The Purple Ribbon

In the words of the badass Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a “feminist” is a person who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes.  As feminism becomes more visible, it has become apparent that it does not cater to a wide cross-section of women – women of color, women from various sexual and gender minorities, women who are poor, rurally based, differentially-abled, and/or unemployed. Feminism as it is has been represented in the media, or at least the mainstream, largely discusses the issues and identities of white, middle-class, cis-gendered women. Instead, feminism on a whole should be inclusive it needs to be intersectional. Intersectional feminism recognizes the multiplicities of our identities; we are never just one thing at any point in time. Our lives are informed by not just our gender, but by several of the indentifiers of age, race, colour, sexual orientation, level of education and others previously said, and these interrelate to give us unique, oppositional experiences. There needs to be a dialogue the fact that not that all lived realities are made equal.

A lot of feminists do pose the question: “Are transwomen really women?” White women often ask “Why divide women by race if we are all women?” Black women often reiterate: “We are both black and female.” For women of colour, issues of racism and colourism impact their experiences. A few years ago, Annie Lennox, bell hooks and a number of other self-titled white feminists declared that Beyonce, after putting out her fifth studio/visual album, is antifeminist.  This happened while the media celebrated the feminisms of UN Women Ambassador Emma Watson and Hilary Clinton and continued to denigrate the feminist/womanist stances that other black female artists took in their music, like the formerly known Lady Saw, Spice, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna.

The feminist space  is not always inclusive; even though varying feminisms exist –  liberal, radical social/Marxist, Caribbean, Black feminist, Womanist and so on – the discourse ought not to be  divisive and focused on who belongs or doesn’t belong to the feminist movement. Feminism is a largely egaliatrian philosophy and should be about empowering all women, not restricting the ways and means by and through which they choose to self-identify and self-express, and come to liberation. Here’s the truth: one cannot identify as ‘feminist’ or ‘profeminist’ and not support your sisters  and brothers of colour,  and inversely one cannot be black and refuse to support transwomen, LGBTQ peoples and white men and women, boys and girls too.

Feminist has to be intersectional or it’s useless.

 

Being a fashion and lifestyle blogger is one of so many ways to empower and uplift

Society’s perception of how the perfect women should dress is a lie. No one should be criticized for how they choose to dress.

With the population of many with so many different platforms the opportunities are endless when you do the right thing to attract business opportunities etc.

I encourage all women to know it’s ok to take risk and not to be afraid of being different.

Fashion is one of many ways for women to express themselves ,Its more than just dressing up in fancy labels. when a woman feels good she will look her best. It’s important for women to explore entreprenurship whether to be a model, graphic designer , blogger , online boutique etc. to feel a sense of superiority in acquiring your own wealth than to be dependent on a man to give you access power.

It’s also important to do researches on various business ventures.

Having a child as a lesbian Jamaican woman in Jamaica present a lot of difficulties. The greatest challenge for lesbian-parented families surround the issue of discrimination and prejudice – most of which is based on experiences prior to homophobia and non-acceptance. Being a Jamaican lesbian raises the issue of having a child/children who may succumb to being victims of bullying and the fear of them being faced with discrimination as innocent children.

Many lesbians do not only feel a sense of rejection or inferiority by society but also in their relationship. There are many challenges identified for non-biological parents: feeling out of place, being ignored and rendered invisible by health service providers, not being identified as a “real parent”, and not having the legal or social responsibility that reflects having a parenting role in a child’s life.

On the contrary, benefits for children grouping with in LBT families have been repeatedly emphasized. According to Patterns 1992, Allen 1997, participants emphasized the benefits of children growing up in LBT families. They are being subjected to and taught to experience acceptance and diversity. Children and parents are described as appreciative, valuing and being understanding of diversity and broad minded as it relates to differences.

Being a LBT parent should be more than just the perception of society. It should be seen as not a sin but people who actually want to see a child being loved and taken care of, being supported socially, emotionally and physically. “The family is seen as the cornerstone of the society” and so helps to shape every individual into who they are, and if a family is doing all that it takes to shape a child positively to venture into the world, then they shouldn’t be discriminated against, despite their sexual orientation as a partnership.

It is 2016 and there are currently 22 female heads of state. The United States is seeing a historic election where, for the first time in its 228 years of elections, a woman is able to contest a presidential election as a major party candidate. These achievements are significant because situations such as these were unheard of, and unthinkable, 200 years ago.

Over the years, many movements have contributed to the development of our society. One of the major thrusts has been caused by the feminism movement across the globe. The toppling of patriarchal and hypermasculine societal norms has had important effects on development, not only through equality, but has also transformed economic and social realities in ways that have catapulted us into the 21^st century.

Feminism refers to a group of theories and practices centred on advocacy for social and economic equality of the sexes. It seeks to resolves disparities associated with gender roles and norms and create a more level playing field for economic and social justice. Feminism has seen the creation of policies and laws to improve the civil rights of women and minority groups, and has shaped 21^st century ideologies.

Gone are the days when women were relegated to be housekeepers and caretakers, while men were regarded as the major breadwinners. Although there are many societies and cultures where patriarchal ideals still exist, it is no longer uncommon for these century-old gender roles to be reversed. Women are now able to seek education and pursue careers, providing them the ability to compete with their male counterparts within the workplace and by extension on financial, economic, and political levels. This has given rise to the establishment of female world leaders and heads of state, female CEOs and corporate professionals, and the existence of more and more females in what are usually seen as “male-dominated” fields such as technology, entrepreneurship and manual labour.

The theories of feminism have shaped a new mindset, where women are no longer limited to dreaming of becoming a mother and wife, but also to become successful in whatever aspect of life she chooses. Additionally, the theories of feminism have now begun to transcend the traditional understanding of sex and gender identities, to purport a more inclusive society and reduce discrimination against more minority groups such as those who identify as transgender or intersex.

These advancements have had indelible implications on social and economic realities. By increasing a woman’s earning potential, the labour force of a country is doubled and the economic potential of a country is able to grow. Participation of women in social and political discourse enables the creation of new ideas and policy, and increases the visibility and recognition of a wider array of issues affecting a country/society to influence policy change and development.

Unfortunately, this development is still a work in progress. There are many cultures and societies which still hold mostly patriarchal ideals, and even in more “progressive” societies, women are still disenfranchised both socially and economically due to unsolved issues such as the gender wage gap and the consequences imflicted (intentionally or unintentionally) on women who do not subscribe to patriarchal gender norms. However, feminism has paved the way for further development which may see the resolution of issues such as these.