You see a bunch of silly girls making a stink about crop tops, and fighting school dress codes, and getting on the news for their 15 minutes of fame. 

I see teenage girls taking a stand for themselves, their bodies and fighting back against a society that tries to police and shame them for having bodies at all. 

You see a blatant disregard for the rules of proper conduct and disrespect for the hidden curriculum of our educational institutions that teaches our kids about the expectations of society and how they should behave as a civilized member of said society.

I see students pushing back because they understand that dress codes are often disproportionately enforced for female versus male students and perpetuate the thoughts that women's bodies as inherently sexual and objectified distractions to male students. I see a system that seems to have one set of rules for boys and another for girls and I worry about what kind of "hidden curriculum" of casual and systemic sexism this kind of culture creates and how this seeps into the minds of our children over the years.

You see this fight as an insult to the many people who are fighting for gender equality and "real" women's issues across the globe.  

I see young girls taking up the mantle of feminism at this very moment in their lives. I see them looking at the world with different eyes now and perhaps becoming the future leaders in our continued fight for equality in all things. 

You see an image of a mother breastfeeding her six-year old and think that there is something so very, very wrong with it and that this practice is scarring the child forever and doesn't actually have any health "benefits".

I see a mother-child dyad that is incredibly bonded and that will come to the natural end of their nursing partnership when both are ready.

You see a kid who can go to the fridge and get her own cup of milk and wonder what is the point of the continued breastfeeding. 

I see that breastfeeding a child is about far more than being a food source. It is about warmth, and love, and closeness, and comfort, and help to fall asleep, and is not about any so called "benefits", it is simply the way mammals feed and nurture their young.

You see a mother flaunting her "extreme" parenting style all over the internet and on magazine covers, and say that she is making THIS not just about her and her choices, but inviting everyone to comment about it. 

I see a breastfeeding advocate who knows that "one can not be what one does not see" and is showing the world the simple, normal, healthy, and loving way that she has nursed her child.

I see that western cultures have very disheartening breastfeeding rates and by sharing photos of mothers nursing their children (at any age) and showing these practices more in the mainstream, more women will witness it and know that there is no shame in nursing (in public or not).

You see a new government in our province that has a cabinet of ministers with parity of gender and a specific portfolio for one who is now the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women and ask where the ministry for the status of men is? 

I see a government who is embracing the fact that women make up 50% of the population in this province, who is taking a serious look as to why the two largest cities in Alberta ranked lowest on a study of 20 cities in Canada as the worst for women, and is committed to making it a priority to see changes to these issues that can only benefit our whole province and our economy. 

You spout off reasons that the gender pay gap is a myth, that women are CHOOSING lower paying jobs and CHOOSING to stay home to care for children, and that you want equality for men too.

I see someone who doesn't want to step into my (or any woman's) shoes for a moment and actually see things from the perspective and the reality of these choices (hint: they are not actually choices for many). I see someone who is hurting and likely needed support at some point in his life, but didn't feel he could ask for it, because he lives in a culture that has taught him that vulnerability is weakness and that his only choice is to "man up". 

You see feminists as your enemies.

I see a person who doesn't understand that there are no enemies here and that deep down, we ALL truly want the same things. To be treated with kindness, compassion and respect as human beings. 

N~