What does feminism mean to me?

Even though I didn't call myself a feminist, and had little knowledge on the matter, I felt like one early on in my life. During my teenage years, I was uncomfortable with and angered by the attitude boys and girls had towards each other. At the time, my friends sometimes made remarks that didn't make sense to me and made me lose it. Getting honked at by some dude in the streets was for some of them a compliment, while I was yelling at him and giving him the finger. Which only got me stares of spite from my friends, or laughs that meant ''this one's always complaining ...''

In secondary, other arguments came up with those friends, one in particular was about the death penalty, against which I was, and still am, fiercely opposed. I was confronted to people who agreed that ''some people'' might ''deserve it''. I thought it was inhumane to wish death on someone, or to say that they deserved it. I also always found it illogical to punish crimes by comitting one. If murder is a crime, what about the death penalty?

Anyway, I got sidetracked. The will to defend women and to not feel inferior and powerless against men has always been part of me. Growing up, this will got sharpened, I interested myself in feminism, in associated acts, changed my ideas, evolved through both what I lived or what others lived. I forged my personality, which was closely linked to the feminist cause.

I see this cause as a fight that must be done together, a fight in which women should stay together even though ideas and means might differ. To me, it is essential that we are here for each other, united and on alert. Feminism is sisterhood.

This cause also means, of course, defending women's right. It means fighting inequalities between men and women, fighting oppression against women. It's wanting equity and equality between beings, outside of the inequal concept of men / women. It's also uniting with and supporting other causes that concern all human beings, or even all living beings (animal abuse, for instance), and be responsible and careful with the environment, with the world that surrounds us.

I am clearly anti-capitalist, and I fight in my own way against the way our society is, as it definitely does not fit me: the finance world, the banking system, big corporation CEOs, ...

So many cliches, some might say, and I'll probably be called a privileged left-wing girl with ''feminazi'' tendencies... Yes, maybe, and so what? I am in agreement with myself and with my values, and am proud of defending some causes, proud of promoting some values. As such, I am fine with defining myself as an ''extreminist''.

There are some things that I can't tolerate, that I find unfair, and I won't bow down ''from time to time'', or switch sides because ''okay but this, this would be good''. I already think I am not doing enough, and I admire people that go though with their ideals, so asking me to close my eyes on details that mean a lot to me would be like renouncing myself and my identity.

I am a feminist, an extremist if I must be, and I am proud of claiming responsibility for choices and acts that are influenced by this idea. I will keep on fighting as long as I need to, may everyone keep on doing so in their own ways.

To all the people who struggle, who don't give up, to all the people who create alternatives to today's world, living independently, and to those who act for noble causes, who f*ck society and give their own time and energy, and even to those who support and agree: you have all my admiration.