It seems that Feminism has become a hot topic lately. With articles surfacing like I Am A Female And I Am So Over Feminists.To other people around me saying that Feminism is a "dying fight" and that in a few years it will be extinct so I should "just get over it because it isn't that bad". Because of these comments, I have become inspired to do something about it. I want all of these people to know that I reject this idea and so do the millions of REAL Feminists out there.

First off, so many people seem to always accuse feminists of being angry man haters. What I don't think people realize is that for starters, "Feminism" is about equal rights for ALL. The Merriam-Webster dictionary clearly states that Feminism is "the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities". Wow. How does that equal "I hate men?" We don't want to be superior to men and we don't hate men. I don't think that men can't have ideas. All I want is to be treated like an equal. We aren't suggesting that men do not have issues. Of course they do. To think that they don't is absolutely ludicrous. We have been oppressed for years and we still are being oppressed to this day. To quote Gina Davis in her articleI mentioned above "Relax feminists we're okay." No. We are absolutely 100% NOT okay. Sure we have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.

We need Feminism because parents still teach their kids that "boys will be boys."

If a boy pulls on a girls hair or pulls down her swim trunks it's completely normal because "he's just playing around. Boys will be boys." No. Maybe if we teach boys at a young age that women are not playthings and that no means NO, we could eliminate some of the issues that women face every day.

We need Feminism because we still have ludicrous dress codes in High Schools.

Girls are being sent home because their SHOULDERS are showing. I'm sorry but I have never in my life thought a shoulder was sexy. Every time this is done to a girl, you are telling her that the boy's education is more important than her's. You are telling her that she needs to change something about herself so a boy can have a distraction free learning environment. News Flash High Schools: There is no dress code in college yet somehow boys can still do their work. Huh. Weird! To end a girl's school day early or to ruin a girl's Prom Night like teachers in Maryville, Tennessee did to Amy because she's a bigger girl and "needs to cover up" (Read about this here), is just absolutely wrong on so many levels.

We need Feminism because we still victim blame.

Usually the first question everyone asks to a victim who was raped is "What were you wearing" or "Were you drinking?" "How many sexual partners have you had?" Why?! It is NOT the victim's fault for being raped. Sober people get raped. Women wearing sweatshirts get raped. Virgins get raped. It is not about what they were wearing, how many people they have slept with or how much they've had to drink. The rapist couldn't give a flying fodoodle about any of that. It's about the rapist wanting power over the victim. That's IT.

We need Feminism because people try to control what we do with our own bodies.

There is a tax on tampons. Yes. A tax. Tampons are considered a luxury. I'm sorry but I don't think I've ever asked to bleed. I have no choice in the matter. Why is something that I can't control nor do I want in the first place seen as a luxury? News Flash: it's not. It's horrible. It's not a luxury. Also, why are people telling us we can't have access to free birth control? It's not my fault I was born with a vagina and that I could get pregnant. The killer is they don't want us to have access to birth control but they also don't want us to abort unwanted children. HOW CAN WE WIN?!

We need Feminism because women are still shamed for their bodies.

Men are presented as heroes if they have slept with 20 girls. Girls are portrayed as sluts if they have had that many sexual partners. Girls are called a prude if they don't sleep with someone but a slut if they do. Guys still text us asking us to "put out" and the second we say we are not interested we are brandished as ugly and a whore. How does that even make sense?!

We need Feminism because Women are openly objectified and no one seems to care.

Movies, TV, commercials, magazines, modeling agencies. All places that constantly objectify women and it's seen as okay. I don't know how many times I've seen half naked women in beer commercials or car commercials. I'm not sure how many times I've seen women objectified in TV shows and movies and it is seen as a joke. I don't know when it became funny to disrespect someone. We are all human. Why are we treated as objects in the media? What is it doing to our adolescents who are already having a tough time growing up as it is?

We need Feminism because we are still paid less despite the laws.

I don't care if you say the "Wage Gap" doesn't exist. It does. Women's soccer is proof of this. Three time World Cup Champions are paid less than the 29th in the world mediocre Men's team. It's not about revenue. It's not about "women pick different jobs that don't pay as much." It is a REAL problem and it is happening to them for no reason at all. Don't believe me? Here's an article about it here.

Bottom line: We STILL need Feminism because...

I don't want to have to tell my daughter to "deal with it." I don't want to tell her that her consent doesn't matter. I don't want to tell her that all her life she will be disrespected and treated like a piece of meat and she has got to learn to deal with it because "boys will be boys." No. I want to tell her that she gets to live in a better world than I did. A world where women are treated as equals. We aren't "weak". We aren't "sluts". Rape ISN'T our fault. I want her to have the same opportunities as a man. I don't want her to be superior to men. I just want her and a man to stand next to each other and for society to see two equals, not a first place and a second place.