International Women's Day + Ignorance

International Women's Day was a few days ago, so I've been thinking a bit about feminism, the day itself, along with ignorance.

On the actual day I posted these two memes on twitter

After I was like, okay this seems kind of ignorant. 

I really, really, really, really find extremist feminism completely unnecessary in Canada. Feminists in general just annoy me, because I believe that the perfect feminist isn't a feminist, they are an equalitarian. This means focusing on creating equality between men and women, rather than only focusing on the mistreatment of women in society.

But I myself, am also not an equalitarian. I just think it is a better way of looking at things.

I would use the argument against International Women's Day by saying "Where's International Men's Day?" but I am not a men's rights activist either. 

I just think in THIS society, we should accept the fact that no matter how hard feminists, equalitarians, and MRAs try, equality is just not going to happen. It is next to impossible, without dangerous means of extinguishing inequalities, by "taking out" people who are misogynist or a "man-hater". Yes, some women may not have the same rate of pay as another man, yes some men might find it harder to gain custody of their children after a divorce, but do you know what? Is it really that hard to just simply accept the fact that although this may be deemed as "morally wrong" that it is EXTREMELY hard, if not impossible to get equality?

Now I am talking about this mostly in Canada and other privileged countries similar to us. Other countries that aren't as "developed" still have clear issues, where I think feminists should spend most of their time in protesting/complaining about. Places where women are being whipped, beaten, can't show their faces, etc. I really don't know much about this, but I know enough to know that it does exist.

It is impossible to have equality, anyways. Men can never give birth, no matter what. Women will always be the one who gets pregnant. Men will always be physically stronger and women will be physically weaker. This is a scientific fact. I am tired of people trying to overrule natural law with "morals". I workout at the gym, but pretty much every guy can lift more weight than me. Its a physiological FACT. A man may want a child, but he can't give birth, he has to adopt or hire a surrogate, or get married. A women can get a sperm treatment and have the child them self. Psychologically, women are proven to be more sympathetic and kind while men are more authoritative. This is just the way we are. We keep trying to throw out natural law and replace it with some moral bullshit.

I just think in my time in Canada, that I have never been discriminated against for being female, yet I have seen many men around me being discriminated against. Again, I'm not even a men's rights activist, I'm just saying that I think the equality scales are being tipped back and forth between both of the sexes, now. 

I guess I do know some women who have been mistreated by men, but it wasn't for being a woman. It wasn't because they had a vagina. It was because they are a human getting into a fight with another human that happens to be male. 

I know that in the past in Canada, things were different. In history we learned about how men went to war in WWI and II, and how women held down the factories and such and worked while they were gone. We learned that they went back to the home once men returned. We learned that women didn't earn as much.

But this is a HUGE ENORMOUS generalization. Sure, is it true? Probably. But wanna hear a new story?

My Grandmother.

Born: 1917
Where: Quebec

She went to school, got an education. She missed out on an excellent scholarship--- not by a man, but another woman. 

During the great depression: During the beginning she used to go to the store to buy things like bread and butter, which the family wasn't necessarily rich, but they were financially smart. She would run to the store and buy these things on her way to/from school.

I learned that it was next to impossible to buy things during the great depression, because they were sold out- she had no problem.

Towards the end of the great depression, she got a job at bank or insurance company (I forget what), doing simple desk work that is very menial.... WHILE SOMEBODY WENT ON MATERNITY LEAVE, yes, women did work back then.

But when the woman came back, my Grandmother wasn't fired, her MALE boss, liked her work ethics and promoted her to a higher position than the woman who came back!

She got engaged and her fiancee went away to war. He never returned, he married another woman in the UK. 

Eventually she met my grandfather, whom she didn't like at first because he was coming off as a flirt, but eventually gave in and went on a date with him. She fell in love and married him (in the late 40's maybe?), had three children, and he passed away in 1994.

She is still alive, and legally blind. She lives on her own in a house, and although she does get assistance from her three children, she spends most of her time alone at home with her cat. 

Never ONCE has she identified herself as a feminist, and yet she broke many stereotypes of women from the 20th century. 

The only thing that is stereotypical is the fact that she quit her job when she had her first child. Although she did tell me "That was just something women did" she said that she probably willingly would have anyways, especially since her husband was a banker, and earned enough money to support both of them. 

You don't need to be a feminist to act "morally" as you can see from this story. 

She never talked about being mistreated by men. 

I'm not being ignorant to the fact that other women went through different things, I am just telling the story that NEVER gets told- the story of women from the 20th century that held rights, had opportunities, a job, and an education. 

I hope you aren't ignorant to the fact that many women are and have been privileged throughout western society.

If you have any thoughts, comment below.