Reasons Why I Still Need Feminism: And Why You Should Too

In light of the recent Nikki Minaj / Taylor Swift twitter debacle (read about it here if you have been living under a rock: http://www.buzzfeed.com/juliegerstein/nicki-minaj-and-taylor-swift-are-having-it-out-on-twitter#.qlGW8y71W), I've decided to share a few reasons that I still need feminism, even in 2015.

1. Because female lawmakers make up under 20% of Congress, and more than half the population of the United States.

2. Because the slang term for weak is the same as the term for female genitalia.

3. Because this Twitter is a thing:

4. Because "She's on her period" or "It must be her time of the month" is still used to describe women who are emotional or angry.

5. Because I had to explain to my friend, who is twenty years old, that "popping your cherry" isn't anatomically correct.

6. Because "catcalling" is still considered normal and is "expected" by most women. It is even called a compliment by some!

7. Because society stops viewing women as beautiful at a certain age and starts calling them "good looking for their age."

8. Because full male nudity is rated R or NC-17, whereas women's breasts only warrant a PG-13 rating.

9. Because in 2015, the United States is the only developed and industrialized nation that doesn't have guaranteed paid maternity leave for the female workforce.

10. Because female survivors of domestic abuse are still asked "Why did you stay?"

11. Because men in the United States still earn $20,000 more per year than a woman in the same job, with the same education.

12. Because female genital mutilation, which is the act of cutting off and restitching female genitals to prevent pleasurable sex, is still practiced in 29 countries around the world as punishment.

13. Because women are still afraid to walk alone at night, and pepper spray is viewed as a necessity for women walking alone at night to be safe.

14. Because many women are still afraid to "come out" as feminists.

15. Because "They were drunk" is not an excuse for sexual assault.

16. Because human traffickers target women shopping alone at craft stores as "easy targets." http://reason.com/blog/2015/06/08/sex-traffickers-...

17. Because many young women have to deal with and feel like they have to apologize for not sending nude photos of themselves to guys who ask for them.

^^^ my feelings

18. Because a woman is raped every six seconds in the United States.

19. Because even as I write this, I know that someone out there is going to call me "bitter," "bitchy," or "whiny."

20. Because feminism isn't about oppressing the rights of men, it's about equality, and we can make it happen.