In a world where 120 countries have not outlawed marital rape, where men are told they're "a girl" for displaying emotion, and where women with strong opinions are too often asked if they're on on their period, nothing is more important than understanding the meaning of the f-word.

Feminism.

To break things down a bit, here are some things that feminism is not:

- The belief that women are superior to any other gender

- Ignoring the difference between sex and gender

- Blaming men for all of the problems women face in society

- Blaming all men for the problems and issues of specific men

- Encouraging women to treat men without respect

What feminism actually is:

- Treating all genders, sexes, races, ethnicities, ages, socioeconomic classes, sexual identities, etc with EQUITY

- Acknowledging that women are not the sole target of modern global problems

- Acknowledging that men, too, are often oppressed

- Encouraging anyone who is a part of a majority or a minority population, whether it be sex or any of the populations listed above, to become an advocate for those who belong to the minority and face oppression

So why are so many of us afraid to label ourselves a feminist? It is of my opinion that the answer lies in ignorance. If she were educated, would Shailene Woodley have said, "the word ‘feminist’ is a word that discriminates, and I’m not into that"?

Whether you're female, male, black, white, gay, or straight, feminism is equality.

Stand up and make a difference. Be a feminist.