Feminism is a word people tend to tread lightly around. They avoid the word like it might cause the next major plague. They tip toe nearby not sure they want to be associated with such a word. Why are people so afraid of this word? Well, feminism is associated with a boat load of stigmas such as, but not limited to, bra burning, angry women yelling in your face, and man hating, are just a few. I am here to help you forget about these stigmas, and tell you about how great feminism really is.
First off feminists don’t burn bras, bras are way too expensive to start a fire with, you best believe I am not setting fire to my $50 bra from Victoria Secret, I know better. While I know that not all feminists are sweet as apple pie, we are not all angry, and I promise you I will only yell in your face if you eat my food. Most of the time feminists get angry because we are passionate about what we are fighting for. The stigma that feminists hate men is just insane. I am going to let you guys in on a little secret we feminists have, feminism isn’t only for women, but it is for men as well! Crazy, right?! Feminists fight for the rights of men as well as women, trying to break the double standards of ‘what a man should be like.’
Now that we got that out of the way lets clear up what feminism really is about. The definition of feminism is, “the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.” If you are a woman, know a woman, have a mother, have a sister, have a daughter, or ever loved a woman, I ask you to rethink feminism, not for me but for them, the women you love.
Feminism had fought for so many great things in our country, such as; gender equality, women’s right to vote, women’s rights to birth control, the gender wage gap, Planned Parenthood, women’s right to own land, women’s rights to their own bodies, the rights to receive education, the rights to hold public office, and so much more. Although Feminism has helped close the gap between women and men, we continue to fight for our rights. The sad truth is that although John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act of 1963 women are still being paid only 73 cents to every man's dollar, for doing the same exact job! Women are still being told by the government what we can and cannot do with our own bodies, and the government continues to defund Planned Parenthoods across the country, which has given millions of women access to health care.
Why are women still being overlooked in America and all throughout the world? We are intelligent, kind, brave, strong, and revolutionary human beings and we deserve to be treated as so. I want my future daughter to not be told that what she wears is more important than her thoughts and opinions. I want my feature daughter to not know what it is like to not be paid the same amount as a man doing the same job as her. I want my feature daughter to live in a world where she is seen as an equal no matter what. Women are human beings who are forces to be reckoned with, and we want to be seen as nothing less than that.
So, I ask you to rethink feminism. Feminists aren’t the monsters society and media make us out to be. We just want to be treated fairly, and I don’t think that is asking for too much. Rethink feminism because it fights for you, and for someone you love. Rethink feminism because it has/is doing extraordinary things for people all over the world, men and women.
