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 Sentiments By Gina Ridgeway 

December 12, 2025

 I love to talk. Anyone who knows me could confirm this. I also love to talk about a variety of topics, from petty personal grievances to social issues that I feel deeply passionate about. One such issue is women's rights and the cultural ideas surrounding "womanhood". Oftentimes when I try to discuss very controversial topics, such as the rise of plastic surgery among women, I get shut down by the same argument. "It's a woman's choice so we don't have a right to judge." This argument is part of a wider ideology known as choice feminism. 

    I have two qualms with this argument. First, there is a difference between judgement and analysis. Judgment comes from a place of scorn. I totally agree people have a right to do what they want within reason. However, I think it's important to understand why they made those choices and the possible negative consequences.

   Secondly, every single day people make hundreds of choices. What to eat, what to wear, what to buy. It's nice to imagine that those choices are truly their own. People want to have complete free will in their lives and decisions. However, each choice someone makes is influenced by tons of factors—many of which aren't consciously considered. The media they consume, the people they choose to spend their time with, and the advertisements they see—the society they live in - influence those choices.

   According to FEM, UCLA's feminist magazine, "Choice feminism takes an individualistic approach, stating the individual choices of a woman are inherently feminist because she made them herself." 

   On the surface this seems simple. Feminism seeks to empower women and their choices, right? Well, not exactly. According to Merriam-Webster, feminism is "belief in and advocacy of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes expressed especially through organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests."

   Throughout history many women have acted in deeply unfeminist ways. Women organized across the country to fight against the suffragettes. Some women believe that their place in society is subservient to men. The opinions of women, and everyone, are very dependent on the society they exist in.

   Returning to plastic surgery, I question what led someone to become so dissatisfied with their own body that they decided to undergo a very expensive and sometimes very dangerous procedure. What messaging did they receive, sometimes from family and friends. Sometimes from major companies hoping to profit off insecurity. Where is the line between "empowerment" and being taken advantage of?

   This can apply to many issues. Why do women wear makeup? Is sex work an exploitative industry?  All of these issues are influenced by thousands of external factors. I'm not saying any choice is inherently wrong but they deserve to be questioned even if they are a woman's choice. People's motivations should be analyzed no matter who they are because no one lives in a vacuum.