In the second decade of the 21st century, feminism has finally found its place in the mainstream. From famous literary icons to pop stars, actresses, royalty and activists – there are many well-known feminists around the world inspiring others to embrace feminism and work towards equality for women everywhere. Controversial rock star Iggy Pop said, ‘I’m not ashamed to dress ‘like a woman’ because I don’t think it’s shameful to be a woman.’
Here are three renowned feminists and what they have to say about equality:
Ani DiFranco – Iconic Writer and Feminist
Poet, author and musician Ani DiFranco is widely considered as a feminist icon. She has received the ‘Women of Courage Award’ at the 2006 National Organization for Women (NOW) Conference and the ‘Woody Guthrie Award’ in 2009 for being a voice of positive social change. Ani said, ‘My idea of feminism is self-determination, and it’s very open-ended: every woman has the right to become herself, and do whatever she needs to do.’
Prince Harry – Royal Philanthropist and Feminist
Prince Harry, the youngest son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana has reaffirmed his status as feminist several times, and recently yet again with an impassioned speech in Kathmandu, Nepal. He said, ‘…change needs to come from the bottom up. We won’t unlock these opportunities for young women and girls unless we can change the mind-set of every family and community. To achieve this, it cannot just be women who speak up for girls.”
Daniel Craig – Philandering Spy and Feminist
The English actor known for his dashing portrayal of James Bond is a proud advocate of equality. In late 2015 Daniel told The Telegraph that he plans to bring weight to the next Bond film in terms of feminine equality. He was also quoted as saying, ‘Women are responsible for two thirds of the work done worldwide, yet earn only 10% of the total income and own 1% of the property… So, are we equals? Until the answer is yes, we must never stop asking.’
Making Equality a Reality
The message is clear and powerful – women don’t deserve to be equal, they are equal and the general acknowledgment of this equality is way overdue – and when coming from contemporary role models like these, it resonates. It seems patriarchy is finally being dismantled, slowly but steadily.
