Feminism has become such a dirty word.

There. I said it.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for equality. I don’t want to (and shouldn’t!) earn less than Joe Bloggs for doing the same job, just because I’m Joanna Blogs.

Emiline Pankhurst died for me to vote. And for that I will always be grateful, and will NEVER waste my vote.

It’s absolutely correct that I have that right, just as it’s right that we are starting to see so many more improvements in parental rights for men.

The thing is, modern day Feminism has just become ridiculous really hasn’t it?

If Feminism really is what it’s become, then I most definitely am not one.

Feminism seems to have become about “man hating” and being “Independent Women”. I’m all for independence, but the reality will remain, I’m not independent of Dave. Nor do I really have the desire to be. We both bring different things to the table and a lot of those things do sit in stereotypical male and female roles. And I’m 100% ok with that.

Equality for me and Dave, is standing side by side. Making each other a better version of themselves. None of this “behind every great man there’s an even greater woman” or vice versa rubbish. There’s no hierarchy. We compliment one another. We support each other.

This blog has probably been on the cards for me for a while, but I was tipped over the edge this week by an article Dave shared on Facebook. Linda Reynolds, a Senator in Australia seems to think it’s a good idea for women to be pitched against men to test their physical abilities. And we’re talking here at a professional level, in the NRL (Australia’s pro Rugby League competition). This is such a physical sport and surely that will only end in tears?

Equality is for women to have their own league, that is held in the same esteem as men, with the same funds put into it. Equality is not mixing genders in a sport where men and women have different physical abilities, however you look at it, whether you like it or not.

Common sense has apparently gone out the window when it comes to Feminism. Apparently it is ok for women to kick up such a stink that we’re coming to a point, where I feel that men have less right than women in some cases. We can’t have Feminism just when it suits us.

It is irrelevant whether you are a man or a woman, gay or straight, or indeed black or white. We should all be treated with the same respect that we all deserve. Whether that is down to our pay, our opinions, sporting ability, performance or otherwise.

I’m not sure it should even be about Feminism anymore, but simply about Equality. But perhaps we need to re-evaluate what that really means, because it seems to me that the pendulum is swinging too far the other way.