Get a credit card, serve on a jury, or get an Ivy League education are just a few of the things women were unable to do in the 1960s. However, in the nearly 50 years since then, women have made monumental strides in achieving equality, however there is still a ways to go and sometimes being a feminist in this generation can be considered a bad thing.

The term “feminism” refers to the idea that all humans regardless of gender should have the same political, economic, and social rights. Feminism is not the belief that women are superior to men or that they deserve more rights which is a common misconception. This is due to the few misandrists that identify as a feminist, however most feminists only strive to create a society where gender does not restrict anyone from success or contentment.

There has always been opprobrium towards the movement and one of the main problems is the way the media portrays it. It focuses on the extreme versions or acts, depicting feminists as as women who hate men and expect superiority. For example, the Miss America Protest was trivialized by the media and focused on the bra-burning conflict rather than the purpose of the protest.

The purpose of feminism is to empower women and have them treated the same way as men in society. Men too suffer from gender role assumptions that place unrealistic expectations upon them, which feminism has helped address.

If it wasn’t for past feminist movements, we would not be able to have the rights we have today, however the issue is not a thing of the past.  

We need feminism because women are still getting paid less than men. We need feminism because women should be allowed to decide what happens to their bodies. We need feminism because in Pakistan and India, honor killings are still common.

Teenage girls and guys should not have to feel ashamed to say they support equal rights for everyone, regardless of gender.

Sincerely,
Sydney