Oh, Shailene! (or "Feminism, and the Bad Wrap")

Shailene Woodley

Admittedly, I am an admirer of actress Shailene Woodley. Earlier this year, wrapped within the hype that surrounded the release of her movie 'The Fault in Our Stars,' it was discovered that she was a hardcore minimalist: First, the world learns that she makes her own beauty products and bottles spring water. Then it is learned that Woodley gave her house in Hollywood to her grandmother while she (Woodley) willing chooses to live out of a carry-on suitcase.

But then a new story surfaced: In May of this year, Eliana Dockterman -a reporter from Time Magazine -asked Woodley if she considered herself a feminist. 

Woodley's response was such:

"No because I love men, and I think the idea of ‘raise women to power, take the men away from the power’ is never going to work out because you need balance . . . My biggest thing is really sisterhood more than feminism. I don’t know how we as women expect men to respect us because we don’t even seem to respect each other. There’s so much jealousy, so much comparison and envy. And 'This girl did this to me and that girl did that to me.' And it’s just so silly and heartbreaking in a way."

As a feminist who respects and admires Woodley, I was devastated.

Where We Disagree

First of all, the majority of us DO NOT hate men. (Actually, a number of men in this world subscribe to feminist ideologies.) And if we do carry a sense of resentment toward the male gender, it is usually toward a certain kind of man. For example, I have no respect for males who take part in and promote the hook-up culture. To me, that means that they look down on women -holding little to no respect for a woman's well-being or virtue. (Note: I also have no respect for the women who take part in the hook-up culture because, those that I have observed, have little to no respect for themselves.) I also have no respect for men who abuse familial or political power to destroy the happiness of others.

Which leads into my second point of defense:

In relation to power, I only wish to take power away from men who enforce patriarchal ideologies and practices. For example, Boko Haram and ISIS: I firmly take a stand against these radical groups that thrive on destroying life and enslaving women. My stance is strong against sex trafficking and genital mutilation -although I recognize that both of these evils are not always caused by men; but they are normally endorsed by patriarchal societies.

Thirdly, we feminists are a sisterhood. True, we may not always agree on social and cultural platforms. At the foundation of it all, however, we are united. We feminists do not demand equal rights; we desire equal value (as men). And while some women may brutally criticize other females, that is merely a display of immaturity; it is not a representation of feminist values. It is just as heartbreaking to a number of us that such behavior persists.

"Dear Shailene..."
In short, Shailene Woodley appears to be speaking out against something that she does not fully seem to know or understand. We feminists are not terrorists; we are social reformers. (For example: If it weren't for feminism, there may not be female actors on stage or in movies today.) We stand up for the dignity and value of not only women but also other under-represented groups and interests -such as illegal immigrants, the environment, and much more. 

To say that you are a feminist means that you [possibly] take a stand against a number of the following: gender discrimination, social oppression, sex trafficking, child slavery, education deprivation, female illiteracy, child brides, ethnocentric crimes, religious persecution, political under-representation [of minorities], genital mutilation, habitat destruction, global pollution, social stalking, sexual victimization. . .

If the media stories are to be believed, it is my understanding that Shailene Woodley stands against a number of the social and global issues that I listed above.

Therefore, If I were to write her a letter, I would tell Miss Woodley this:

Dear Shailene,

Guess what: You are a feminist. Welcome to the sisterhood.

XOXO