I have read yet another article rebutting the concept of feminism by a woman, and I have been yet again genuinely perplexed at the lack of understanding (often due to media) of what this movement means I am here to educate the uneducated (and by uneducated I am referencing to this concept in particular) who seem to have not yet been able to grasp and accept the feminist movement.

Feminism: "The social, political, and economic equality of the sexes."

I will now proceed to explain each sector of this definition.

Social Equality of the Sexes

After reading the article, "I Am A Female And I Am So Over Feminists," it has been brought to my attention that many young American women have only been able to grasp an idea of feminism from a white, middle or upper class, cisgender, heterosexual perspective. That being said, women who generally need the impact of the feminist movement the least, are the women who seem to be so sick of these ladies promoting girl power.

Let me clarify: chivalry does not have to expire as a result of this push for equality. So, if you desire to have men pay for your meals or hold doors open for you, or if you want to stay at home and be a mother -- you are free to do as you, please! The feminism movement is in no way degrading the traditional home life. It simply offering alternatives to provide a smoother path for those who do not have such aspirations in life. It allows the defiance of stereotypical gender roles and allows whoever to strive for whatever positions they desire within society.

Feminism is not anti-man. The "feminists" who preach their hatred for men are not what the truest, purest forms of feminism embody. Feminist hope and fight for the equality of the sexes socially on both sides of the spectrum. As it allows for women to find strength to prosper and be respected socially as equal to a man -- whether its through the sciences, law enforcement, medicine, or education -- feminism paves a path for women to impact society as much as men throughout history have had the opportunity to do, without degrading men in the process. Men, as well, have had their share of oppressions through the gender roles of society. Men are expected to constantly be tough, have a hard-shell, and emotionally stable. Feminists have the belief that men should be allowed to break down their walls and express themselves the same as women can. It is OK if a man needs to cry, just as it is OK for a woman to cry. Men do not need to constantly put out this persona of a harass to feel acceptable within society. Feminism encourages the social equality of the sexes. It preaches for equal opportunities throughout life without fighting obstacles put forth by being a certain sex. Another wild aspect to this is that men are allowed to be feminists, too!

An essential aspect of feminism that many people such as the author of "I Am A Female And I Am So Over Feminists" is blatantly ignorant to is intersectionality. Intersectional feminism (all feminism) is a rather confusing concept to grasp for some, but that is why I am here once again to clarify. Until I recently took a philosophy class, I was completely unaware of what this was because of the privileges I have in society. Being a white, heterosexual, cisgender, middle-class gal myself, it is easy not to acknowledge my own privileges. Intersectionality is the study overlapping or intersecting social identities and related systems of oppression, domination, or discrimination. That being said, each human has their own unique social identities that affect how they experience each and every day. As I have stated mine previously, the struggle to overcome not only gender oppression is worsened for a woman of color, lower economic status, or different sexual identity. The way society works creates obstacles for women in so many aspects that is becomes an avalanche of burdens to overcome, no matter how much hard work is put in. Women (and men, too!) are so unique and perplexing that there is no equal way in which someone steps foot out of their house each morning and experiences their day. All these different social identities contribute to the grand old problem of gender inequality. So, even if you don't need feminism yourself to become a prosperous member of society, there are people out there who rely on the closing of the gender inequality ratio for the ability to grasp onto opportunities that they wouldn't be able to receive with all these burdening oppressions affecting their daily lives. Some may be privileged, and some will never be able to grasp that sense of stability in life without intersectional feminism.

Political Equality of the Sexes

At this point, hopefully, the anti-feminists have been fed some knowledge that inspires them to actually stop refusing the movement but embrace it. But, if not, here's some more fuel for thought. A lot of the political equality of the sexes aspect overlaps with social equality.

In today's society, many people are in awe of when women run for president or positions within government. This should not be the case. Nobody should blink an eye when a woman is running, it should be a regular thing. There should be no fuss within the population if members of the opposite sexes are debating on a platform, and it should not dictate one's vote for the presidency solely because the candidate is a female or male. Politics should be gender neutral. Easy for a man to be elected president, and easy for a woman to be elected. Other countries find it normal, why can't we?

Along with the presence of (hmm, white?) men in politics being overly predominant, it comes with a male dominance over laws and regulations. Still, to this day, men attempt to put forth rules and regulations attempting to control what a woman can and cannot do with her own body and reproductive system. I am simply here to say that someone with a different set of genitals should have no opinion on what goes on with those of a woman.

Political equality, along with social and economic, may not be far from achievable in the United States, as well as already achieved in other countries, but please, please remember that there are many nations far behind in the progression of society.

Economic Equality of the Sexes

What really irked me after reading the anti-feminism article was the statement regarding how recent women began entering the workforce. Women began replacing men in the workforce during World War I. If you are unsure of how long ago Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated which was the triggering moment of this war, it was about 102 years ago (although the U.S. did not primarily involve themselves in 1914, they soon joined the rest of Europe). Women began working and helping the economy the second their husbands left to fight in this bloodbath. I do not consider this recent. Women have been constantly increasing their presence in the workforce since this era, and it is only fair that they receive the same acknowledgement as men as contributors to our, rather crappy but steadily progressing, economy.

Which gets me to the point of the infamous wage gap. Many people refuse to acknowledge this, as women are less likely to ask for a pay raise than men. However, that is not entirely true. Apparently as a nation, we decide not to follow legislation (shocker!) such as The Equal Pay Act of 1963, which is supposed to enforce the fair and equal distribution of wages amongst the sexes. For every dollar a man makes, a woman makes about 73 cents. Although of course, this is a median which means that there is always room for outliers, however, there is no exception that on average women do not get their fair share of wages for identical jobs as men. After fighting for work for 102 years, it is only fair that a century later women get paid the same as men. The wage gap is real, people.

Now I conclude, that after becoming infuriated with reading yet another uninformed woman attempt to rebel against feminism, that this movement is something that creates unlimited opportunity for anyone in society. Yes, men and women were indeed built different physically (a common point throughout the other article), but feminism does not try to conceptualize different physiques, but rather the oppression within society. Although the urgent need for feminism may not apply to all, there are millions and millions out there unable to get their voice out their and overcome obstacles within society and it is our privileged duty to create social, political, and economic equality for all.

You can read the original article here.