Feminism is one of the most heated topics of this decade. I’ve spent hours reading articles about what it means to different people. I’ve come to the conclusion that everyone’s definition of feminism grows out of a few factors.

How you were raised, where you were raised, and who you were raised by makes a huge difference. If you are a raised in a household where there is easy access to education, room for imagination and creativity, and you are influenced by different equal views, you are much more likely to succeed.

If you are raised being told you are strong, capable, smart, and creative, you are much more likely to succeed. What ultimately makes a difference is being surrounded by strong, intelligent, and empowered women. Boys and girls who are raised with strong female influence are much more likely to see women that way.

I was very fortunate in that my mother, grandmothers, and aunts are strong, intelligent, bad ass women. They taught me the power of education, strength, and that I am just as capable as the person sitting next to me. My family was incredibly supportive of me. I was raised with two brothers who I was treated as an equal to. There was equal control between my mother and father. I was always taught to focus on school. I am extremely independent and I have very high expectations for myself. I am incredibly lucky.

The problem today is yes that we still struggle with the idea of equality for all genders. But, another issue is what feminism has grown into. There is a lot of hate among women. I see feminists putting down women who want to focus on a family or their husband as opposed to their career.

I’ll start by saying this: I am currently focused on school. I don’t see myself getting married unless I meet the right person and feel supported by my hopes and aspirations. I am hoping to seek a career in Freelance Journalism. I hope to travel, constantly learning about the world and taking in as many people and as much information that I can.

I see absolutely nothing wrong with marrying young and focusing time and energy on a family. There are girls out there who have been planning their wedding since they were five years old. There are women in their early twenties who are actively planning their future with their boyfriend. Women who see men as the head of the household.

I personally see nothing wrong with a woman wanting to be a stay at home mom. I do think in this day in age, there shouldn’t be anything set in stone that men are the head of the household, especially because there are so many different types of families these days.

As a woman, no, as a human being, you do what makes you happy. I’ll do what makes me happy. Feminism is about equal opportunity for all genders. It’s about loving each other and yourself. It’s about accepting our fellow women for what we want. Because women can do all things!

But, calling other women “ignorant," “uneducated," or “brainwashed” because they seek a more traditional life, is hateful and none of your business. I will say it makes me sad, when I come across articles where women view themselves as “fragile” or “less capable” than men, because we are strong, intelligent, powerful, and just as capable.

Feminism should invite love and support, not hate. Obviously, the events of the past year are completely unacceptable and personally make me sick to my stomach. The presidency of a sexist, egomaniac who took the most respected seat in the country. The number of men in Hollywood who took consent and power and twisted it into something evil. That's what we should be fighting about.

Feminism is about fighting for justice. It’s about deserving equal rights. That means that we do with our body is OUR decision. It’s not up for debate. It means that just because we didn’t say no, doesn’t mean we said yes. It means we are entitled to equal pay, equal access to health care, equal opportunity, and we decide what our future will be.

It means that we are more than a body. We are more than a pretty face. We are more than an innocent smile. We are women. We have the right to live. That’s what feminism is. We shouldn't be bringing each other down, we should be supporting each other. In the end, love will always win.