I know what you're thinking, here we go again with some girl who feels passionately about feminism. And you're probably really tired of hearing the rants, the complains, and the venting sessions online about why feminism is important.

Well, as a female college student that will one day enter the workforce, I agree that feminism is important.

As defined by Webster's dictionary, feminism is "the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities." And I'm sure you've heard of the term "meninism" and "meninist" which are literally trying to define themselves as the opposite of feminism and feminist as a joke.

I'm sorry, but do you realize what being a female is like? Do you, by study, actually get paid less, even though you're equally qualified, than someone of the opposite sex based solely upon your sex? Are you taught to never wear specific clothing because the opposite sex will take it as an invite to your pants, no matter your say in it?

I didn't think so. And you shouldn't have to feel that way in these circumstances, and neither should we.

Now this, this is the feminism I agree with. But sadly, our world as strayed away from the true meaning of supporting feminism.

What I don't agree with, and what people tend to confuse feminism for, is extreme feminism. This is the viewpoint in which some people think that the world would be a better place if it was fully ran by women. This is the "Anti-Men" title you may commonly use when referring to someone that is simply looking for an equal opportunity, a Feminist.

I'm not saying that I think every CEO should be a woman because they can run every company better than a man can, but I am saying that women should have the equal opportunity and pay to do so. And I don't think that the President HAS to be a woman for this country to become all it can be, (especially with the recent candidate, ugh) but I do think the thought of having one as a president shouldn't be seen as such an extreme. I'm not saying that the world should be ruled by women just because they're women, but men and women should be able to do it equally.

So for the girls who say they don't consider themselves a feminist, I can understand why. The protocol for a feminist has somehow been constructed as a 24/7 ranting female who wants world domination and connect every single thing back to inequality amongst sexes. And it sucks, it really sucks that girls feel like being a feminist is an embarrassment because of the way society has formed it.

I'm a feminist, but not an extreme feminist. And the difference between the two is crucial when describing one's views on it. Don't be ashamed to want equality between sexes and realize what feminism is all about.