Featured UCLA Feminist: Kayla Karimi

“Feminism is about equality among all people. Among sexes and genders not just for women. It’s a broad term for all different peoples that are deserving of equality.”

UCLA student, Kayla Karimi did not always consider herself a feminist.

“I used to think Feminism was a dirty word”.

But recently, she began to take notice of the many expectations that women are held accountable for in their daily lives- such as the rigid standards of appearance. “What really grinds my gears are the unrealistic expectations of beauty created by the media”.

What struck her the most was when she realized the existence of inequalities within her own home.

She says, “There are rigid gender roles in my own family. The women are supposed to be the caretaker, and the men are the breadwinners. There is power that men have for being the head of the household. It’s just unfair”.

These gender roles were troubling to her and she began to challenge these expectations. She questioned why women are still considered inferior to men in this day in age. The desire for equality led her to believe that this is exactly what feminism fights for- not only for women but also for people of all genders and races.

Kayla now proudly considers herself a feminist.