[0:12]Feminism, commonly defined as the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of equality of the sexes. Mental health, commonly defined as a person's condition in relation to their psychological and emotional state. When preparing for this talk, I had a lot of conflicting emotions. On the one hand, I was extremely excited to share my ideas around feminism and mental health with all of you. But on the other hand, and to be very honest, I repeatedly keep kept thinking that I must be absolutely crazy to speak about not just one, but two controversial topics. So this morning, I stand before you with a lot of bravery and vulnerability. And I ask for eight minutes of your undivided attention. Now, because all of us here today are millennials, I'd like us to deep dive into the history of feminism, just so that we can have a solid foundation on which we're going to build these thought-provoking ideas. The first wave of feminism started in 1848 at the Seneca Falls Convention in New York City. Women wanted basic control of their lives, so they fought for the right to own property, abolish slavery, and most importantly at the time, the right to vote. The suffrage movement continued for 72 years before women were actually granted the right to vote in 1920. The second wave started around the 1960s when women fought for and secured the approval of the birth control pill by the FDA. They also fought for anti-sex discrimination laws like equal pay for equal work, as well as abortion within limits. Both the first and the second wave of feminism made great legal strides. The third wave continued to fight for reproductive rights, the gender pay gap and sexual discrimination. But something new was budding. There was a feministic musical area where musicians encourage women to express anger towards men. And repeatedly told them that they are victims of the patriarchy. Unfortunately the third wave made a lot less legal strides than the waves that came before them. Today we find ourselves in the fourth and final wave that started around 2012. In my opening statement, I define feminism as the advocacy for women's rights, but this is no longer the case. The core and the essence of feminism is changing and they are now fighting for all minority groups. Against racism and classism and for the LGBTQI plus community. This movement is mainly led by celebrities and social media Twitter warriors and much less by genuine activists who are fighting for legal changes. You see I believe that radical feminists are selling our young girls myths about who we are as women and what our role in society is. And today on the one hand, I would like us to take a look at these statements and the ripple effect that they have on our mental health. But on the other hand, I want to offer each and every woman here today a different kind of truth. So let's jump into it. The very first myth that I'd like to speak about is the fact that we are taught that women are victims. Modern day feminism is teaching young girls that they are vulnerable, fragile, and in imminent danger. Feminists rage about gender-based violence and how unsafe this world is for women. But let's pause a moment and look at the statistics. The percentage of people who experience any form of violence or crime during the years 2016 and 2017 in South Africa, with 3.6% women, and 3.9% men. The WHO data showed that even though women experience five times more higher murder rates than the world average, men still experience three times more than that of women. You see there is no shortage of victims of course, but to but to define a feministic movement by the undeniable wounds that women have suffered and will continue to suffer is an injustice. Because it renders us weak, dependent, and childlike, instead of independent and resilient like most of the women here today. You see adopting this victim mentality mindset around your gender is a very slippery slope. Before we know it, we're going to have young women that feel that they are victims in all areas of their lives. Always feeling attacked, always shifting blame and always putting themselves down in order to remain the victim. The human threat especially in Africa is a constant. But I think it is important for us to acknowledge that men experience violence too. We do not solely have a gender-based violence problem. We have a gender-based violence problem, and men are victims too. Dear young girl, I want you to hear the truth. Do not be afraid and do not be anxious. You were not born a victim of society. You are more educated, strong, and resilient than ever before. The second myth that I would like us to look at is the fact that sexual promiscuity is the only way to express control of your body. A multicampus study that was led by the University of Miami's Professor of Psychology, Seth Swart, stated that people who engage in casual sexual hookups reported lower levels of self-esteem, life satisfaction, and happiness. To such an extent that these psychological distress levels will equal to people who are diagnosed with depression and anxiety. The #FreetheNipple movement on Instagram, tells young women to bear their chests or barely cover their breasts. And by doing this, they sexually liberate themselves and kind of stamp a mark that they're strong women. This hypersexualized movement is usually led by celebrities, who might genuinely feel empowered by their sexualization. But isn't this ironic? Because Hollywood is in tatters.
[7:29]They have high levels of broken marriages, depression, suicide, and drug addiction. So let's take a moment to pause and look at the horrifying effect that this #FreetheNipple movement has had on women today. Something that shook me to my core. You see a movement that was created to liberate and strengthen women has done the complete opposite. Ever since this movement was launched, breast augmentation and designer nipple surgery has increased by 30%. Women are not feeling stronger or liberated. They're judging themselves and changing their bodies in order to fit in with a movement. Dear young girl, I want you to know the truth. Sexual promiscuity is not going to make you feel liberated or strong. Real strength comes from honoring your body, respecting it, cherishing it, and not putting yourself into situations that make you feel sexually uncomfortable. The third and final myth that I would like to address is the fact that women need empowerment. You see power is a very complex thing, but we need to acknowledge that it is neither good nor bad.
[8:50]And it's most definitely not consigned to the sole possession of the patriarchy. The term women empowerment already states that women do not have the power.
[9:59]You see this woman empowerment mentality is teaching young girls that in order to achieve their goals and their dreams, they have to wait for a handout or a leg up. Let's take a look at the statistics. Women are as equally good leaders and more educated than men, fact.
[9:24]The McKinsey diversity report, showed that institutions who have more prominent female leadership tended to do better financially. Women brought a different dynamic to the environment by being empathetic leaders, encouraging teamwork, being good listeners, and essentially inspiring each individual to become the best version of themselves. On the academic front, women have been achieving more bachelor degrees than men for the past 30 years. So where are we lagging behind? Why are we still talking about women empowerment? Yes, unfortunately, the top 7% of management, the top percentage of management, women management is only 7%. But maybe it's a time for us to stop fighting for equality in outcome, and focus on equality of opportunity. And teach young girls that they should not fight for their power, but that they should realize that they have power within them. And if they work hard and work relentlessly, they can achieve whatever they would like to. Dear young girl, I want you to know the truth. You do not need to be empowered. You are powerful beyond measure. Life is tough, work hard, work relentlessly and you can achieve your goals. So it is clear that feminism has morphed over the past few years. And because I love being a woman, and I believe in the power of women, I can no longer stand by and watch how the fourth wave set us, sets us back. I could no longer stand by and watch how the fourth wave tells young girls that they need to sexually liberate themselves and be woke in order to be valid. I can no longer stand by and watch the fourth wave make our young girls mentally unhealthy, more depressed and anxious than ever before, with lower self self-esteem and less self-belief.
[11:47]Dear young girl, I really want you to know the truth about who you are as a woman. Stand firm because you were called for greatness. Work hard and know that you are brave and resilient. That your body is made to be honored and respected and that you harness great power within you. Thank you.
