Everyday, I hear so many girls say “I’m not a feminist” or “I’m sick of all these hippy feminists”. When I ask them why, they don’t have an explanation or their definition of what feminism is, is so skewed that they have no idea what they are talking about. Just so we are on the same page here, I took the liberty to go to Urban Dictionary and define feminism: “The belief that women are and should be treated as potential intellectual equals and social equals to men.” So excuse me for exercising my right to free speech, but does this mean that those girls believe they belong beneath men? Because quite frankly, I was not raised to accept discrimination based upon my gender.

I was born a female. I have never understood why that automatically makes me incapable of performing the same tasks as a man. Simply put, women do not receive the same privileges that men receive, and it’s garbage. Currently, I am pursuing a degree in Education, which has been stereotyped as a women’s job. In the future, when I have my teaching license and have my first job, no matter my qualifications a man will make more than I do in the field. It does not matter if I am more qualified, if I have more experience, or if I am overall the better teacher, I will never receive equal pay. Does that seem right to you?

If that’s not bad enough, as a female, my body will always be sexualized. I have to be very careful when buying clothes, because if a shirt is cut too low or if a pair of shorts are too short, I can be told my outfit isn’t appropriate. I have even heard stories from high school students who were sent home from school because their bra strap was showing, and it was distracting to the other male students and male teacher. Maybe her teacher and peers should have controlled themselves instead. What can I really say besides, I’m sorry women have breasts, believe me more often than not they are an annoyance.

Speaking of breasts and all other female body parts, woman around the world have been trained to understand that their body parts are simply there for a man’s pleasure. If you don’t believe this is true, let me break it down for you. 99.4% of rapists will walk free. Can you believe that number? If not, I have another one. ⅔ of sexual assaults do not even get reported. This is because society has told women time and time again that men are allowed to do whatever they want with a woman’s body and that’s okay. I for one, will never raise my daughter to believe that her body is anything less than hers. No female should ever have to subject themselves to such a cruel and heartless act, because her body is sacred. It should be treated that way.

To wrap it all up, my favorite thing is hearing people say that women belong barefoot and pregnant while serving their husband sandwiches. First off, if I’m going to be barefoot and pregnant, my husband better be making me sandwiches for birthing his child. Second, I have better things to do with my life than constantly be pregnant and waiting on my husband. Somewhere out there, there’s a classroom full of students that will soon become my students, and that is a dream I will not give up on simply because “I have a duty as a female”. And third, my ancestors did not fight for my rights as a women simply for me to give them all up.

I am a feminist, and I will fight for my right as a woman. I deserve the same rights as a man, and I will never be told I am less based on the fact I have different genitalia. For all those women who have fought for my rights in the past and for those who are brave enough to be fighting today, I stand with you. For all those who claim they are not a feminist or don’t believe in feminism, don’t worry, we’ll fight for your rights too.