It’s 2016 and the human rights movement is more dynamic than ever. Pride rallies, protesters and other advocates make headway every day. A year ago, a milestone was reached when same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide. However, we are far from reaching nirvana when it comes to human rights. Movements are still in full swing, and many goals have yet to be achieved. The women’s rights movement is near the top of that list. However, feminism is often misconstrued and empowerment movements are criticized for their impact or lack thereof.
Recently, a high school senior in my hometown started a protest when she was "dress-coded" for not wearing a bra to school. Evidently, this made another student uncomfortable and she was asked to go home and change or cover up. Her story made its way from the local news all the way up to national magazines and broadcasts. The attention the protest got could be seen as a huge step in the right direction. However, scrolling through social media sites, I encountered multiple people bashing this girl, the movement, and its supporters. What these people refused to see was the underlying issue that sparked the protest.
Her education was placed at a lower value than the comfort of another student.
The girl was removed from class both that first day she was asked to change and multiple times on the day of the protest. Her learning was interrupted numerous times over the course of two days so that other students would be more comfortable. Administrators are present to ensure that students get the best education they possibly can. Instead, they disrupted her learning because of the way she dressed. These are the problems in society that feminists and women’s rights advocates are working to overcome.
Feminism is defined as “the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.” The word that should be focused on here is equality. It is falsely interpreted that feminism is the push for women to be superior to everyone. Or rather, an inflated version of the well-known “girls rule, boys drool” elucidation. In truth, women are pushing for equal pay in the workplace. They are pushing for a larger role in politics and business. They are pushing to break stereotypes and discrimination. They are pushing to be considered based on their abilities and accomplishments rather than the fact that they are female. All in all, they are simply pushing for equality.
