As a person who is incredibly invested in the fight for gender equality, I am always shocked when I hear people say that they believe we have reached our goal. In a world where there is still a gender wage gap, excessive female sexualization in the media and daily life, street harassment, shaming for victims of sexual violence, attacks on woman’s right to health care and one in six women experiencing a rape or rape attempt in the United States alone, it is hard to believe that some people see the world as equally safe and accessible for both men and women. While it is likely that you’re not arguing that these things are awful and that they should not exist in modern society, you probably aren’t apt to call yourself a feminist. While the actual definition of feminism is the belief that women and men should have equal rights and opportunities, many people are not comfortable identifying with this group due to negative stereotypes associated with radical feminists.

What many people ask is, if feminism is about equality, why is it not called “equalism” rather than something that mainly focuses on the struggles of women? As someone who has identified as a feminist for years, I had to stop and ponder, does the word “feminism” adequately describe the fight for gender equality in the modern day?

Feminists argue that because sexual inequality is largely aimed at women, who have been historically marginalized, the name “feminism” is representative of the group who is most harmed by sexual discrimination. However, in a world where men experience such sexual discrimination as only a ten percent chance of winning a custody battle against a woman, higher pressure to enlist in the armed forces, a higher chance of becoming a victim of all types of violence besides sexual violence and media pressures just as harsh as those inflicted on women in terms of body image, men feel the burn of sexual inequality heavily in modern society. Most of the societal pressures which men face, such as the pressure to conceal emotions, the pressure to succeed physically and the pressure to succeed in the workforce, stem from sexism against women, as these standards are a way to force men to prove their ability to do things that women have historically been thought unfit to do. Because of this, many argue that fixing the sexism practiced against women would solve the injustices men face as well. For example, if people recognized that both women and men were equally capable in the workforce and in the home, then women would have better opportunities in the business world and men’s chances of winning custody battles would rise.

So, just because sexism against women is what predominantly causes sexual discrimination against men, does that mean that “feminism” is the word of choice to describe the battle against sexual inequality in our society? When feminism began in 1884, women had fewer rights than men and were so heavily discriminated against that it is clear to see why “equalism” was not their first choice when naming their cause. However, today the burn of sexual discrimination is also felt by men, although perhaps not as heavily—not to mention the incredible gender based discrimination against those who do not identify with the gender binary. A name like feminism, which seems to focus mainly on the struggles of women, makes many of these non-female activist for gender equality feel unrepresented, alienated and, in some cases, criminalized in the fight for gender equality.

While I agree that feminism is a name which accurately represents the solving of sexism against women and that solving sexism against women is at the forefront of solving the sexual discrimination which all genders face, that doesn’t make the label itself any more inclusive or make non-female activist feel any more welcomed by it. Many people argue that the label shouldn’t matter if the ideals are the same, however we know how important labels are in creating our identity and expressing ourselves to others. Many say that because feminism itself, as an idea, does not exclude men and those who choose not to subscribe to the gender binary from its activism, that there is no reason to change the label; however, it is not about whether these individuals are actually excluded from feminism, but the fact that a name like “feminism” causes them to feel as though they are. If people don’t feel comfortable with a label, they will be reluctant to take in the ideals it represents as part of their ideology, thus stifling the growth of an idea. With an idea as important as gender equality on the line, should we feminists be sacrificing our growth in favor of holding true to our label? Additionally, should we not, as warriors for equality, express sympathy for those who feel mistakenly forgotten and left out from our fight due to the fact that the word we have chosen as our label is not inclusive of their suffering?

I call myself a feminist, and I believe in the ideas that the true nature of feminism is meant to represent: equality of all genders. However, I am unsure if the label of feminist is one which all who are battling for gender equality in the modern day can use to describe themselves, since it leaves non-female activists feeling ostracized and as if their suffering is forgotten. Whatever side of the issue you fall on, we have to remember that the growth of equality is our main goal, and that a world where men, women and everyone in-between is viewed as equally capable and has equal safety and opportunities, is far more important than whatever name we choose to use to define our battle against sexism in the modern world. In the world we wish to create, there would be no label required to express that you are an individual against gender inequality, as equality would be the excepted way of life and “sexist” the label given to those who were against it. Still, being able to unite under one banner which represents our cause only gives us greater strength in a world where inequalities of all types are the still the accepted norm.

So, while the word "feminism" adequately describes the fight for an end to sexism against women, is it a label that is inclusive of all the suffering which gender inequality brings to women, men, and non-binary members of our society? As is the case with all labels, for some, yes, and for others, no. But does this constitute a change in the label as to become more inclusive of those who feel it ostracizes them, or would a change in the label "feminism" cause activists to lose sight of how fighting sexism against woman is at the forefront of solving gender discrimination? Because women have been historically left out of causes which were not directly concerned with their rights, it is easy to see why feminist are attracted to a label that ensures women's inclusion however, it is not hard to see why those of other genders might be leery of a label that seems to forget their suffering.

Perhaps in the future, society will be able to move past labels and instead focus on the ideals a person holds which make them who they are. Until then, this is an important issue for the feminist community to consider, as the growth of our cause and the integrity of our reputation for fighting for equal rights and representation of all parties is at risk if we do not at least consider how our label functions in a society where labels are almost as important as the ideals they represent.