If not me, who? | The importance of gender equality

Good morning lovely people! Today I have a bit of a different post to usual, I hope you can take a little something from it.

I am not going to sit here behind my laptop screen and pretend to you that I know everything there is to know about feminism, because I don't. I'm not going to make myself out to be any sort of hero, because this is also not true. I'm writing this to tell you that I have let something slip along with 7 billion other people in the world and that is very sad. It's almost laughable that it's taken all these years for someone to stand up and say it how it is: that gender equality and the elimination of gender roles has not been achieved by any country on this planet.

A few weeks ago now there was a video circling the world of social media that seemed to result in an explosion of people talking, arguing, fighting about gender equality and feminism. This video was of the speech Emma Watson made at the HeForShe campaign for UN Women.

 I myself watched this video a mere two weeks ago after seeing it all over my Facebook and Twitter feeds and quite frankly, I was rather blown away by her words. Every single idea she put out there made so much sense to me. 

I've never really called myself a feminist because I've never known what defines a feminist. I always thought I knew too little about it to call myself anything of the sort and I've grown up surrounded by the idea that a 'feminist' was someone who hated men and had hairy arm pits. But the truth is that if someone who claims to be a feminist hates men, they are not a feminist because a feminist is someone who believes in gender equality, whether that be a man or a woman.

Since watching the video of Emma's speech, I feel as though I've been gifted with a new pair of eyes. I am suddenly so aware of all the prejudice that surrounds us every day without us even realising because it has become such a normal way for us all to talk and treat people.
 In all honesty I don't think I could name a single person who isn't excused from this, who isn't guilty of this, even me. I am admitting to the fact that on many occasions I have gone against all the morals and rights that I believe in. 
When I say it is everywhere, I mean it. It could be overhearing a conversation of someone calling a boy a 'pussy' because he showed a hint of humanity or a group of boys in college commenting on every girls ass as they walk passed. I've been subject to this many times, but it never really crossed my mind how very wrong it is.

There are no more words I could write down here that could overpower or add any more truth to that of Emma Watson's speech, I am simply here to tell you that this issue matters and that there is not one single person who this doesn't affect. 
Below is a link to Emma's speech if you happened to miss it. Please take the time to watch it from beginning to end, as I promise at least one part of it will speak to you.
Thank you for reading and I hope you have a lovely day! X