Feminism: n. The advocacy for equal treatment of men and women.

An emphasis on the "fem," because more often than not over the past few centuries (dare I say millennia?), women have received the under-hand in their societies. And while in many ways women's standards of living have vastly improved, that work is far from finished.

Women are still typically paid less than men for completing the same work. Young girls are still forced into arranged marriages with men who are old enough to be their fathers. Or grandfathers. Women are still widely expected to to look, act, or think in certain ways, simply because they are women.

So yes, we still need feminism.

But still, I wonder if there will come a day when women, not men, will have the upper-hand in our society. Would this movement for equality of the genders still be called "feminism?" Or would the name need to change to represent the new marginalized gender?

Some people who declare themselves advocates for meninism do so facetiously to mock feminism. (Let's not talk about those people, because that's a waste of time.) However, there are meninists who are actually concerned with men's rights, for completely valid reasons.

At their cores, meninism and feminism are after the same thing. The truth of the matter is that no individuals live conflict-free lives. Not even men. Unfortunately, because our society is so fixated on traditional gender roles, each sex is more prone to experiencing certain hardships based on said gender.

So, let's talk about some of those hardships faced by men, and why advocating for meninism is completely valid.

Men often feel ashamed to show emotion or open up to people close to them.

All humans, not only women, are emotionally complex creatures. Everybody has insecurities, jealousies, and painful memories in addition to their positive characteristics; there's no reason men should feel uncomfortable acknowledging that. Men are humans who, like women, have thoughts and feelings. They should be treated accordingly.

Men who are sexually assaulted are seldom taken seriously.

There's this weird conception that women can't be rapists, or that men can't be sexually assaulted, and that is so misguided. If someone trusts you enough to open up to you about this kind of experience, always take them seriously and offer whatever support you can.

Certain language is harmful to women, and the same goes for men.

The phrase "boys will be boys" is dangerous for both genders. I cannot tell you how much it disgusts me. It excuses men from taking responsibility for their actions. It's also insulting to men by implying that they are incapable of self control. Many more examples of harmful language exist.

Men also feel pressure to conform to beauty standards.

Men have body issues, too. Men are sexually objectified, too. Grow out a beard, or don't. Wear a man bun, or don't. It's fine. Nobody should feel the need to conform to a certain image if it doesn't properly represent them.

Men are not predisposed to any certain occupation.

Women don't only have to be nurses, secretaries, teachers, or mothers, and a man doesn't only have to be a farmer, a construction worker, or an athlete. He could also be a hairdresser or a makeup artist. No matter what he chooses, I promise you, it's fine.

Men aren't always looking for sex.

It's not fair to assume that all men are only trying to figure out different ways to sleep with you. Sometimes it's just nice for one human to talk to another human, y'know?

Men face their own under-hands, in more ways than one.

An overwhelming majority of people who are homeless are males, many of them veterans. Men are more likely to commit suicide. Men are more likely to be injured in the workplace. Men are less likely to report domestic abuse. More men than women occupy jails, and male criminals tend to receive harsher verdicts than females for similar crimes.The list goes on.

As previously stated, we're all emotionally complex. At the same time, we're all also pretty simple: we want to be treated fairly, and we want to be respected.

So, feminists, meninists, and all things in between, can we start treating humans as humans? Nothing more, nothing less.