Personal Rationale

I have chosen to base my culminating essay on Gender Equality,

more specifically about Feminism. The reason behind my decision has
to do with my moral beliefs, my knowledge on the topic, and
experiences throughout my life, which all form my personal opinions
that I will share. I knew Feminism was a controversial subject matter,
but nonetheless, it is a world issue that needs attention.
As for me, I consider myself one of the lucky ones. I live in
Canada and I have the right as a female to get paid the same as my
male counterparts for the same job. I have the right to make decisions
about my own body. I have the right to vote for women involved on my
behalf in the policies and decision-making of my country. I have the
right to socially receive the same respect as men. These rights I
consider to be human rights, are not acknowledged everywhere in the
world. In fact, no country in the world can yet say it is gender neutral.
My life is truly privileged because my parents didnt love me less
than their son because I was born a daughter. My school didnt limit me
because I was a girl. My mentors didnt think I wouldnt go as far in life
because I had the same dreams as my male peers; they instead
positively influenced my life choices.
At an early age, I started to question gender-based ideals.
Stereotypes were all around me influences from the media, peers,
elders etc. I am a Type A personality, which means I am a perfectionist

and like to maintain control. It is in my nature to be a leader. Back in

middle school my classmates and I were grouped for the science fair. I
remember being called bossy when trying to work with my group to
make the winning project. I noticed that the boys who behaved the
same way were not thought of as bossy. This confused me.
In my grade 9 year of high school I noticed that my girlfriends
refused to participate in the weight-training unit for gym class because
they didnt want to appear muscular. Throughout my years of high
school Ive seen my male friends continue to struggle with mental
health issues because they feel they are unable to express their
emotions for fear of being less macho.
From a very young age I noticed that dominant terms were
generally seen as male attributes and I knew something was wrong
with that. It was at that time that I decided I was a feminist. By
definition, feminism is the belief that men and women should have
equal rights and opportunities. It is the theory of the political,
economic and social equality of the sexes. Despite this, feminism has
become synonymous with being an anti-male undertaking. It can also
be seen as a fight for only woman to join in on women who are too
strong, too aggressive, and even unattractive. Therefore, I feel gender
equality requires tackling stereotypes because a gender empathy gap
is real in our society.