of making her debut HeForShe speech in September 2014.

“The minute I stood up and spoke about women’s rights I was immediately threatened,” she said. “This is a real thing that’s happening now, women are receiving threats.”

She said the threats made her even more determined to fight for gender equality. “People thought I’d be disheartened by this, but if anything it made me so much more determined,” she said.

“I was raging, it made me so angry and I realised that this is why I have to be doing this." (credit:Astrid Stawiarz via Getty Images)

Related

uk lifestyle news Women All women Everywhere

Suggest a correction

|