feminist of the week: chelsea dias
Name: Chelsea Dias
Age: 20
Occupation: Student, rising senior at Georgetown University
Location: Washington, D.C., United States
Describe yourself in one word:
Optimist
What is your feminist philosophy?
My feminist philosophy is that women should be treated equally in comparison to their male counterparts. This equality should extend to all aspects of life from home life to work life. Additionally this equality should be encouraged and fostered at a young age so girls fully believe that they can truly accomplish anything that boys can.
When did you have your feminist awakening?
I had my feminist awakening during my sophomore year of high school during a Model United Nations conference. I realised that there were still many inequalities regarding gender in our world. Furthermore, I realised that issues of gender inequality were more prevalent in developing countries. From that moment on, I made it my mission to become more educated on such issues and to spread awareness of these topics to the best of my ability.
Why is feminism important in today’s world?
Feminism is important in today’s world because although many gains have been made in the last century regarding women’s rights there is still a lot of work to be done. The more that individuals are aware of the issues, the more likely they are to stand up for women’s rights and equality.
What are you doing to further the feminist cause today?
I am currently writing articles for PolicyMic specifically focusing on issues of gender inequality. In these articles, I have attempted to address numerous feminist causes including media perceptions of women, women’s equality in the workplace and equal representation of women on corporate boards. Additionally I recently served as an Undersecretary General for the same Model UN conference that sparked my feminist awakening. Within this conference, I oversaw a UN Women committee which helped to educate more high school students about such issues. Through education and awareness, I firmly believe that more individuals can become invested in the feminist movement.
What is the most important feminist cause in your life?
The most important feminist cause in my life is workplace equality. Women in the United States still earn eighty cents to the dollar in comparison to males. As a society, there are unreasonable expectations placed on working mothers and the United States is currently one of three countries in the world (the other two being Swaziland and Papua New Guinea) that currently do not offer paid maternity leave.
As someone who eventually wants to be able to balance working and raising a family, this cause is particularly close to my heart. I recognise that as an American woman I am granted certain privileges that women in other parts of the world can only dream of, however it is high time that American women are exposed to equal treatment in the workplace.
Can men be considered feminist? Why should men take up the feminist cause?
Of course! In my opinion, a feminist is an individual that believes in equal treatment of men and women. Therefore, a feminist can easily be a male or a female. I think there are many misconceptions in today’s society that feminists believe that women are superior to men; however this is not the way I view feminism.
Do you think that feminism has a branding issue? If so, why and how do you suggest the movement can fix it?
I think that today’s feminism definitely has a branding issue. There are very few men who are willing to identify themselves as feminists. Amongst women, the idea of being labeled a feminist is an insult to some. I think there needs to be an emphasis on the fact that feminism involves equality of treatment of men and women in all spheres of life.
Who is your favourite feminist/what is your favorite feminist organisation and why?
My favourite feminist organisation is the Half the Sky movement which was created by New York Times writer Nicholas Kristof and his wife Sheryl WuDunn. It is my favourite feminist organisation because it addresses feminism at its basic level in regards to many issues that women in the developed world take for granted including access to maternal health and access to education.
What’s your advice to other feminists?
My advice to other feminists is to never give up, dream big and always remember that with hard work, dedication and determination women can achieve anything that men can.
