Feminism is the notion that women and men should have equal rights and an equal standing in society. Actress Meryl Streep has been passionately fighting for this cause and is continuing to do so with determination. Her speech at the 2015 Oscars was about gender equality and she carries on fighting. In her latest act to continue the movement, she has written a letter to every member of the US Congress to try to persuade them to include America’s Equal Rights Act in their constitution. In order to become a part of the US constitution, it must be ratified by three more states. This move, which may be considered bold, would be a huge leap for the feminist movement in America if successful. In the letters, she wrote:

“A whole new generation of women and girls are talking about equality – equal pay, equal protection from sexual assault, equal rights…I am writing to ask you to stand up for equality – for your mother, your daughter, your sister, your wife, or yourself – by actively supporting the Equal Rights Amendment.”

Indeed the new generation of women and girls are talking about equality. A new generation of fashion icons and celebrities who believe in equality are inspiring people around the world. Celebrities such as Taylor Swift and Beyoncé have been fighting for feminism through their more recent music, whilst Emma Watson inspired many with her He for She speech. Other celebrities such  Beyoncé’s song Flawless encourages women to believe that they are, as the name says, flawless, as women are often led to believe otherwise. As Taylor Swift has said, “To me, feminism is probably the most important movement that you could embrace, because it’s just basically another word for equality”. She has also said “A man writing about his feelings from a vulnerable place is brave; a woman writing about her feelings from a vulnerable place is oversharing or whining.” She has often been criticised for focusing her music on previous partners, but she points out a stark inequality when she addresses the fact that male musicians are not criticised for doing exactly the same thing. Many fashion icons have also promoted the feminist movement, such as designer Diane Von Furstenberg. Model Cara Delvingne has also been credited with promoting feminism, as she has highlighted the struggles she has faced as a female to get some acting roles and has actively tried to encourage women to be strong. Male actors such as Joseph Gordon-Levitt have also pointed out the futility in not supporting feminism and have tried to encourage other men to support the cause. All of these individuals have been idols for many young people and have therefore inspired them to spread the movement. This encouragement provides a strong momentum to the feminist movement and serves to inspire a generation to move forward and fight for equal rights for the genders all over the world.

Images Source: The Independent, Huffington Post,