I have always had a love/hate relationship with feminism; at the core, the ideals of feminism boil down to equality for women. I strongly believe in equality and women's rights, but for many reasons I hesitate to call myself a feminist.

Feminists declare to be advocates for women everywhere. So why does the feminist movement so often encourage tearing down men and even, at times, other women? If feminism is about equality, then why must we women take down our fellow human cohabitants in order to take our place as so-called equals? If we truly want to rise up as equals, we must first look to ourselves and become the strong women we claim to be.

What exactly is a "strong" woman? Is she physically strong—an athlete, perhaps? Or is she emotionally strong, able to withstand the storms of life? Is she mentally strong, an intelligent adversary in her field?

Yes. Yes to all of the above, although not necessarily all at once. Feminist culture has created the ideal image of what a "strong" woman is. But in reality, there are many different types of strong women—there is no perfect model for who and what a woman should be, what kinds of qualities she must possess.

A strong woman is someone who is confident in her own skin. A strong woman is someone who knows and fights for what she believes in. A strong woman is someone who builds others up rather than tearing them down. A strong woman may be a stay at home mom who works hard to keep the house clean and cook for her family. A strong woman may be a CEO of a major company. A strong woman may pursue her dreams as an Olympic gymnast, or she may pursue her dreams as a veterinarian. Most importantly, a strong woman is not limited to a set of society's standards.

Although the feminist movement started out as a fight for equality, it has come around full circle and we have ended up back where we started. Instead of gaining equality, women of the feminist movement have only changed the standard of the "ideal woman" that they have sought to destroy. Whether or not you identify as a feminist, I challenge you, the reader, to ask yourself, are you tearing others down or building them up? As people, we are in this together, and above all else, we should seek to strengthen one another.