Feminism is defined as the advocacy of women's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes, but somehow we have let other people misrepresent us and take a very basic ideology and twist it into something misconstrued. We live in a country founded on freedom and equality, yet we still had to fight over the past several decades to ensure equality for not only both genders but other races.
The day after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, millions of women took the streets of Washington D.C. and other major cities in a march for equality, but at the root of it, it was nothing more than a misguided and uninformed protest of the man in office.
The reality is that had we elected our first women president, Hillary Clinton, the streets of D.C. would be clear on January 21st of 2017. There wouldn't be women holding disgraceful signs and dressed in obscene outfits. And as for gender equality, there would be no change there. Just because you have a women in the oval office, it does not change the sexism that exists. She didn't advocate to bring you equal rights but rather, she used you as a guaranteed vote. Somewhere along the way, it became a common notion that if you were a woman and you cared about equal rights for women, you should automatically cast your vote for Hillary Clinton, a woman so far disconnected from the sexism that exists within our country today. If you think that just simply by electing a woman to be our president that all of your problems are going to disappear, you don't understand what it takes in order for real change to happen.
You want to see real change happen? Stop putting all your hope in the leader of the country and step up and be the change you want to see. Start with the people in your own lives. Treat sexism as something so unacceptable and inexcusable that you won't even entertain it. You don't need to parade yourself around Washington in order to see change. Demand the respect you rightfully deserve.
The rest of the world is watching. The women in other countries that don't have the most basic human rights wish you knew just how lucky you are. No doubt sexism still exists today, but as women living in a free country, we have an obligation to the other women in the world to best represent them in a respectful way.
The definition of feminism I agree with, but the unfortunate misinterpretation of what it means to be a feminist I consider to be disgraceful. I am a woman living in a free country, and I have the equal rights that I deserve. No one is holding me back from being the best I can possibly be but myself. We can do better to ensure a greater future for the women and girls in not only our own country but all across the world.
