“Feminist: a person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes” (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie).

When did it become radical, distressful, and a turn-off to believe that both men and women deserve the same level of respect, pay for their work, and basic human rights? From the start of women’s oppression, which dates back to the beginning of civilization, many have dedicated their lives to the fight for gender equality and representation. Yet somehow, in our modern society, we have become ignorant to the true meaning of feminism. We have let extremist views destroy the fact that feminism, womanism, or whatever you want to call it has a necessary and important place in our world.

Many people are afraid to label themselves as feminists; they’re worried that it will give people the wrong impression. Public figures such as Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Kelly Clarkson have explained that they would hesitate in saying they are feminists because they “love men,” “love being taken care of,” and don’t want to come off as not needing anyone, and they “believe in the strength of women” but not feminism in itself (Huffington Post, 2013). These are extremely successful women, role models who are in the perfect position to set the record straight and clarify that feminism simply means equality. Yet, like many modern women, the word has been tainted for them and they do not wish to be defined by the false pretenses that have become associated with it. Thankfully, outspoken feminists such as Emma Watson and Beyonce have not backed down and have in turn become the heroines of the cause. They are working to prove that it’s okay to be a feminist; it’s okay to believe in something and not hold back or make yourself smaller in case you step on someone else's toes.

“We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls: ‘You can have ambition but not too much. You should aim to be successful but not too successful. Otherwise you will threaten the man.'"—Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The fact that there continues to be a connotation of fear in declaring oneself a feminist pretty much says it all. It’s 2015, and we live in a world where peoples’ worths and abilities are still largely determined by gender, skin color, and religious affiliation. We also must realize that different women, depending on their contexts, backgrounds, and traditions, have the right to declare their own types of feminism. White feminism or black feminism, westernized or third world, all women’s voices are important and deserve to be heard. That being said, feminism is just one small piece of the puzzle, but it is a start. And, we have made progress, just not enough. Until we live in a world where women CEOs and bosses aren’t an oddity, where female college students will no longer live in fear that one in five of them will be sexually assaulted, where female infants are just as treasured as male babies all around the world, and where girls don’t get shot because they want to go to school, we have not succeeded. We have the power to get there but it starts with standing up and standing strong. We can do it and we will.

XOXO

Sara

p.s. Here are some really cool people that agree: