Feminism. Such a simple word. Yet, it has so much power behind it. In society today, feminism has gotten a bad name and a negative connotation. Feminists are frequently referred to as "feminazis" and are seen as prudes who hate men and never shave. This false definition of feminism that has come to be associated with it is just proof as to why we need real feminism.

Feminism is not about hate. Feminism is about equality. According to Dictionary.com, feminism is defined as, "The doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women as equal to those of men." Focus on those last five words. Equal to those of men. Not better than. Equal. For hundreds of years, women have been viewed as less than men and given less opportunities as men. Feminism is about the fight to stop that inequality. Everyone should have the same opportunities, not just one group of people.

Now, before anyone gets too fired up, I know men are discriminated against as well. I also know gender is a spectrum of not just male and female but of multiple genders and sexualities, and all of them are wrongly discriminated against to some degree. I believe all of these people should be treated equally, and you know what? Feminism does too. You know why? Because feminists fight for equality and the war not just on women, but on femininity.

We as a society need to learn to embrace femininity; it is not a weakness. We are all different human beings, and we are all a culmination of varying masculine and feminine characteristics. Feminism fights to allow everyone to embrace all of themselves and allows people to have strength in their inherent femininity.

Why not just call it egalitarian then? Because there is a war against women in our society. Women are objectified as sexual objects and given unreachable ideals, a la Barbie and every other advertisement in the magazines. Women can't make medical decisions for their own bodies and are forced to have unwanted pregnancies every year by men in positions of power who are somehow allowed to own women's bodies. Women have to pay luxury taxes in many states for pads and tampons, necessities in women's bodily health. Women only make about 79% of what a man makes, and this number increases even more for women of color. Women have to live their whole lives with the glass ceiling, working much harder than their male counterparts to receive higher job positions. 1 in 5 women are going to be sexually assaulted this year on our college campuses unless there is a change. Sexual assault and rape claims are rarely taken seriously (for any gender). Women are cat called on the street; women are afraid to walk to their cars in dark parking lots; women can't wear or drink what they want for fear of being raped; women are told it's their fault they are raped instead of rapists being told not to rape.

This has to stop.

We cannot keep singling women out like this.

This is why we need feminism. I am a young woman, and it scares me to think there is a world out there that's against me because of something as inherent as my gender. I fight for every gender; I stand with all who are discriminated against. I consider myself an egalitarian, but I'm a feminist first. Only once this war against women improves can we move on to being an equal society. I stand with everyone out there that has been discriminated against for either being a woman or having feminine characteristics. I am fighting for myself and for others. I am not a feminazi. I am not a misandrist. I am a feminist, and I am not ashamed.