"I have realized that fighting for women’s rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating. If there is one thing I know for certain, it is that this has to stop." - Emma Watson

For the longest time I was afraid of the word "feminist" because of the negative connotations that are so often attached to it. If you say you're a feminist you're automatically a crazed, hairy armpit, pro-choice woman. I am none of these things, but I still believe in feminism. The definition of feminism is simple, "the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men." Raising women up to the same level as men, why would anyone be opposed to that? While the feminist movement is taking off and garnering more attention every day, it's still something of a taboo where I live. On a daily basis I see things on social media that shock me. We live in such an educated and socially aware world and yet people are STILL using extremely degrading and sexist terms to describe women. What's equally troubling to me is that the majority of people who "like" these pictures and statuses are girls. A large portion of them are younger than 18; they're growing up, believing that insults are okay and that they are nothing more than an overly emotional object that can be quickly discarded and picked up again by any boy who shows the slightest interest. That is not okay. Girls should not expect and accept being treated less than. Their perception of self has become so distorted and skewed that they in turn use words and comments, that should never be said, about each other.

Girls now pit themselves against each other and are brought up thinking that gossiping and hating is only natural and that's what being a girl is. I know this to be true because I live it. When I was younger I would openly refer to other girls as sluts, trashy, etc.; group texts with my friends were full of screen shots of girls we didn't like and full of comments about appearance and lifestyle choices. I don't remember my comments, but I remember the girls and if I could take back my words and the impact they had I would. It's a process to stop myself from saying these things now, it's an even harder process to rewire my brain to think differently. You can't change the ways society formed your mind and the ideas about women that grew up with you, but you can make a conscious effort now to change it.

Now when it comes to equality between men and women it's crazy to think that people are against it. How can anyone be against equality?? It's so hard to wrap my mind around that. All too often women are left to feel like they aren't worthy of something or that they are at a disadvantage simply because they are a girl. If you speak your mind you're bossy and bitchy, and if you don't speak up you're too shy and unsure. I'm not a man-hater, I just hate the double standards we hold men and women to. My mom once pointed out that when a girl gets pregnant in high school she has to quit being a cheerleader, but the boy who is also expecting a child continues to play on the football team. Both parties participated in the same act, but the girl is the one who must face the harsh and stigmatizing consequences. I could go on and on with the inequality between men and women on multiple platforms, you know them too.

This is why I am a feminist. Not just for the empowerment of women to be seen equal to men, but also for the empowerment of love between women. Not only to level the playing field and eradicate the belief of a "dominate" gender, but also because girls shouldn't be raised in a world that makes us hate one another from a young age. Let boys play with dolls and girls play with trucks. For girls to stop idolizing and sharing those unhealthy and degrading posts on social media. For boys to stop posting those same images and thinking they deserve a girl to serve them just because they're male. Women's rights are everyone's rights because we all are one people.

"Equality is not a concept. It's not something we should be striving for. It's a necessity. Equality is like gravity. We need it to stand on this earth as men and women, and the misogyny that is in every culture is not a true part of the human condition. It is life out of balance, and that imbalance is sucking something out of the soul of every man and woman who's confronted with it. We need equality." - Joss Whedon