Hello boys and girls!

Today, we are going to talk about the F word. OK, not the F word we say while driving. The F word I'm talking about is feminism. Recently someone from the Odyssey wrote an article about how she's a woman and doesn't need feminism. Sorry to say, but in the society we live in, both genders need feminism. We are in the 21st century and even though we can now use cellphones and have biodegradable underwear (yes, that's a thing), being called a feminist is still a dirty word. When I tell people I'm a feminist, I get this weird look and am told, "You don't look like one." People have this stereotype that feminists are man-hating lesbians who burn bras and argue with everyone about the topic. Feminism isn't man hating — it means equality for both genders. So I'm going to break this up into why both genders should be feminists.

Women:

Equal Pay

We all know what's going on now with equal pay. If you are a white woman in the United States, you are bound to make 79 cents for each dollar a man makes. That is just for white women — if you are Latino, Asian or Native American it is even lower. While that doesn't sound like a lot, if you are a high school grad and get a decent job, you will be losing $700,000. If you are a college grad, you will be losing $1,200,000, and if you are a professional graduate you will be losing $2,000,000 in your life time. So yes, even if you spent eight years in school to get your bachelor's, master's and Ph.D., you will still be losing money compared to your male counterparts.

Reproductive Rights are at stake

I'm going to talk about reproductive rights. While this is a tough subject to talk about, it needs to be discussed. The House of Representatives just attempted to pass a bill freezing Planned Parenthood. PP isn't just for abortions, it is also used for gynecological appointments and birth control. Back in the '60s and '70s, women fought for the right to their own body, and we are still fighting for it. States such as Minnesota are now even making abortions illegal. Even if you don't agree with abortions, the fact of the matter is, we shouldn't be allowing people who don't have vaginas to control what we do with our bodies.

Women and Girls in developing countries are in even more danger than women in the states

Women in the United States take for granted the rights we have. In America and other areas of the world, it's a law that children need to go to school. In countries such as Nigeria or Saudi Arabia, that is not the case. In a lot of these countries, girls at the age of 10 have to leave school and get married. By the time they are 15, they are married to a man two to three times their age and have a child. Women make up two-thirds of illiterate adults and 60 percent of the worlds poor. While education is a separate cause, in developing countries atrocities such as genital mutilation is still prevalent. This practice is the removal of some of the external genitals using a razor and happens to young girls usually by the age of five. In Western countries, we don't have to worry about if we get to go to school next week or have our genitals cut. Malala Yousafzai who was shot in the face by the Taliban for fighting for girls' education and Theo Sawa who is the CEO of African Women's Development Fund which helps women in Africa get the rights they deserve are two courageous women who fight for women's rights in their developing countries. Not only do the women and girls need us to advocate for their education and equal rights but to stop the carelessness of honor killings and murders. In Pakistan just this past week, a girl was drugged and burned alive because she helped her friend and boyfriend elope. She was 15 years old, and her name was Ambreen.

Men:

Gender Stereotypes

While women have the stereotype that they should be pretty, delicate flowers, men have the stereotype that they should be big, strong and emotionless. Feminism isn't just about breaking the stereotype for women but also for men. When we decide at a young age what we want our careers to be, if it doesn't fit with the stereotype we were born with people judge us. When I was in first grade, I wanted to be Steve Irwin and got laughed at. If a little boy wants to be a nurse, he will get laughed at and be told, "Just be a doctor." These stereotypes were embedded into our minds at an early age and will affect us in the long run. The campaign HeForShe, helps breakdown these stereotypes and give equality for men and women.

Men are subjected to abuse too

We are living in a culture where women and men both get abused. In this culture, it is more "popular" for women to speak out about abuse or rape. Well it happens to men too. According to the CDC, 40 percent of domestic violence cases were reported by men. Most men don't tell others that they were raped or abused by their significant other because of the stereotype that men are stronger then women and that how could they let their significant other abuse them. If a man is raped, people are more likely to believe the woman because that's just how it is. When a man gets raped, nobody asks him if he's OK, what was he wearing or was he drunk. Half of the time men would congratulate each other for having sex. Abuse is something all genders experience sometime in their life.

Parenting

While a lot of us are in college and don't have to worry about children any time soon, parenting rights are still something you should worry about. If you are in a heterosexual relationship and a couple gets divorced, the courts are more likely to side with the woman. When it comes to parenting, it is expected that the woman is supposed to raise the child. Men are just as capable enough to raise their children as women are.

So there it is my friend. Just some of the many reasons why women and men should be feminists. While I could talk about this topic forever, I just wanted to educate you a little on the topic. This fight we are in is not just a fight for women. We need the help of men to give both genders the equality we all deserve.