You Don't Hate Feminism. You Just Don't Understand It.

In today's world, calling someone a feminist can go two ways. Calling someone a feminist could either really offend them or make them proud. There is no in-between. Feminism is now just one more topic that is divided in this country. It's shocking that in today's society, most women would be legitimately offended to be called a feminist. The latest complaints about feminism have been: people feel as though feminist beliefs are being shoved down their throats, women are complaining for no reason (we are fine), women are much better off now, and feminists want to have women be the most dominant race. Of course none of this is actually true.

The official definition of feminism is a range of political movements, ideologies, and social movements that share a common goal: to define, establish, and achieve political, economic, personal, and social equality of sexes. Shouldn't we all want equal rights for men and women? If your answer is yes, you by definition are a feminist. If your answer is no, you might want to reconsider some things.

One of the most common arguments against feminism is that people feel as though feminist views are being shoved down their throats. Women have been silenced since the start of time and are now finally able to be vocal, expressing their views to the world. Since women's voices were repressed for so long, as soon as they were able to be vocal everything poured out. Which may be why some people feel as though feminists are shoving their views down their throats.

The second most common argument against feminism is that feminists are complaining for no reason, that women are fine now. Women in the United States have more rights than women in any other country. Does that mean that women are equal? No. The only thing that means is that women have even less rights everywhere else in the world.

The final most common argument against feminism is that feminists want women to be the dominant race. Of course, that is not actually the case. Feminists, by definition, just want equality for men and women, which as of right now does not exist.

It's extremely frustrating to hear anyone, especially women, disapprove of a movement designed to help you simply because you refuse to accept that sexism is very real in our society or because you don't understand it. Of course, I am not trying to blame anyone for how they feel or what they believe. A long time ago, I also did not understand feminism. It's time to stop claiming ignorance. You don't need to personally experience oppression to know that it happens to so many other women in our own country and in others. All I can hope for is that people, especially women, educate themselves to understand what being a feminist really is and what feminists stand for... equality.