I am a feminist.

Let me break down for you what feminism is. Forget the definition of feminism that says feminists think women are better than men. Forget the definition of feminism that means that feminists hate men. The definition of feminism is simple: Women and men should be treated equally.

"Feminism is for everybody."

Anyone can be a feminist. Do you believe that women and men should be treated equally? Do you believe that women deserve respect? Do you believe that women should not be discriminated against in the workplace and in places of leadership? Excellent. You're a feminist. Do you not believe these things? Excellent. You're not a good person.

Photo by Matthew Wiebe

No, women and men are not treated equally today. They never have been treated equally.

According to RAINN, 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men are rape victims. Men and women should be taught not to rape and they should receive the same treatment for rape, of course. We need to step back at the statistics and see the injustice that is an effect of the patriarchy. Many women are raped because of parents only teaching their little girls to not get raped and not teaching their little boys not to rape. Men are affected because they do not feel that they can get help for this abuse. The patriarchy affects everyone. Feminism is for everyone.

Photo by Maria Dari

Why would you think women are "the weaker sex"?

I am not weaker because my uterine wall sheds and I bleed out of my vagina every month.Why would you think women are weaker when a woman gave birth to you? Why would you think women are weaker when women bleed for a week every month? Why would you think women are weaker when we deal with sexism and discrimination every day? Why would you think women are weaker when women are hypersexualized in the media and in real life? Women put up with a lot of injustice every single day. Why would you think they're weaker?

I have a vagina. I don't know why this scares people. This does not mean I'm weaker, that simply means I don't have a penis. That doesn't mean that I can't handle stress or that I can't handle being in charge. I can handle it. I have handled it. I will handle it. I'm not weaker because my reproductive organs are contained within my body. It's true, there are men who are physically stronger than me. But, guess what? There are also women who are stronger than me. There are also women that are stronger than the men who are stronger than me. Stop generalizing an entire group of people. Everyone is physically built differently, no matter what you identify as.Photo by Jake Melara

"Not only are women equal to men, but men are equal to women."

Remember how we shouldn't generalize an entire group of people's strength? That goes for emotional strength too. Women contribute to society just as much as men do. We repopulate the world, we work just as hard, we do dirty work, and then sometimes we are paid less because of the existence of our vaginas. We are not irrational. Yes, we feel emotions. Just like literally everyone else. Except maybe sociopaths. That doesn't affect my ability to hire, fire, or make informed decisions. Please stop fishing for an excuse to why I shouldn't be president or in any position of power.

Your penis does not make you better than me. My vagina does not make me better than you. A person's strength does not manifest itself through your reproductive organs.

These are the basic fundamentals of feminism--an introduction. To learn more on the subject, check out the links below.

https://tavaana.org/en/content/1960s-70s-american-...

http://amysmartgirls.com/she-said-feminism/