feminist of the week: sarah mckenzie

Name: Sarah McKenzie
Age: 23
Occupation: Fashion Designer, Student
Location: Indiana, Pennsylvania, USA

Describe yourself in one word:
Quirky

What is your feminist philosophy?
I believe that all women and men should be equal. But not just in pay. If men can be drafted then women can as well. If men can be at the front lines, women can as well. I do believe that there are differences between us, for instance physically — men are stronger than women, but it doesn’t mean we can’t do the same jobs. But I don’t believe in the feminists that go for, ‘I want equal pay, but I don’t want to fight.’ That’s stupid. If it’s equal in one way, it should be equal in all ways.

Why is feminism important in today’s world?
We are living in an age of equality, but not everything is equal. For example, in America there are problems still with women: birth control, abortion… These are rights to our own bodies that we should fight for. We shouldn’t have politicians, especially men, telling us what we can and cannot do to our own bodies.

What is the most important feminist cause in your life?
Birth control and fighting for the right to be Pro-choice.

When did you have your feminist awakening?
I lived with a feminist mother so I’ve always had it. I believe feminism is important in order to gain the full equality we have yet to achieve. Hopefully in the future we won’t need feminism, because it’ll just be equal rights for all.

What’s your advice to other feminists?
If you believe in a cause, don’t back down. And don’t be forced to do anything you don’t want to do.

Sarah McKenzie will be debuting her fashion line Ophelia, 27 April 2013 at the Indiana Theater.