Feminism isn't simply about being a woman in a position of

In the words of Jessica Valenti, “Feminism isn't simply about being a woman in a position of power. It's battling systemic inequities; it's a social justice movement that believes sexism, racism and classism exist and interconnect, and that they should be consistently challenged,” we are reminded that feminism is not a crown to be worn by a few, but a struggle for the many. Power held by one woman atop a hierarchy means little if the structures beneath remain poisoned by injustice. The true calling of feminism is not the adornment of individuals, but the dismantling of systems that choke the dignity of countless lives.

Her words strike against the shallow belief that representation alone is enough. To see a woman in command may inspire, but if the systemic inequities of the world remain, then the victory is hollow. What Valenti reveals is that oppression is not a single chain, but a web—sexism, racism, and classism woven tightly together, reinforcing each other across generations. To cut one strand without facing the others leaves the net intact. True feminism, then, is the labor of breaking every cord that binds.

History offers us the example of the abolitionist and suffragist movements in the nineteenth century, where women like Sojourner Truth declared, “Ain’t I a Woman?” She revealed the blindness of those who fought for women’s rights but ignored race, showing that freedom must be whole or it is false. Likewise, working-class women often labored in factories while wealthy feminists spoke of liberation—proof that without addressing class, the movement was incomplete. Valenti’s words are carved from these lessons of history: that justice cannot be divided.

Her teaching also calls us to vigilance. She says these inequities “should be consistently challenged,” reminding us that injustice is not defeated once and for all. Like a weed, it returns in new forms, disguising itself in new garments of law, culture, or custom. The task of feminism—and of all who seek justice—is to see clearly, to expose, and to resist without ceasing. It is a lifelong struggle, not a passing fashion.

Thus let this wisdom endure: do not confuse the symbol of power with the substance of justice. Feminism is not the throne of one woman but the liberation of all people from the intertwined chains of oppression. It is the fire that burns against inequality in all its forms. And so long as the world weaves new webs of injustice, this fire must be kept alive, passed from one generation to the next, until the day dawns when equality is no longer a dream, but the air we all breathe.