The word feminism used to have a powerful and driven connotation. Today this word is mocked and is associated with “man-haters” and eye rolls. Feminists do not hate men and do not want women to become more powerful than men. It is about equality. It is about having a goal to strive for and actually having the capability to reach that goal. The United States is not the only country in the world with gender inequality. Feminism is not a movement only in the United States. It is a movement that has become worldwide. Women everywhere need feminism and here’s why.
1. The Tampon Tax
The fact that the government puts a tax on a product that is a necessity for women is unfair. We did not design our bodies. Periods are something that women have no control over. It is a normal function of the female body, so why should we pay extra for a product we need?
2. Wage gap
It is known that women earn 79 percent of what a man earns. However, the wage gap is more than just this one number. As we start to incorporate age, education level, and race, the numbers become more real and can be quite shocking to some. Having a national pay gap is upsetting, but did you know that this pay gap is different in each state? The gap is largest in Louisiana at 65 percent and smallest in Washington, D.C. at 90 percent. When it comes to race, the women with the smallest pay gap are hispanic women and the women with the largest pay gap are Asian American women.
3. Victim Blaming
When it comes to rape, the victim is always the first to be blamed. Was she drinking? What was she wearing? Why was she by herself? Why does it matter? No one should violate another human being because that person decided to go out for a drink. Or because they wanted to wear that new tight-fitting dress they just bought because they felt beautiful in it. We should not have to walk in groups everywhere we go due to the fear of being attacked. Feminism helps victims understand that no matter what society says, being raped was not her fault.
4. The glass ceiling
The glass ceiling is an imaginary barrier that was created to keep women and minorities from advancing in their careers. While this barrier is unjust, I like to think of it as motivating and empowering. Think about it. An egocentric white man created this "imaginary" barrier because he was worried that women and minorities would become more powerful than him professionally.
5. Body-shaming
Society likes to paint this picture of what a "real woman" is. I hate to burst your bubble, but a "real woman" is not one with a thigh gap or one with curves. A "real woman" is both of these characteristics. Feminism promotes loving yourself and not caring what others think of you. Unfortunately, society has convinced women that if one does not look a certain way then they are less of a woman than someone else. This causes women to shame each other for the body types they were born with. Instead of tearing each other down and letting society win, we should focus on building each other up and helping the feminism movement.
6. Domestic Abuse inequality
When it comes to domestic abuse the first question asked is always "why did she stay?" We should be focusing on the question "why did he abuse?" She stays because at a young age girls are taught that if he hits you, it means he likes you. Telling young girls this teaches young boys that it is acceptable to hit women. Instead of teaching our children this false and harmful information, why don't we teach them how to talk to one another? If you like a girl talk to her, do not hit her. Let's teach children to respect one another and let's end domestic abuse.
