feminist of the week: chelsea s. kubo
Name: Chelsea S. Kubo
Age: 21
Occupation: Student, Blogger, Co-Founder/Co-President of Her Campus VCU
Hometown: Roanoke, Virginia, United States
Describe yourself in one word:
Determined
What is your feminist philosophy?
I believe women should have confidence in their value and contributions to society no matter what the world preconceives about their gender. Women should have the same social, political and economic equality as men along with the freedom to associate themselves with feminine and masculine qualities, industries and institutions as they please.
Why is feminism important in today’s world?
Feminism is important because it stands as the voice for the gender that has had less societal privilege throughout the world’s history. Sometimes I hear criticism that feminists are beating a dead horse, or that women have already triumphed over sexism, but it’s not true – especially in less affluent societies. The world needs feminists. Strong women and men who care about the status of the female gender are the only people who can truly protect and fight for the ever-changing problems that face women around the world.
Do you think that feminism has a branding issue? If so, why and how do you suggest the movement can fix it?
I definitely think feminism has a branding issue. I’m often frustrated by how little people care about the message of feminism because they’re too distracted by the stereotypes of our community. One time, a friend of mine asked me if I was a lesbian because I called myself a feminist, and on countless occasions I have heard people make jokes about how all feminists don’t shave their armpits, or they hate men. I think these accusations are too widely held and it turns many people away from supporting the feminist cause.
I am neither a lesbian nor man hater; I definitely shave my armpits; I associate myself as a “girly” girl; and I am still a feminist because I care about the issues that face girls and women around the world enough to support the feminist cause. I recommend the feminist community fix their branding issue by expressing the diversity of the feminist community in their campaigns. It would help recruit support from more walks of life which I believe would get the attention of governments and policy makers to support the feminist cause.
What is the most important feminist cause in your life?
I would love to change the perspectives many people have of women and their value compared to men. I feel like our society is bombarded with messages in the media and our world’s history that tell us women and men aren’t equal. I want people to realise it is not our gender that dictates how capable we are as human beings or members of society.
A person’s values, beliefs, dreams, intellect, hard-work, and anything else that makes up a person’s individuality should determine their role in our society – not their gender. I hear music and watch shows or movies that make chauvinist and misogynist comments and I think it’s unfortunate that people get caught up in the sensationalism of belittling women without realising the negative effects it has on the female gender.
Issues that predominantly face women like unequal pay, domestic abuse, slut shaming, sexual abuse, and rape are catalysed by light-hearted jokes and conversations against women that influence people’s perspectives about our gender. I would love to see people, industries, and institutions with influence making a stronger effort to improve the lives of women around the world by refraining from turning our gender and the issues that we face into light-hearted jokes because it seems as if we are a vulnerable target.
Why should someone become a feminist?
If you have the privilege of expressing yourself and making a difference in the lives of others, then why waste your influence when you could do something to make a change in the world? You should become a feminist because the issues that face girls and women – unequal pay, arranged marriages, sex trafficking, domestic abuse, unequal rights, slut shaming, sexual abuse, rape, etc – in our society and around the world are ever-changing and need our support and voices.
When did you have your feminist awakening?
My mum was a single mother for a great deal of my childhood and I grew up in a predominantly female household so I have probably always been a feminist. However I started associating myself as a feminist in high school after researching the issues that face women and taking it upon myself to support the cause.
Then when I started college I co-founded and led the women’s magazine and student organisation, Her Campus VCU, and while working with so many different types of young women (and men) at my university and other Her Campus chapters across the country, along with catering to a predominantly female audience, I have definitely developed upon my feminist opinions.
What’s your advice to other feminists?
My advice is to remember that although we understand the ins and outs of feminism, and we might be extremely well-versed and educated on the issues that face women, there are still a great deal of people who don’t understand why feminists are fighting so hard for the female cause because they think women have already triumphed over oppression.
Instead of going over their heads and overwhelming them with our research and passions, I think our goal as feminists should be to recruit others to join our cause without scaring them away with the radical strength of our message. I’m not saying we shouldn’t be passionate about feminism, but I think many people are turned off by the radical attitude of some feminists and that we should be more inviting towards all types of people by working on the way we present our cause.
We should present ourselves in a way that promotes outreach and asks people to change their views on feminism and join our mission to help the lives of girls and women around the world.
