Both men and women are stereotyped in today’s society. According to Planned Parenthood, men are characterized as strong, unemotional, independent, and aggressive, and women are characterized as emotional, caring, passive, and nurturing. These characteristics of men and women are demonstrated in the roles they play in society. A female can give orders and be called bossy while a male can give the same orders and nothing would be thought of it. A male can be expressing his feelings and be called a wuss while a female could be expressing her emotions and nothing would be thought of it. America is the land of the free, yet we as a country still struggle with gender inequality. Why this is the case, I do not really know, but what I do know is that today more and more people are taking a stand against gender inequality, and they are called “feminists.” The word “feminism” often has a negative connotation or stigma with it. However, this negative connotation does not embody the true essence of feminism. I consider myself a feminist, and I believe everyone else should as well.

I find writing about feminism difficult because I've discovered that a lot of people turn their noses to the word "feminism." I read an article a while back about a woman who refused to be a feminist, and her argument was that men and women are remotely different, and it should be that way. It was a well-written article, but with incorrect information.

I believe the problem with the term “feminism” is that individuals, such as the author of this article, misconstrue it. Let me start with what feminism is not.

Feminism is not the belief that women are superior to men. It is not the belief that men and women are same. Men and women are very different, and to say they are the same is not true by any means. There are some things that men are better at, and there are some things that women are better at, and that is okay. Feminism is not about that. In fact, according to the Merriam Webster’s Dictionary, the definition of “feminism” is “the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. It is the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.” Women and men. Not just women. Feminism is simply equality and believing that equality is for everyone regardless of their gender.

Emma Watson gave a speech promoting her campaign He for She to the United Nations, and I think she gives a strong depiction of why the word “feminism” is coined with a bad reputation. She says, “ I have realized that fighting for women’s rights has too often become synonymous with the man-hating.” However, that is not what feminism represents, and if we want to live in a society where gender equality fully exists, we cannot hate on either gender.

So why should you be a feminist? Because women deserve to live in a society where wages are based on merit. According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, a woman makes roughly 77 cents to every man’s dollar. Wages should not be based on someone’s gender, but should be based off each person’s qualifications and skills. Everyone should be a feminist because men shouldn’t be subjected to stereotypes either. For example, a man should be able to feel like he can cry in public or to his friends without them judging him or telling him to “man up” or “stop being a girl.” What does “man up” even mean without a stereotype or women being weak attached to it? Everyone should be a feminist because both men and women deserve to be better represented in the media. Not every man has chiseled abs and ripped muscles, and not every woman has large breasts and a large butt. Everyone should be a feminist because certain jobs should not be gender specific. For example, cooking and cleaning should not be specifically correlated to “a women’s job” nor should mowing the lawn or taking out the trash be tied to “a man’s job.” But above all, everyone should be a feminist because we need both men and women in support of feminism if we ever want to see equal representation and gender equality in this world.

So you don’t have to like the word “feminist,” but I hope you now understand what it truly means. In order to advance equality in today’s society, we must come together in the name of feminism and work as a united front. And remember, feminism is about equality of both sexes, not just women, so when the outcome of feminism is beneficial for to everyone, why not be a feminist?