I've been called a feminist since I was 14, and I've been fighting the label ever since. Feminist means that you are a crazy, ugly, angry, man-hating liberal, right? Actually, no. While this stereotype may hold true in rare cases, there are many different forms and incarnations of feminism. So, for the first time, I will admit it: I am a feminist.
I began to reconsider my stance during art history class when we discussed Artemisia Gentileschi, one of the greatest painters of her time and one of the first great female artists. Besides being an influential artist, she also led a remarkable life. As a young woman she was raped, but she allowed her rapist to continue having a sexual relationship with her because, in the early 1600s, a woman without her virginity or a husband was a woman without a future. Artemisia overcame that exploitative relationship and went on to become a widely acclaimed professional woman in a world of men, painting works of art that clearly showed her intellect and talent.
When I listened to her story, I was proud of her. While I have felt disadvantaged or mistreated due to my gender, Artemisia dealt with much more. Yet my personal experiences have shown me that feminism is not a thing of the past. This past summer I interned at an office in Washington, D.C. that was predominantly male. I was one of only four women in my department, and I found that even in today's professional world, my gender played a large part in defining me as an employee.
Most of my coworkers were friendly and treated me wonderfully. However, I noticed that at first many of them would go to the male intern for help more often than they would come to me. Some treated me a little too nicely, as if they couldn't ask me to do difficult jobs or critique my mistakes. Others were jokers, who somehow felt it was appropriate to make sexist remarks around me.
There are a thousand little things that happen daily to women in the workplace that don't seem like a big deal but can build up to an overall feeling of frustration and inadequacy. In an office, dressing professionally is a double-edged sword. Either you look attractive and succeed or you look sloppy and fail. Yet if you choose to dress attractively you have to deal with being objectified. You don't want to blow things out of proportion or create office animosity by calling attention to the quick glances and almost-accidental touches. But at the same time, if you let the behaviors continue, you are only causing yourself to become offended, defensive and uncomfortable.
It's easy to celebrate the successes of past feminists such as Artemisia. People who belittle the feminists of today should realize that sexism is still an issue, particularly in the professional world. Feminism can mean forging a path into a new profession, protesting unjust laws or even refusing to give a coworker a back massage. You don't have to be a flannel-wearing man-hater to identify with feminism. You just have to know that women deserve an equal shot, no matter what the context.
Sheridan is a Plan II and political communication sophomore.
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