Somewhere along the line, feminism garnered a negative connotation, deterring people from the cause. Oftentimes, people associate the word with the type of extremism that led to a 1968 protest involving ‘freedom trash cans’ where protestors threw objects related to the objectification of women such as high heels, hair curlers, and bras into trashcans symbolically. Furthermore, people tend to perceive it as a movement against men, which couldn’t be farther from the case. No one, and I do repeat no one, likes a crazy, man-hating woman. However, these types of extremists do exist, and society shouldn’t shy away from feminism just because some crazy, severe sects of it left a bad taste in the public’s mouths.

Feminism is grossly misconstrued and these types of problems occur due to ignorance. People neglect the truth that feminism was launched as a movement aimed at obtaining equal pay for equal work and the prohibition of gender discrimination in the workforce. The National Organization for Women (NOW) was formed in 1966 to advocate the, “full participation of women in mainstream American society”. In my opinion, these are lofty goals, which I wholeheartedly endorse. To this day, women despicably fail to receive equal pay for equal work, as they typically only earn 81% of what men earn. This is unacceptable and needs to be addressed immediately.

Therefore, I’m proud to declare myself an advocate of the modern day feminist agenda. But, don’t mistake my meaning here. I’m not a feminazi. I merely openly advocate for the equal treatment of women and it’s okay to relish my womanhood. For example, I like taking care of kids and nurturing others. I enjoy getting dolled up, shopping, and grooming. Plus, I still think it’s nice when guys hold a door open for me or insist on paying for dinner. Yes, chivalry’s dead and I’m a strong, independent girl who’s more than capable of doing these things for myself, but, those gestures are a kindness that I’ll gladly accept even though I’d also be more than happy and capable of grabbing the door or footing the bill. 

Men and women aren’t completely the same, but we are equal and should be treated as such before the law and in the perceptions of gender perpetuated by the media and society at large. We must be educated and aware of the true aims of feminism and cease to spit upon this worthy cause.