Hello! If you actually clicked on this article, that must mean you don't consider the word "feminism" (or variations of the word) dirty, like the patriarchy tells you it is. Congratulations! You're a rational human being.

According to Dictionary.com, feminism is "the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men."

This is the first reason why I need feminism: That definition adheres to the traditional gender binary. There are people who don't identify as male or female, who, of course, deserve the same rights as everyone else. Feminism advocates for equal representation for all genders, not just male and female.

Another important reason why I need feminism is because of history. In history class, we're all taught that women got the right to vote with the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. That fact is misleading; white women were given the right to vote, which excluded women of color. Still, even today, facts and figures are thrown around that only represent white women. People think the wage gap for all women is 77 cents for every dollar a man makes, when in reality, that figure only pertains to the salaries of white women. While this is still a troubling fact, we need to recognize that women of color make even less than white women; Latina women make 56 cents for every white man's dollar, and black women make 67 cents for every white man's dollar. Being any race other than white should not make you any less of a person, or less deserving of equal pay for equal work. Feminism advocates for gender equality of all genders and races, understanding that race can have an effect on the severity of the sexism one faces.

Many people deny the need for feminism because they feel that sexism no longer exists. Clearly, these people haven't opened their eyes lately. Look around you and witness the institutionalized sexism people experience every single day. Have you ever taken a closer look at the advertisements floating around?

Seriously, is this necessary? You can't just say "Now Open" and showcase people modeling your clothing in a non-sexualized way? American Apparel, are you even trying to sell clothing, or are you selling sex?

Like I said, I could go on and on about why I need feminism. Let's consider this article part one of my feminism series. There's so much more institutionalized feminism to discuss with you all.