OPINION: A conversation between a feminist and a non-feminist

Megan Osborne ’19

Feminism is supposed to empower women, but instead it’s constantly victimizing women and bringing men down in the process.

Olivia Giordano  ’19

I am a New Age feminist and I support feminism because women are not equal to men in today’s society. There are harsher standards that women are supposed to live by compared to men, and I think that’s wrong.

Topic: Is the Gender Wage Gap Real?

Megan- Speaking of advocating, another thing feminists try to fix is the wage gap between men and women. Feminists believe women are getting paid less than men in the workforce. This isn’t always true. There are even work fields where men get paid less than women. For example, in the modeling industry. According to Time Magazine, famous model, Kendall Jenner gets paid $22 million where male model, Sean O’Pry only receives $1.5 million , according to Forbes Magazine. Jenner and O’Pry are the top models in the industry. If feminists are going to argue that women are being paid less than men, there are exceptions. A $20.5 million difference from the highest paid female model to the highest paid male model is a lot.

Also, there is more to take  into consideration when receiving a salary. In 1963, the Equal Pay Act was amended under the Fair Labor Standards Act, eliminating gender discrimination in the work field by making sure one’s sex doesn’t come into play when receiving a salary. According to the Salary, an online website dedicated to helping people find their worth, summarizes that a person’s set income is based off their years of experience in the work field, education and their performance reviews. The argument that the wage gap is a serious issue is extremely exaggerated, especially when there are exceptions.

Olivia- The gender gap is an issue because, according to a 2014 study by American Progress, (American Progress is an independent nonpartisan policy institute that is dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans, through bold, progressive idea) women are making 79 cents per every dollar than a man makes for the same job. It does not make sense to pay someone less than their co-worker just because they are the opposite gender. TV host Catt Sadler, a former employee at E!,  quit her job on Dec. 20, 2017 when she found out one of her male coworkers was getting paid more than her. The gender pay gap is a very real thing. Many female celebrities have spoken out about their unequal pay, and they deserve to be paid the same amount as their male coworkers, if not more, depending on how well the show is doing and how relevant their character is.

Topic: Breastfeeding in public

Megan- Another controversial topic about women’s rights deals with breastfeeding in public. Personally, I think breastfeeding should be done in the bathroom only for privacy for the mother and the child. I understand that when a child needs to eat, they need to eat. But, some things would be better done in private places. Breastfeeding is normal. Sex, using the bathroom and bathing is also completely normal, but it’s done behind closed doors. If a mother were to expose her full breast, then it would be considered indecent exposure and offensive to those around. It’s disrespectful to put your child’s needs over the unsolicited opinions from others.

Olivia- I do not think that women should be shamed for showing their breasts in public. When swimming, for example women have to wear something over their chest to cover their nipples. It’s no problem if a man were to take off his shirt and expose his.  I find this to be an issue because everyone has nipples. The fact that men have the right to show their nipples in public and women don’t seems unfair. Many people do not want to see a woman’s nipple in public. This goes along with how a woman should not have to go somewhere privately to feed her child. If one does not wish to see a woman breastfeeding in public, then they should turn away. It’s time that people start to reconsider what they find “offensive” because at the end of the day it is just someone feeding their child.