lot of controversy and dispute continues to surround this one word: feminism. Some people see it as a negative, offensive, or off-putting word. Others see it as a word that represents a positive movement of empowerment. But what exactly is it, and why does it spur on such passionate disagreement?

here are 10 points to consider.

1. First off, what exactly does the word "feminism" mean?

According to Oxford Dictionary feminism is "the advocacy of women's rights on the ground of political, social and economic equality to men." Merriam Webster describes it as, "the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities." So feminists believe in and stand for gender equality.

2. If feminists are fighting for gender equality, then they must be supposing that there is gender inequality.

Yes, Feminists believe that there is gender inequality in the world today.

3. What does it mean to have 'gender inequality?'

Gender inequality refers to unequal treatment or perceptions of individuals based on their gender. These arise not just from biological differences of gender, but in socially constructed gender roles as well. In other words, the gender of a person as well as the expectations surrounding that gender causes that individual to be unequally treated.

4. In the U.S. today, women only make up 10 to 20 percent of top leadership positions.

This statistic does not align with the research that shows women have been outnumbering men in college campuses since 1988. Americanprogress.org shows that women hold 52% of all professional-jobs, have earned almost half of law degrees by 2001, were a full third of medical school students by 1990, and outnumber men in earning undergraduate business degrees. So why are only 10 to 20% of women in top leadership positions?

5. At this rate, women will be equal to men in leadership by the year 2085.

That is over fifty years from now.

6. For every one dollar a man earns, a woman in the same position earns 79 cents.

7. The gender pay gap is worse for women of Color.

African American women were paid 63% of every dollar paid to white men, the gap being largest for Hispanic and Latina women, who were paid 54% of every dollar. These numbers are from 2014, recorded by aauw.org where other pay gap percentages of women based on race and ethnicity can be found.

8. As of July, the federal agency is conducting 140 investigations in 124 colleges and 40 school districts for possible Title IX violations in their handling of sexual assault.

9. 62 million girls around the world—half of whom are adolescent— are denied an education.

10. Protecting girl's and women's rights while empowering them to have equal opportunities is beneficial to all.

When more women work, economies grow. When more women contribute, the world benefits. As Secretary of State Hilary Clinton said it, "We know that when women participate fully in their governments and economies, they and their families benefit, but so do their communities, their countries, and even the world as a whole." —September 24, 2012

Protecting the rights of women and empowering them with equal opportunities is what it looks like to stand for gender equality, and this is what feminism strives to do.