I’m a feminist. That’s something I don’t always have the courage to say since the word “feminist” itself carries a ton of baggage. There are these views that feminism means that I hate men or that I’m a bitch when, in reality, neither of these are true. Feminism can be defined as the belief that men and women should have equal rights. “Equality.” I want to be seen as equal.

Now I want to say one thing here before I go on. If you’re a woman reading this, you’ve probably experienced a few of these actions before and I just want you to know that you shouldn’t be ashamed to be a feminist. You should fight for equality and you should not be afraid. Now, if you’re a male reading this and you aren’t agreeing with what I say, please just take a moment and picture the women in your life. Moms, sisters, daughters, aunts, cousins, girlfriends; any woman in your life and ask yourself if you would want them to be treated this way. Probably not, but the cruel reality is that they are. So please understand this:

We need feminism.

We need feminism because I am more than just my body.

We need feminism because I am tired of being harassed on the streets and catcalled as I walk by. I am tired of feeling uncomfortable when I walk by a group of men. I should not feel the need to carry pepper spray on me in order to feel safe.

We need feminism because I am taught to not walk alone at night because I might be attacked, instead of teaching men not to harm me. I am taught to not dress in certain ways because it will distract men, instead of teaching men to control themselves.

We need feminism because when a woman is raped instead of asking the man why he raped her, the victim is asked what she was wearing.

We need feminism because people pay more attention to my clothing rather than my intelligence. I am constantly judged off of my appearance rather than what I have to offer.

We need feminism because I’m tired of double standards. When a woman sleeps with multiple men she’s a slut, but when a man sleeps with multiple women, he is praised. When a woman posts a picture being confident with her body, she has no respect for herself but when a man does it, it's okay. When a woman stands up for herself, she’s a bitch but when a man does, he’s a leader.

We need feminism because I should be able to get paid the same as a man. I should be offered the same jobs as men.

I am more than how society sees me. I am capable of doing whatever a man can do. Growing up I have been indirectly taught that men are superior but now I am realizing that this is not true. We are equal and we should be treated that way. I can work just as hard as a man.

I plan on being great when I’m older. I’m going to make a change in the world but it’s going to be a struggle. It’s going to be a struggle because I am a female in today’s society. People are going to judge me based on how short my dress is or how low cut my shirt is. People are going to talk about what brand of clothing I’m wearing or how tight my clothes fit. People will talk about my body image and the way I portray myself. I will be doing great things for the world but people will only see my body. They will only see me as a female, but I promise you this will change because I am so much more than just my body.