Why we still need Feminism

Today, in a last-period cover lesson, our task was to research something we feel strongly about. It's probably not hard to guess what my best friend and I researched.... 

Typing the word "feminism" into the search bar, I had no idea what to expect. Perhaps they'd make feminism out to be a dirty word, perhaps I'd see evidence of the feminist movement being glorified or criticised, perhaps I'd find other amateur bloggers like myself who just need a bit of a rant from time to time. 

I am so relieved to say that the latter was, in fact, predominantly true. Three blogs similar to mine appeared on the first page of my google search, which makes me so imponderably happy! However, as much as I adore the idea of spending my last lesson of half-term reading through anecdotes, queries and complaints so similar to my own, they didn't do much in terms of statistical research. 

So we typed in "feminist facts and stats" (so 'down with the kids', I know) and then my blood really began to boil. 

"As of 2013, children as young as five months old are victims of FGM." 

FGM, the abbreviation for "Female Genital Mutilation" is still a popular practice amongst Jews and Sunni Muslims. The excruciatingly painful - and often deadly - procedure is often completed without aid of anaesthetic, and makes urinating awful and sex impossible. Whilst a lot of victims of FGM are married off prematurely, often between the ages of 9 and 15, "consummating the marriage" can lead to an early grave. 

"26% of people in the UK believe that if she is in public wearing sexy or revealing clothes, a rape victim has only themselves to blame" As I was reading this I screamed 'some people are so bloody stupid!!' I don't know how anyone can possibly say that anyone deserves to be sexually assaulted. Why don't we teach boys from an early age that rape is wrong, rather than teaching girls (and eventually, women) to dress a certain way to avoid being raped? According to a UK report, only one percent of rapes in Great Britain result in conviction; rapists are getting away with destroying the lives of other people, and nothing is being done about it. This has to change. 

"The number of Honour Killings per year is estimated to be over five thousand." 

If you've ever watched the news, read a newspaper or scrolled through any online news platform, you probably know exactly what is meant by the term 'honour killing.' However, if you don't already know, an honour killing is a murder usually conducted by the family of the victim, as a result of an action which could be deemed as dishonourable to their name. Honour killing is usually considered to be a solely Muslim issue, despite the fact that Sikhs, Hindus and Christian honour murders have also been recorded. The 'dishonourable' action in question is usually the over-statement of the century - seeing a boy alone, overusing make up and even swearing on social networking sites have all been supposed reasons for a murder, but the most commonly seen is refusing to elope with your appointed partner in an arranged marriage. Five thousand honour killings take place per year, but that's five thousand too many, 

I found out a lot of things I didn't previously know today, and I also came across a few things I did know, but each fact, figure or statistic I read angers and disappoints me as much as the others. People may believe that gender equality was achieved in 1918, with the end of the Women's Suffrage, but it's clear to see that there's still a long way to go, not just in the UK but across the world.