“What does it mean to be a feminist and is it still relevant in today’s day and age?”
“To be a feminist is to lend your voice to the women who don’t have it. Its relevance does not depend on whether who has the largest crowd, but rather on the success of the movement. Today, women’s rights are still not a priority and we should change that. The women today have so much potential.”
Iman Tagudiña, Editor-in-Chief, Matanglawin
“Ang maging malay at aktibo sa pakikibaka ng feminismo sa sari-saring operasyon ng patriyarka sa ating kultura, kasaysayan at lipunan, kabilang ang pag-usbong at pagtugon sa mga kontradiksiyong maaaring dalhin nito. Halimbawa, ang feminismo ba ay para sa lahat? Lahat ba ay apektado ng patriyarka? Sa madaling salita, makabuluhan pa ba ito sa kasalukuyan? Oo, at mas higit pang nagiging mas makabuluhan (To be conscious and active in feminism’s battle against the system of patriarchy in our culture, history and society, including the rise and response to the contradictions it may bring. For example, is feminism for everyone? Is everyone affected by patriarchy? To put it simply, is it still relevant nowadays? Yes, and it is becoming more relevant).”
Aristotle Atienza, Instructor, Filipino Department
“Feminism isn’t hating men, or burning your bra. Feminism simply refers to the advocacy for women’s rights on the grounds that men and women should be treated equally, and that we live in a world in which this isn’t happening at the moment. The oppression that women suffer just for being women is still real in today’s world—sexist stereotypes, double standards, rape culture, the list goes on. People tend not to see the problems with these practices because they’re so deeply ingrained as to make the people who call them out for being harmful look nitpicky and contrarian and self-victimizing, but these problems are real problems.”
Nica Bengzon, Lecturer, English Department
“To be a feminist is to recognize that there is inequality between the two genders and to do something about it. And I think it is still relevant. It was and always will be relevant [because] you can never easily erase stereotypes that bring about inequality, and there are always people that want equality. So there, feminism is still relevant.”
Matthew Albaira (III BS ME)
“In this day and age, I do not know anymore. Personally, it’s difficult to tell. Some people say that they are feminist but what they are doing does not really empower women. So feminism is subjective. Feminism exists because there is inequality, but the way some people show feminism is often counterintuitive to what they preach. Despite this, no matter how subjective it has become, the idea of feminism is still relevant because people tend to forget.
Alyanna Fuego (III BS LM)
