Recently, there is a word going around more and more that you've probably heard. Be it on radio, television, or online, you've probably heard it used and discussed--even by Beyoncé. These days, it's controversial, and plenty of stereotypes go along with it. As well as some good things. But not many know where the word really comes from or what it means. What is the word? Feminism.

Now, before you click away, hear me out. Firstly, the history of feminism, as given by GWANET, is a long and interesting one. The first writing (of a woman sticking up for other women) was by Christine de Pizan in the 15th century. Which, for those of you who aren't good at math (like me) was 515 years ago. So it's nothing new. After that, the movement came in three waves. The first wave was in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It mainly consisted of married women not wanting to be considered property--which, yanno, makes sense-- and the suffragist movement. The next wave started in the 1960s. This wave was the start of the feminist movement's voice for equality, and encouraged women to embrace their femininity and ways of living.

The next wave started in the 1990s, and continues to present day, because it was soon realized not much was achieved in the second wave. It even goes against the second wave, seeking to be far more inclusive of all women than the second wave. It also has a lot of internal conflicts, often about topics like what feminism really is.

But what is feminism exactly? And are you a feminist? Well, let me ask you a few questions. Do you think women should have the same rights as men? Do you think women should be better represented in media? Do you think men and women should be held to the same standards in all parts of your every day life? If you answered 'yes' to one or all of these, you are a feminist. Simple, right? Simply put, feminism is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.

Now you're probably wondering, if it's so simple and sensible, why is it controversial? Well, firstly, some people aren't feminists. Which is sort of not cool. And, because some feminists aren't feminists. There is a small group that are actually something completely different, and believe that women are superior to men. The word for this is misandry. Unfortunately, because the subject is so avoided and unknown, they call themselves feminists and their voices are louder. Thus the controversy.

So there it is, the f word: feminism. It's not as scary as people think. It's not at all bad as people think. It's a simple movement with simple beliefs.