Why We Still Need Feminism

Why We Still Need Feminism

The late 19th century brought along the fight for women’s suffrage, which really opened women’s eyes to what they were capable of doing. This particular movement inspired women to fight for the rights they knew they deserved, and continues to inspire the women of today. Fast forwarding to present day feminism, we see a jumbled mess, and although so much progress has been made since the suffrage movement, there is still so much that needs to be done. Just because feminism brought us the right to vote, doesn’t mean we don’t need feminism today. Gaining the right to vote was just the beginning and has paved a pathway for women gaining more rights with the mindset and goal of reaching equality between males and females. A pool of confusion has changed the definition of “feminism” which has evolved into something negative, shameful, and un-powerful. As stated in the article, “The Problem With Feminism,” “Feminism has been misinterpreted. It has been morphed into a million internet memes and a go-to interview question for celebrities, which is causing people to miss the real meaning.” The media has greatly impacted my opinion on feminism, causing me to be confused about what feminism actually means. I’ve had to learn that feminism is not a battle of the sexes, but rather, a battle for equal rights and opportunities. Although I am young, and am still trying to grasp on to every aspect of what it means to be a strong, true feminist, I know undoubtedly that gender inequality still exists and is a major problem that leaves billions of women mentally and physically hurt, torn, and scarred. Women are continuously degraded just because of their gender and we need strong modern day feminists to fix that.

The anti-feminist movement blew up with popularity on the trendy social media site tumblr. Average everyday men and women posted a picture with a short write up of why they were against feminism, and honestly, I don’t blame them. Since the media has changed what it means to be a feminist into something confusing, the effect has generally caused men and women to be afraid to stand up for equality due to the judgment of others or what they’ve heard and seen in the media. Some posts from the anti-feminist page said, “I don’t need feminism because I don’t think men are pigs” and “I don’t need feminism because I don’t hate men.” Society ultimately sees us as one sided, man-hating, angry humans who think women are superior to men and deserve to be treated that way. In the simplest way, to be a feminist means you support the fight of making males and females equal, socially and economically, not in any means superior to one another. The main thing I learned from reading some of these anti-feminist posts was that a whole lot of people have no clue what the term feminism actually means. Before you set your mind on being an anti-feminist, take the time and study what it means to be a true supporter of the equality of genders. We can’t let our opinions be misguided by false information we hear in society and in the media. Our generation has the tendency to conform to what’s popular without having any clue of what we’re doing. My “favorite” post I read said, “I am not a feminist because I am not a victim.” If you don’t feel like a victim, then fight for the ones who do. Fight for the rights of women who have been victimized and are too afraid to tell their story and whose courage and self-confidence has crumbled under the pain. Just this month, a close friend who I’ve known for years came out and told everyone that she had be raped just last year. Not only did hearing this news completely trample my heart, but also made me fully aware that stories like hers happen everyday, all around us and go completely unnoticed. Something so precious and personal had been stolen away from her and no woman deserves to go through that. My respect for her has gone beyond the limits and I admire her courage and bravery of finally letting go of that pain she had been hiding from so many, and for so long. Although her story will forever stick with her, it was inspiring and continues to inspire everyone who reads it. From her experience, I now have a new love and respect for how strong and brave women are. They continue to amaze me everyday, and I take pride in the fact that I am a women.

The United States is known for being a free country filled with opportunities; yet, we can’t treat men and women equally. According to several studies, on average, women earn 77 percent to a man’s dollar and women of color make 64 percent to the same dollar. New advancements are being made daily and times are speedily changing, except how the hard working women of this country are being paid and treated. Women are just as strong, smart, and intelligent as men and there’s no reason anyone should be paid more or less based on gender. Everyone needs to start realizing that stereotypes are a thing of the past. A report by the American Psychological association says, “Women develop the ideal of seeing their bodies as not their personal self, but as sexual objects. That unhealthy train of thought can develop into recurring problems such as eating disorders, low self-esteem, and depression.” Magazines, ads, commercials, almost anything we see in the media with a female, objectify women. To say you “throw like a girl” is an insult, the women we see in these magazines