To label something as extreme and regard it as unnecessary and detrimental falls far from what the term feminism represents. Feminism is the advocacy of equal rights for women. This phrase has become increasingly popular over the last few years and is now one of the most notable social movements for societal change.
Being a feminist does not mean you have to hate all men. Although this label is viewed as extreme and sometimes joked about, a feminist is simply someone who wants to improve the role of women in a society.
The term itself is constantly misconstrued.Once I educated myself properly, not only did I come to learn that feminists were reformers, I realized how needed they were in order to advocate for change and equality when sadly, they shouldn’t have to in the first place.
Feminism does not mean superiority over men, it means equal to men. Just because women have gained rights in the U.S and have slowly made their way into leadership positions once male dominated, does not mean other countries have that same privilege. In some third-world countries only young boys are allowed to receive an education while the girls are stripped from what should be a basic human right equal to all.
The wage gap is a local, prominent and continuing issue women in the workplace should not have to face. Despite the fact that women have prolongedly broken the glass ceiling, there are still countless more barriers to be broken.
Women should get paid the same amount as their male counterparts for doing the exact same job. The degree is the same, the license is the same and the overall credibility is the same, so why should the pay be different?
Reproductive rights, justice over domestic abuse and fairness are some of the battles that feminists all around the world are continuing to fight.
Gandhi once said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” and we, as feminists, will continue to do just that.
There is absolutely nothing to lose from equality, only everything to gain.
